Portland, ME Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)
Amplified music rules in Portland, ME, also called sound permit, PA system, or live music ordinances, set decibel limits, time-of-day restrictions, and when permits are required.
Key Facts
- Sun-Thu outdoor cutoff
- Midnight
- Fri-Sat outdoor cutoff
- 1 a.m.
- Earliest start
- 8 a.m.
- First-offense fine
- $500 (Sec. 4-58)
- Oversight body
- 4-member Sound Oversight Committee
Summary
Licensed outdoor entertainment in Portland must shut down by midnight Sunday through Thursday and by 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday, unless the venue holds an Expanded Entertainment Addendum. The rule sits in Chapter 4's entertainment-licensing division alongside a decibel cap.
(c) A licensee shall not allow the licensed activity to be conducted outside of the following times without an Expanded Entertainment Addendum. 1. Outdoor entertainment, Sunday through Thursday: 8 a.m. to midnight; 2. Outdoor entertainment, Friday through Saturday: 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. the following day; and 3. Indoor entertainment: 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. the following day.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
Portland requires an Outdoor Entertainment License, Indoor Entertainment License, or Combined Entertainment License before any venue can present music, DJs, live bands, or other 'entertainment' as defined at Sec. the following day. cutoff every night. A licensee can only run past these hours with an Expanded Entertainment Addendum, an added authorization the city manager grants or denies at sole discretion under Section 4-55(a)(2). The same section that sets hours also caps outdoor volume: no licensed activity may exceed 85 dBA or 95 dBC without that same addendum, measured from the property line nearest the noise source or the complainant.
1, chaired by a Portland police officer, meets with licensees within five business days of a police-issued exceedance notice to work out mitigation, and repeat violations go straight to the city council with a recommendation to condition or revoke the license. Violations carry escalating fines under Section 4-58: $500 for a first offense, $1,000 for a second, and $2,000 for a third or later offense, with each day of ongoing violation a separate offense.
Violations & Fines
Operating outdoor entertainment past the licensed hours, or exceeding 85 dBA/95 dBC without an Expanded Entertainment Addendum, draws a $500 fine for a first offense, $1,000 for a second, and $2,000 for a third or subsequent offense under Sec. 4-58, plus possible license suspension or revocation and referral to the Sound Oversight Committee under Sec. 4-57.1.
Frequently Asked Questions
How late can outdoor live music run in Portland, Maine?
Does every outdoor performance in Portland need a license?
What happens if a venue plays outdoor music past the curfew?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Portland
Compare Portland to another location·View the Maine noise ordinances overview
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