Charleston, SC Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)
Amplified music rules in Charleston, SC, also called sound permit, PA system, or live music ordinances, set decibel limits, time-of-day restrictions, and when permits are required.
Key Facts
- Amplified sound curfew
- 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
- Unamplified instrument curfew
- Midnight to 7:00 a.m.
- Brass/drum instruments
- Barred outdoors after 11 p.m. always
- Applies to
- Any person, entity, or establishment
- Exemption
- Registered sound trucks under §21-26
- Penalty
- Up to $500 fine or 30 days jail
Summary
Charleston bans amplified music in privately owned courtyards and outdoor areas after 11 p.m. and before 7 a.m. if it can be heard from a public street. Unamplified instruments in the same spaces face a later midnight-to-7-a.m. cutoff, and brass or drum instruments are singled out for the tighter 11 p.m. limit either way.
(f) It shall be unlawful for any person, entity or establishment to play, operate or cause to be played or operated, any radio, amplified musical instrument including but not limited to brass or drum instruments or the amplified device or apparatus making or reproducing musical or other sounds within a privately owned or controlled courtyard or outdoor area after 11:00 p.m. and before 7:00 a.m. in such a manner as to be audible in any public street or right-of-way. (g) It shall be unlawful ... to play ... any musical instrument or other device or apparatus making or reproducing musical or other sounds without amplification within a privately owned or controlled courtyard or outdoor area after midnight and before 7:00 a.m. ... This subsection expressly prohibits the playing of brass or drum instruments in privately owned or controlled courtyards or outdoor areas after 11:00 p.m. and before 7:00 a.m.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 114 | Zoning: Supplement 25).
Full Breakdown
if the sound is audible in any public street or right-of-way. regardless of amplification. The restrictions apply to bars, restaurants, event venues, and residences alike anywhere the sound carries to a public street. The ordinance carves out sound trucks, which are governed separately under Section 21-26, and lets the mayor or a designee issue temporary permits for outdoor events run by public, nonprofit, educational, or religious organizations under subsection (k).
Violations & Fines
Charleston Police Department officers cite violations under the general municipal penalty in Section 1-16 because Section 21-16 sets no separate fine: up to a $500 fine or 30 days in jail, with continuing nightly violations chargeable as separate offenses. Officers can issue a Uniform Ordinance Summons on the spot under Section 1-20 without a custodial arrest.
Frequently Asked Questions
How late can a Charleston bar play amplified music outdoors?
Are acoustic instruments treated differently than amplified ones?
Can I get a permit for a late outdoor concert?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Charleston
Compare Charleston to another location·View the South Carolina noise ordinances overview
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Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Charleston County handle amplified music & outdoor sound.