Huntsville, AL Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)
Amplified music rules in Huntsville, AL, also called sound permit, PA system, or live music ordinances, set decibel limits, time-of-day restrictions, and when permits are required.
Key Facts
- Amplified sound curfew
- 10:00 p.m.–7:00 a.m.
- Daytime residential limit
- 55 dB(A), 7 a.m.–10 p.m.
- Entertainment district exception
- Fri/Sat & New Year's hours
- Max general penalty
- $500 fine / 6 months jail
- Enforced by
- Noise control officer, police
Summary
Huntsville bans electronically amplified sound audible at a residential property line between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., with a carve-out for the downtown arts and entertainment district on weekends.
No person shall operate, cause to be operated, or generate any source of sound which is electronically amplified, or permit to be operated any sound amplification system such that the audible sound is discernible by the human ear at or within the property boundary of any adjoining or nearby residential premises between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. The immediately foregoing provision of this subsection (1) shall not apply to amplified sound generated from within an arts or entertainment district established in chapter 3, article II of this Code, during the weekend (Friday and Saturday) regular hours of operation of such district and the New Year's Eve/New Year's Day regular hours of operation of such district.(2)The operation or generation of any electronically amplified sound originating from any commercial or industrial establishment used to page or notify individuals or to announce information shall not be permitted at any time if the audible sound is discernible by the human ear at or within the property boundary of any residential premises. (Ord. No. 86-297, § 3.1, 5-8-1986; Ord. No. 88-663, § 1(3.1), 1-12-1988; Ord. No. 93-312, § 2, 5-27-1993; Ord. No. 94-100, § 3.1, 2-10-1994; Ord. No. 21-1183, § 1, 12-2-2021)
Secs. 12-266—12-290. - Reserved.
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 2).
Full Breakdown
City Code Sec. 12-265(b)(1) bars operating any sound amplification system so that the sound is discernible by ear at or within the boundary of an adjoining or nearby residential property between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Daytime amplified music still falls under the general receiving-land-use table in Sec. 12-265(a): 55 dB(A) at residential property lines from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Permitted concerts and other licensed temporary events are exempted from the numeric table under Sec. 12-262(3), and the nighttime amplified-sound ban itself does not apply to sound generated inside the chapter 3, article II arts or entertainment district during its Friday/Saturday and New Year's operating hours.
Violations & Fines
Enforced by the noise control officer or police under Sec. 12-263; violations carry the Sec. 1-7 general penalty, up to a $500 fine or six months in city jail, with each day a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a bar or venue run amplified outdoor music after 10 p.m. in Huntsville?
Do permitted concerts have to meet the daytime decibel table?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Huntsville
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Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Madison County handle amplified music & outdoor sound.