Royal Oak, MI Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)

Section 770-94, Noise and vibrations, sits in Article VII, Environmental Performance Standards, of the Royal Oak Zoning Code and applies to any use, building or structure operating in any zoning district in the City of Royal Oak. Subsection A opens by requiring that noise the City determines objectionable, whether due to intensity, frequency or duration, be muffled, attenuated or otherwise controlled. Paragraph (1) singles out intermittent sounds or high-frequency sounds for control so they don't become a nuisance to adjacent uses, the provision that would reach amplified music or sound equipment operating from a fixed use rather than a vehicle.

Paragraph (2) exempts sirens and related apparatus used solely for public purposes, and exempts noise from temporary construction activity. Paragraph (3) sets the numeric backbone of the section: noise levels citywide may not exceed 75 decibels between 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., or 60 decibels between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., and must also comply with an octave-band table measured at the property line that sets lower maximums adjacent to residential uses than the corresponding commercial, office and industrial limits. Violations of the Zoning Code, including § 770-94, are governed by § 770-18, Violations and penalties, which declares a violating use a nuisance per se and makes it a municipal civil infraction punishable by a fine of not more than $250 for a first offense and not more than $500 for a subsequent violation, with every day of continued violation a separate offense.