Franklin, TN Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)
Amplified music rules in Franklin, TN, also called sound permit, PA system, or live music ordinances, set decibel limits, time-of-day restrictions, and when permits are required.
Key Facts
- Curfew
- 10 p.m. Sun-Thu, 11 p.m. Fri-Sat
- Distance test
- audible 100 ft from boundary
- Zones covered
- GO, NC, CC, GC, CI, LI, HI
- Exemption
- special event permit, sec. 11-406
- Fine
- $50 per day, sec. 11-407
Summary
In Franklin, Tennessee commercial and industrial zones, amplified sound audible 100 feet beyond the source property's boundary is banned nightly from 10 p.m. (11 p.m. weekends) until 7 a.m., covering outdoor live music and PA systems.
No person shall cause, suffer, allow or permit amplified sound which is plainly audible when measured at least 100 feet from the real property boundary of the source of the sound between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
(3) Mixed use districts. Amplification of sound located in or within 100 feet of a residential property line of the mixed use development which is plainly audible is prohibited between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Friday and Saturday except for special events where a special permit has been obtained from the City of Franklin authorizing such event. No person shall cause, suffer, allow or permit sound from any sound from any source, sound which is plainly audible in the residential section of the mixed use development between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Friday and Saturday. In the event that a special event permit has been obtained from the City of Franklin, no other amplification of sound will be permitted within the area of the special event except for that which has been applied for and authorized by the city pursuant to the permit application.
(4) Amplification of sound located in or within 100 feet of a residential property line
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 30 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Franklin's noise ordinance sets a zone-specific ceiling on amplified sound. In commercial and industrial districts (zoned GO, NC, CC, GC, CI, LI, HI), amplified sound plainly audible 100 feet or more from the source property's boundary is prohibited between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Sunday-Thursday, and 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. Friday-Saturday. Mixed-use districts (MX, ML) apply the same 100-foot buffer measured from residential property lines within the development. A band on a downtown restaurant patio audible a block away after curfew violates this section unless the venue has a special event permit under section 11-406.
Violations & Fines
Violating the noise chapter is a misdemeanor carrying a $50 fine per Franklin Municipal Code section 11-407; each day the amplified sound continues past curfew is a separate offense, and the city may also seek a court injunction under section 11-408.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a downtown Franklin bar play live outdoor music after 10 p.m.?
Does the curfew change on weekends?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Franklin
Compare Franklin to another location·View the Tennessee noise ordinances overview
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