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Medina, OH Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Amplified music rules in Medina, OH, also called sound permit, PA system, or live music ordinances, set decibel limits, time-of-day restrictions, and when permits are required.

Key Facts

Adopted
Ordinance 122-99, passed 6-14-1999
Quiet hours (private property)
11:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m.
Audibility threshold
More than 60 feet from source
First offense
Minor misdemeanor
After warning or 2+ priors
4th-degree misdemeanor
Exempt
Police/safety alarms; permit holders

Summary

Medina bars generating unreasonable noise from radios, stereos, or other sound amplifying devices, presuming a violation on private property between 11 p.m. and 8 a.m. when the sound carries more than sixty feet, with escalating penalties for repeat offenders.

(a) No person shall generate or permit to be generated unreasonable noise or loud sound which is likely to cause inconvenience or annoyance to persons of ordinary sensibilities by means of a radio, phonograph, television, tape player, compact disc player, loud speaker or any other sound amplifying device or by a horn, drum, piano or other musical or percussion instrument. It is prima facie unlawful for a person to generate or permit to be generated sound by the above described devices or instruments in the following circumstances: (1) On private property between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. where the sound is audible more than sixty feet from the source of the sound; or ... (d) Whoever violates this section is guilty of using unreasonable sound amplifying devices, a minor misdemeanor, except that if the offender persists in this violation after reasonable warning or request to desist, using unreasonable sound amplifying devices is a misdemeanor of the fourth degree.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2025-01: Local legislation current through June 24, 2025 | State legislation current through December 31, 2024).

Full Breakdown

031 prohibits generating or permitting unreasonable noise or loud sound likely to inconvenience or annoy persons of ordinary sensibilities using a radio, phonograph, television, tape player, compact disc player, loudspeaker, or other sound amplifying device, or a horn, drum, piano, or other musical or percussion instrument. audible more than sixty feet from its source; sound in a two-family or multi-family dwelling between the same overnight hours that is audible beyond the confines of the unit where it originates; and sound on a street, highway, public right of way, or public or private property used for vehicular travel or parking, audible sixty feet from the device, though permit holders and school activities are exempt from that street-and-lot scenario.

Warning and alarm devices used to signal unsafe or dangerous situations or call for police are exempt from the section entirely. , showing the City regulates daytime construction noise and nighttime amplified sound through distinct sections of the same chapter.

Violations & Fines

A first violation of § 509.031 is a minor misdemeanor. If the offender persists in the violation after a reasonable warning or request to desist, or has two or more prior convictions under the section, the offense becomes a misdemeanor of the fourth degree, a meaningfully heavier charge than the base penalty and one that applies to repeat late-night noise complaints at the same address.

Frequently Asked Questions

What hours does Medina's noise curfew for amplified sound cover?
Section 509.031 presumes a violation for sound generated on private property between 11:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. if it is audible more than sixty feet from the source. The same overnight window applies to sound in two-family or multi-family dwellings that carries beyond the unit of origin.
Can I get a permit to use amplified sound near a Medina street after hours?
The street, highway, and public-lot audibility scenario in § 509.031(a)(3) exempts persons holding a current permit as well as school activities from that specific prima facie violation, though the general prohibition on unreasonable, annoying noise in subsection (a) still applies regardless of permit status.
What happens if I get a second noise citation in Medina?
A first § 509.031 violation is a minor misdemeanor, but if you persist after being warned to stop, or have two or more prior convictions under the section, the charge becomes a misdemeanor of the fourth degree, a more serious classification carrying higher potential fines.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Medina

All Medina rules

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