Lakewood, CO Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)

Section 9.52.160(A) makes it unlawful to use or operate any loudspeaker, public address system, or other sound-amplifying equipment for giving instructions, directions, talks, addresses or lectures, or for transmitting music or sound to persons or assemblages of persons, between the hours of 10:00 p.m. of one day and 7:00 a.m. of the following day, in a manner plainly audible at the property line. Even inside the permitted 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. window, the intensity and loudness of any amplified sound shall not be unreasonable, so daytime use is not unlimited; it is measured against Chapter 9.52's unreasonable-noise standard rather than a fixed decibel figure. Subsection (B) separately regulates vehicle-mounted amplification: no loudspeaker or PA system in a motor vehicle can be plainly audible at 25 feet from the vehicle unless the operator has first obtained a permit from the City Clerk under § 9.52.190.

The City Clerk permit process, § 9.52.170, requires a written application listing the owner's and user's names, addresses and phone numbers, the vehicle's license number, a description of the equipment, whether use is commercial or noncommercial, and the dates and streets over which it will run. The Clerk approves it under § 9.52.190 only where amplified use will not constitute an unreasonable interference with traffic safety and will not disturb the peace and quiet of any neighborhood; a denial can be appealed in writing to the City Manager within seven days for a final decision. Section 9.52.160(C) and (D) exempt church, clock or school bells and chimes, and sound made on government-owned or government-leased property for a governmental or permitted governmental-sponsored activity.