Madison County, IL Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)
Amplified music rules in Madison County, IL, 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 hours
- 10:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m. CST
- Test
- Plainly audible outside property boundary
- Covered sources
- Radio, TV, musical instrument, live music
- First-offense fine
- $50-$250, § 53.99
- Repeat-offense fine
- $150-$1,000, § 53.99
- Permit exception
- Band/orchestra performance, § 53.06
Summary
Unincorporated Madison County bars audible amplified sound overnight. Code § 53.05(C) makes it unlawful for any radio, television, musical instrument or live music, from a business, residence or elsewhere, to be plainly audible outside the property line between 10:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. Central Standard Time.
(C) For any person to operate or play any radio, television, musical instrument or similar device or to produce live music, sound or noise in any manner which produces or reproduces sound or noise, whether from a business, residence or any other premises, in such a manner as to be plainly audible outside of the real property boundary of such business, residence or other premises between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m., Central Standard Time (CST);
Full Breakdown
Section 53.05 declares several specific noise sources a nuisance in addition to the general noise prohibition in § 53.04. Division (C) sets the overnight amplified-sound curfew: any radio, television, musical instrument or live music that produces or reproduces sound audible outside the real property boundary of the business, residence or other premises where it originates, between 10:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. CST, is unlawful. Related provisions target sound sources at other hours: division (A) bars a motor vehicle operator from playing a radio or instrument audible to another person 20 feet away, division (B) sets a 30-foot threshold for a pedestrian doing the same, and division (D) makes it unlawful to keep an animal whose frequent or long noise disturbs an ordinary person's comfort.
Construction, drilling and demolition equipment, and mechanically powered saws, sanders, drills, grinders and lawn or garden tools, face their own curfews under divisions (F) and (G): no noise disturbance across a residential property boundary between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. CST on any day, or at any time on a Sunday or holiday, with public utilities and bona fide emergencies exempted. Section 53.06 carves out special performances by a band or orchestra once a county permit has been obtained, church bells and chimes, and emergency-vehicle sirens.
The definitions in § 53.03 describe a NOISE DISTURBANCE as sound causing annoyance, health or safety effects, or property damage, measured against a real property boundary rather than a decibel meter, so the curfew hours in § 53.05(C) function as the practical amplified-sound standard for unincorporated Madison County.
Violations & Fines
Violating the amplified-sound curfew is a nuisance and a misdemeanor under § 53.99: a $50 to $250 fine for a first offense and $150 to $1,000 for any later offense, with a court able to add community service hours. Each day the noise continues counts as a separate violation, so a multi-night party or event can draw a separate fine for every night it runs past the curfew.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time does Madison County's amplified-sound curfew start?
How much is the fine for violating the noise curfew?
Are there exceptions to the noise rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Madison County
Compare Madison County to another location·View the Illinois noise ordinances overview
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