Pinellas County, FL Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)
Amplified music rules in Pinellas County, FL, also called sound permit, PA system, or live music ordinances, set decibel limits, time-of-day restrictions, and when permits are required.
Key Facts
- Quiet hours
- 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
- Residential daytime limit
- 72 dBA at property line
- Residential quiet-hours limit
- 55 dBA at property line
- Multifamily overnight limit
- 40 dBA, neighbor to neighbor
- Octave band limit
- 65 dB per band
- Complaint requirement
- Written, notarized affidavit
Summary
Playing a radio, boombox, stereo or musical instrument loud enough to be 'unreasonably loud and raucous' violates Pinellas County Code § 58-445(1) anywhere the county's noise article governs. Quiet hours run 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., when residential noise can't exceed 55 dBA at the property line; daytime residential noise tops out at 72 dBA.
Any of the following acts and causes thereof, whether continuous or itinerant in nature, are presumed to be in violation of this chapter if they meet the definition of Loud and Raucous set forth in Section 58-441. This enumeration does not constitute an exclusive list: (1)Radios, televisions, boomboxes, stereos, musical instruments, drums or similar devices, or sound amplification devices.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 124).
Full Breakdown
Pinellas County Code § 58-445 lists specific acts 'presumed to be in violation' of the county's general noise prohibition in § 58-444 whenever they meet the article's definition of 'loud and raucous' noise (§ 58-441). Item (1) covers 'Radios, televisions, boomboxes, stereos, musical instruments, drums or similar devices, or sound amplification devices.' Section 58-444(a) separately bars 'any unreasonably loud and raucous noise,' any noise that 'unreasonably disturbs, injures, or endangers the comfort, repose, health, peace or safety of reasonable persons of ordinary sensitivity,' and any noise above the article's numeric limits.
'Quiet hours' run from 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. under § 58-441. During quiet hours in a residential zone, § 58-451(b) makes it unlawful to create noise exceeding 55 dBA at the nearest adjacent property line; between 7:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. the limit rises to 72 dBA (§ 58-451(a)). Multifamily units get a stricter neighbor-to-neighbor cap of 55 dBA daytime and 40 dBA overnight (§ 58-451(d)). For any individual octave band centered at 31.5, 63, 125, 250 or 500 Hertz, § 58-454 caps sound at 65 dB on any adjacent parcel where it can be detected.
Enforcement starts with a written, notarized complaint from 'an identifiable person who resides, owns property, or is employed in the area affected' (§ 58-446(b)). Because itinerant noise, once it stops, can never be measured again, § 58-446(c) lets the county issue a citation or notice to appear on a repeat-noise complaint without first giving a chance to correct the problem. Section 58-455 applies the article countywide, but 'Where a municipality has adopted noise standards, the municipal ordinance shall govern' instead, so cities like St. Petersburg or Clearwater with their own decibel codes control noise within their limits.
Violations & Fines
A noise citation under this article is enforced as a code violation under § 1-8 or, where the noise is itinerant and irreproducible, under the accelerated procedure of F.S. § 162.23, letting the county skip the usual correction period (§ 58-446(c)). Businesses in industrial or commercial zones exceeding the article's decibel table can apply for a temporary waiver, good for up to 180 days and renewable, from the county administrator or the city/town manager where the noise occurs; a denied waiver may be appealed within 30 days (§ 58-448).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I play music loudly at a backyard party in Pinellas County?
Does the county noise code apply inside St. Petersburg or Clearwater?
How does someone file a noise complaint against a neighbor?
Can I get cited for loud music without a warning first?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pinellas County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Pinellas County to another location·View the Florida noise ordinances overview
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