St. Louis County, MO Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)
Amplified music rules in St. Louis County, MO, also called sound permit, PA system, or live music ordinances, set decibel limits, time-of-day restrictions, and when permits are required.
Key Facts
- Residential daytime cap
- 55 dB(A) for 60 min
- Residential nighttime cap
- 50 dB(A) for 60 min
- Nighttime hours
- 10 p.m.–7 a.m.
- Enforced by
- Dept. of Community Health & Medical Care
- Max penalty
- $500 fine / 90 days jail
Summary
County code caps stationary sound sources, including amplified music equipment, at fixed decibel levels measured at the property line, with lower nighttime limits.
No person shall operate or permit to be operated and stationary noise source which emits noise in such a manner that the level of the noise emitted, when measured at any point outside the boundary of the property upon which the stationary noise source is located using the slow meter characteristic and the A-weighting network of the sound level meter, exceeds the levels set forth in Table I below or exceeds the limit set forth in Section 626.050.6. When the noise emitted is measured upon property which is located in a different land use category than the property upon which the stationary noise source is located, the levels applicable to the property where the noise emitted is measured shall be used to determine if a violation exists. If more than one use exists on the property where the noise emitted is measured such that more than one land use category would be applicable to the property, then the levels set forth in the least restrictive applicable land use category of Table I shall be used to determine if a violation exists.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 85 | Traffic: Supplement 80).
Full Breakdown
St. Louis County's Noise Control Code (Chapter 625) doesn't ban amplified sound outright: it sets numeric ceilings. Any stationary noise source, including speakers, PA systems, and amplified music equipment, is measured with a sound level meter at the property boundary. In residential areas the cap is 55 dB(A) for up to an hour during daytime (7 a.m.-10 p.m.) and 50 dB(A) at night, with shorter allowed durations at higher decibel bands. Commercial and industrial zones get higher thresholds. This chapter binds unincorporated St. Louis County and covers most contract cities, but drops out for larger municipalities (population 75,000+) that run their own health department and enforce an equally strict local noise ordinance.
Violations & Fines
Fine up to $500 and up to 90 days in jail; the Director of the Department of Community Health and Medical Care can also issue a written abatement notice giving up to 60 days to fix the problem, appealable to the county's noise Appeal Board.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this apply inside incorporated cities?
How is a violation measured?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Louis County
Compare St. Louis County to another location·View the Missouri noise ordinances overview
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