Coral Gables, FL Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)

Section 34-170 of the Coral Gables City Code lists the sounds that the noise article does not reach, and subsection (7) carves out one narrow exemption for outdoor live amplified music on private property at ground level in the central business district. The exemption is conditional, not automatic. An establishment first needs a permit approved by the city manager or a designee. To get it, the applicant submits a plan showing where on the property the music will be performed and what noise attenuation will be used. Permits are issued only to establishments that already hold an active outdoor dining permit.

The covered music is vocal and instrumental music performed live only, which can be run through loudspeakers. The performance must sit completely within the private property of a single establishment located in the central business district, and the establishment's total occupancy can never be exceeded. Platforms, stages and other temporary structures are barred, along with any equipment that would otherwise require a building permit. A performance under this exemption is not treated as a "special event" as defined in section 62-254.

Hours are fixed by day: Fridays from 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., Saturdays from noon to 11:00 p.m., and Sundays from noon to 9:00 p.m. When a holiday defined in section 1-2 falls on or is observed by the city on a Monday, music is allowed on the preceding Sunday until 11:00 p.m. instead. The permit itself sets the maximum sound level and the measurement distance, but no permit can allow more than 85 dBA, read on an ANSI-standard sound level meter 100 feet from the real property line of the establishment. Where another city regulation for establishments along Miracle Mile or Giralda Plaza conflicts with these terms, that other regulation governs for those establishments.