Will County, IL Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)
Amplified music rules in Will County, IL, also called sound permit, PA system, or live music ordinances, set decibel limits, time-of-day restrictions, and when permits are required.
Key Facts
- Distance limit
- Audible 75 feet beyond property line
- Applies
- Residential districts, unincorporated Will County only
- Hours
- No time-of-day exception for amplified sound
- Fine
- $150-$500 per violation
- Citation
- Will County Code § 133.04(B)
Summary
Unincorporated Will County residential districts ban electronically amplified sound audible 75 feet past the property line, at any hour, under County Code § 133.04(B): a tight limit on outdoor concerts, PA systems and live amplified music.
In all residential districts within unincorporated Will County, no electronically amplified sound may be emitted from a property such that it may be heard 75 feet beyond the property line of the property from which said sound originates.
(C) In all residential districts, and all business districts immediately adjacent to residential districts, within unincorporated Will County, no noise as defined may be emitted from a property between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.
(D) Exceptions. The provisions of this section shall not apply to:
(1) Construction trades as defined herein.
(2) Emergency related sounds are defined herein.
(3) Athletic events held on park or school property or events which have been approved by the county or other relevant jurisdiction.
(4) Any church, temple, synagogue, mosque or similar place of worship, only with regard to exception from division (B) hereof for interior sound.
(5) Any person operating a farm tractor or implement of husbandry as defined in the Illinois Vehicle Code while engaged in an agricultural activity. (Ord. 11-287, passed 8-18-2011) Penalty, see § 133.99
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2025 S-25: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ordinance No. 24-100, passed 4-18-2024 and Res. 23-387, passed 11-16-2023; and State legislation approved through 2024 Pamphlet #2).
Full Breakdown
Will County Code § 133.04(B) prohibits any electronically amplified sound from being emitted from a property in a residential zoning district within unincorporated Will County if it can be heard 75 feet beyond that property's line, with no time-of-day exception, so the rule reaches outdoor concerts, backyard PA systems, DJs and live band performances. A separate curfew in § 133.04(C) bars other noise, including music, between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. Construction trades, emergency sounds, county-approved athletic events, farm equipment and interior worship sound are exempt. Joliet, Bolingbrook, Romeoville, Plainfield and Lockport enforce their own municipal codes instead.
Violations & Fines
Violating § 133.04 is punishable under § 133.99(D) with a fine of not less than $150 and not more than $500 per offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I play amplified music outdoors in unincorporated Will County?
Does this rule apply inside Joliet or Bolingbrook?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Will County
Compare Will County to another location·View the Illinois noise ordinances overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.