Washington County, UT Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)
Amplified music rules in Washington County, UT, also called sound permit, PA system, or live music ordinances, set decibel limits, time-of-day restrictions, and when permits are required.
Key Facts
- Equipment rule
- Sound systems must be permanently installed with limiters
- Portable equipment
- No other sound systems or speakers permitted
- Quiet-time shutoff
- Automatic shutoff required at 10:00 p.m.
- Daytime cap
- Must stay at or below 75 dB
- Data retention
- 90 days, produced within 5 business days
Summary
Washington County requires every sound system and exterior speaker at a licensed short-term rental to be permanently installed with a built-in volume limiter; portable speakers, boomboxes, and temporary PA systems are not permitted at all. Under County Ordinance 10-13-23(O), the limiter must shut sound off automatically during quiet time and hold volume at or below the decibel thresholds set in the same section during daytime hours.
Sound Systems; Speakers: All sound systems and exterior speakers shall be permanently installed and have volume limiters. No other sound systems or exterior speakers are permitted. The owner, owner occupant, or local property manager shall set the volume of the sound system and exterior speakers to automatically shut off during quiet time, and to stay at or below permitted decibel levels during daytime. It is the owner or property manager's duty to monitor its STR for sound system use and volume and store the data for 90 days, and provide it to the County no later than five business days after a request, in an easily accessible format, or it is a violation.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-17: Code current through: Ord. 2026-1329-O, passed 8-18-2026).
Full Breakdown
Section 10-13-23(O) of the Washington County Code treats amplified sound equipment as a licensing condition for Short Term Rentals rather than a general noise permit. Any sound system or exterior speaker used at an STR must be permanently installed and fitted with a volume limiter; the code flatly states that no other sound systems or exterior speakers are permitted, which rules out portable Bluetooth speakers, rental PA systems, and DJ equipment brought in for an event. ) and to keep volume at or below the decibel ceilings set in § 10-13-23(M): 55 dB at the property line overnight and 75 dB during the day.
Compliance is not self-certifying: the same subsection requires the owner or manager to monitor sound system use and volume, retain that monitoring data for 90 days, and hand it over to the county within five business days of a request in an easily accessible format. Failing to produce the records is a violation by the terms of the ordinance itself, independent of whether an actual noise complaint was substantiated. The rule sits inside the broader Events; Parties; Noise framework of § 10-13-23(M), which also bans live music, disc jockeys, and portable PA systems as indicators of a prohibited event or party at an STR, reinforcing that amplified sound at these properties is tightly restricted rather than merely discouraged.
Violations & Fines
A sound system that is not permanently installed, lacks a volume limiter, or fails to shut off during quiet time violates § 10-13-23(O) and can be charged as excessive noise under § 10-13-23(M), carrying the $2,000 hybrid violation fine in § 10-13-23(R)(2)(c) once the noise runs 20 minutes or more. Failure to provide required monitoring data within five business days is a separate, independent violation enforced by the Community Development Department.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a short-term rental in Washington County have portable speakers for guests?
What decibel level must an STR sound system stay under during the day?
Who has to keep records of STR sound system use?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Washington County
Compare Washington County to another location·View the Utah noise ordinances overview
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