Florence County, SC Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)
Amplified music rules in Florence County, 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
- Governing section
- Florence County Code § 18-1(b)(3)
- Standard
- Volume that annoys or disturbs a nearby residence
- Penalty
- Up to $200.00 fine or 15 days jail
- Enforcer
- Florence County Sheriff's Department
- Court
- Florence County Magistrate's Court
- Exception
- Permitted parade bands, manufacturing noise
Summary
Playing a radio, stereo, TV or other sound-amplifying device loud enough to annoy or disturb people in a nearby home is a misdemeanor in unincorporated Florence County under Sec. 18-1(b)(3), punishable by up to a $200.00 fine or 15 days in jail.
(3)Sound amplifying devices. The playing of any radio, record player, tape recorder, television, musical instrument or sound-producing or sound-amplifying device in such manner or with such volume as to annoy or disturb the quiet, repose or comfort of any person in any dwelling, hotel or other residence is hereby prohibited. ... (f)Penalty. Any individual violating this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof, shall be punishable by a fine of not more than $200.00 or imprisonment for a period of not more than 15 days.
Full Breakdown
Sec. 18-1, Chapter 18's noise article, opens with a general ban on any unreasonably loud, disturbing or unnecessary noise that is detrimental to health or disturbs the peace of any citizen. Subsection (b)(3) applies that standard specifically to sound equipment: playing any radio, record player, tape recorder, television, musical instrument or sound-producing or sound-amplifying device in such manner or with such volume as to annoy or disturb the quiet, repose or comfort of any person in any dwelling, hotel or other residence is prohibited outright, with no decibel meter required, just whether the volume disturbs a listener in a residence.
The ordinance carves out exceptions in subsection (c) for organized, lawfully permitted band or group performances in parades and for manufacturing operations as defined by the South Carolina Tax Commission, and subsection (d) exempts noise made during emergency work needed for public safety or to restore property after a calamity. The Florence County Sheriff's Department is the designated enforcement agency under subsection (e), though the ordinance also lets any resident seek enforcement directly through a magistrate. Violations are misdemeanors tried in Florence County Magistrate's Court.
Violations & Fines
A person convicted of violating Sec. 18-1, including the sound-amplifying-device provision in subsection (b)(3), faces a fine of not more than $200.00 or imprisonment of not more than 15 days under subsection (f). Each instance of loud music or amplified sound disturbing a residence can be charged separately, and the Sheriff's Department, not a homeowners' association or the county administrator, is the agency that responds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a decibel limit for loud music in unincorporated Florence County?
What is the penalty for a noise complaint in Florence County?
Are permitted events like parades exempt from the noise ordinance?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Florence County
Compare Florence County to another location·View the South Carolina noise ordinances overview
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