Cary, NC Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)
Amplified music rules in Cary, NC, also called sound permit, PA system, or live music ordinances, set decibel limits, time-of-day restrictions, and when permits are required.
Key Facts
- Daytime limit
- 60 dB(A), 9a-9p
- Nighttime limit
- 50 dB(A), 9p-9a
- Applies to
- general amplified sound equipment
- Excess-noise permit
- Cary Code § 22-110
- Governing law
- Cary Code § 22-109(4)
Summary
Outside bars, advertising and public rights-of-way, the Town of Cary caps other amplified sound equipment at 60 dB(A) affecting homes from 9 a.m.-9 p.m., dropping to 50 dB(A) overnight, absent a town permit.
Except in accordance with a permit obtained from the town, or as provided in section 22-110, the following shall be unlawful: ... (4) Other Amplified Sounds. As to sounds other than those listed in subsections (1)-(3) of this section, to operate or allow the operation of any sound amplification equipment so as to create sounds registering 60 dB(A) or greater affecting occupied residential structures or units between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m., or 50 dB(A) or greater between 9:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2023 S-87_S-57: Current through local ordinance 2022-Code-05, passed 11-17-2022 and effective 11-17-2022 | LDO: Current through local ordinance 2022-LDO-04, passed 11-17-22 and effective 11-17-22).
Full Breakdown
Section 22-109 of the Cary Code makes amplified sound unlawful without a town permit. Subsection (4), the catch-all for amplified sound not covered by the places-of-public-entertainment, advertising, or public-right-of-way categories, caps sound-amplification equipment at 60 dB(A) or greater affecting an occupied residential structure between 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m., and 50 dB(A) or greater between 9:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. A permit to exceed these limits is available under § 22-110 from the town's noise control officer, subject to a 20-hour annual cap at a place of public entertainment or 10 hours elsewhere.
Violations & Fines
Operating amplified sound equipment above the § 22-109(4) thresholds without a § 22-110 permit is unlawful and enforceable under § 22-112: a $100 civil penalty for a first offense, escalating to $1,000 for a fifth offense within a year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get a permit to run amplified sound louder in Cary?
What's the loudest general amplified sound allowed overnight in Cary?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cary
Compare Cary to another location·View the North Carolina noise ordinances overview
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Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Wake County handle amplified music & outdoor sound.