Montgomery County, VA Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)
Amplified music rules in Montgomery County, VA, also called sound permit, PA system, or live music ordinances, set decibel limits, time-of-day restrictions, and when permits are required.
Key Facts
- Governing sections
- County Code §§ 7-72, 7-73, 7-77
- Audibility trigger
- Plainly audible across property line or shared wall
- Parked-vehicle rule
- Audible 50 feet from vehicle on public right-of-way
- Maximum fine
- Up to $1,000 per day, per offense
- Enforcing agency
- Montgomery County Sheriff's Office
Summary
In Montgomery County outside Blacksburg and Christiansburg, Code Sec. 7-77 makes it a noise disturbance to run a radio, musical instrument, TV, phonograph or other sound device so it's plainly audible across your property line, through a shared wall, or 50 feet from a parked vehicle. Violators face up to $1,000 per day under Sec. 7-72.
The provisions of this article shall be punishable by a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000.00). Each day of violation of any provision of this chapter shall be a separate offense. ... Operating or permitting the use or operation of any radio receiving set, musical instrument, television, phonograph, or any other device for the production of sound in such a manner as to be plainly audible across property boundaries or through partitions common to two (2) residences within a building or plainly audible at fifty (50) feet from such device when operated within a motor vehicle parked on a public right-of-way or in a public place.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 7 Article IV Noise opens with a declared public policy, Sec. 7-75, to keep the county free from noise that jeopardizes health or welfare, backed by a general nuisance-noise ban in Sec. 7-76. Sec. 7-77's specific-prohibitions list, which the code says is non-exclusive, makes it a violation to operate or permit the operation of a radio receiving set, musical instrument, television, phonograph or other sound-producing device in a manner plainly audible across property boundaries, through partitions common to two residences in a building, or plainly audible 50 feet from the device when it's operated inside a vehicle parked on a public right-of-way or public place.
Because the list is non-exclusive, sound not exactly matching that wording can still be cited under Sec. 7-76's general ban. The county sheriff enforces the article under Sec. 7-73 and may prescribe measurement procedures, and Sec. 7-72 sets the penalty at a fine of up to $1,000, with each day of violation a separate offense. Sec. 7-74 exempts emergency alerting sound and emergency work. Fixed sound sources, HVAC units, outdoor speakers and similar equipment, are instead measured against the numeric day/night decibel table in Sec. 7-80, a separate provision from this audibility-based standard for portable and household devices.
Violations & Fines
Playing a radio, stereo, TV or musical instrument loud enough to carry across your property line, through a shared apartment wall, or 50 feet from a car parked on a public street or lot violates Sec. 7-77. The sheriff enforces the article, and Sec. 7-72 sets a fine of up to $1,000, with every day of the violation counted as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
How loud can I play music at home in Montgomery County?
Does the amplified-sound rule apply to car stereos?
Who enforces the noise ordinance and what's the penalty?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Montgomery County
Compare Montgomery County to another location·View the Virginia noise ordinances overview
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