De Pere, WI Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)
Amplified music rules in De Pere, WI, also called sound permit, PA system, or live music ordinances, set decibel limits, time-of-day restrictions, and when permits are required.
Key Facts
- Residential limit
- 57 dB(A) day, 52 dB(A) night
- Commercial limit
- 72 dB(A) day, 67 dB(A) night
- Tonal sound adjustment
- Extra 5 dB reduction applied
- Variance cutoff
- Never past 11:00 p.m.
- Enforcement
- Health, inspection and police departments
Summary
De Pere's noise ordinance sets hard decibel ceilings measured at the lot line: 57 dB(A) daytime and 52 dB(A) at night in residential zones, rising to 72/67 dB(A) in commercial and employment zones. Tonal sounds get a 5 dB reduction, and a special variance permit is the only way to exceed the limits.
(a)The following noise limitations are established for any premises, measured at the lot line:(1)Maximum levels within zones. No person shall operate or cause to be operated on private or public property any source of sound in such a manner as to create a sound pressure level which exceeds the limits set for the zone categories in Table 1-1. TABLE 1-1-MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE SOUND PRESSURE Zone Category Time of Day 7:00 a.m.—10:00 p.m. 10:00 p.m.—7:00 a.m.
MAXIMUM dB(A) LEVEL WITHIN A PROPERTY/ZONE Residential 57 52 Mixed-Use 63 58 Commercial and Employment 72 67
... (c)Tonal Sounds. Sounds that are categorized as tonal are subject to a 5 dB reduction to the regulation limits set forth in the tables above.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 9).
Full Breakdown
; mixed-use zones allow 63 dB(A) daytime and 58 dB(A) at night; and commercial and employment zones allow 72 dB(A) daytime and 67 dB(A) at night. A second table in the same section sets tighter cross-zone limits for noise carrying from a louder zone into a quieter one, for example capping any sound crossing from a mixed-use or commercial zone into a residential zone at levels close to the residential zone's own limit. Zone categories are tied directly to the underlying zoning map: residential covers the R1-80 through RM-2 districts, mixed-use covers MX1 through GX2, and commercial and employment covers O, C, BP-1, BP-2 and I.
Tonal sounds, meaning a sound that reads as a single pitch, get an automatic 5 dB reduction applied to whichever limit would otherwise apply, making tonal noise complaints easier to substantiate. Measurements must be taken with an ANSI-compliant Type 1 sound level meter at least one meter from any reflecting surface, in wind of 11 miles per hour or less. , cannot be granted if a similar permit was violated in the previous 12 months, and requires the applicant to notify every adjacent property owner before the event.
Violations & Fines
Operating any source of sound that exceeds the Table 1-1 limits for its zone, at the lot line or across a zone boundary, violates § 146-9 and is declared a public nuisance under § 146-5, subject to summary abatement. Every violation carries a forfeiture set by resolution of the common council under § 146-13, with each day of a continuing violation a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is De Pere's noise limit in residential zones?
Can a De Pere business get permission to play amplified music louder than the noise limit?
How does De Pere measure whether noise is over the limit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in De Pere
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Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Brown County handle amplified music & outdoor sound.