Kenosha County, WI Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)
Amplified music rules in Kenosha County, WI, 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 section
- County Code § 8.02(6)(i)-(j)
- Indoor curfew
- 1 a.m., or 2 a.m. in daylight saving
- Outdoor rule
- Daylight hours only without a permit
- Permit needed
- CUP from County Planning and Development
- Penalty
- $250-$500 per offense, § 8.02(11)
- Applies to
- County cabaret licensees, unincorporated county
Summary
Kenosha County Code § 8.02(6)(i)-(j) makes amplified indoor music at a licensed cabaret stop at 1 a.m., or 2 a.m. during daylight saving time, and confines outdoor amplified music to daylight hours unless the venue holds an activity control license or a conditional use permit from Kenosha County Planning and Development. The curfew binds county cabaret licensees in the unincorporated county only.
Music and other entertainment which is amplified inside shall cease after 1:00 a.m. with the exception that said music shall cease after 2:00 a.m. during daylight savings time. Music may be amplified outside only during daylight hours subject to the provisions of subsection (6)(d) of this section. Amplified music is allowed outside after dark for establishments operating under section 8.01, activity control license, or if the parameters requiring an activity control license are not met, approval may be given through a conditional use permit obtained through Kenosha County Planning and Development. Outside amplified music and an activity control license also require a conditional use permit obtained through Kenosha County Planning and Development. Any outside amplified music, whether under a cabaret license or an activity control license, requires a conditional use permit obtained through Kenosha County Planning and Development.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 37 (2026), passed March 17, 2026).
Full Breakdown
02(1) to Class B liquor or beer license holders in the unincorporated areas of the county. during daylight saving time. 01 activity control license, in which case amplified music outside after dark is allowed, or unless the venue instead obtains a conditional use permit from the Kenosha County Department of Planning and Development. The subsection repeats that requirement for emphasis: any outside amplified music, whether under a cabaret license or an activity control license, requires that Planning and Development conditional use permit. Subsection (d) backs the curfew with numeric detail, prescribing maximum octave-band sound pressure levels measured at the licensed premises' property line, with corrections for daytime-only operation, intermittent noise, and proximity to residential zoning districts.
02(6)(c) and apply only to establishments holding a county cabaret license in the unincorporated county; the City of Kenosha and the villages regulate amplified entertainment under their own codes.
Violations & Fines
A cabaret that runs amplified music past the 1 a.m. (2 a.m. daylight saving) indoor curfew, or plays amplified music outside after dark without the required activity control license or conditional use permit, violates § 8.02(6). Section 8.02(11) sets the penalty at a forfeiture of $250 to $500 per offense plus prosecution costs, with up to 60 days in jail if unpaid, and the county can also move to revoke the cabaret license under § 8.02(7).
Frequently Asked Questions
How late can a Kenosha County cabaret play amplified music indoors?
Can a bar play amplified music outdoors after dark?
What's the penalty for breaking the cabaret noise curfew?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kenosha County
Compare Kenosha County to another location·View the Wisconsin noise ordinances overview
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