Saint Paul, MN Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)
Amplified music rules in Saint Paul, MN, also called sound permit, PA system, or live music ordinances, set decibel limits, time-of-day restrictions, and when permits are required.
Key Facts
- Permit fee
- $138.00 per event
- Residential cap
- 80 dBA at 50 feet
- Non-residential cap
- 90 dBA at 50 feet
- Permit hours
- 7am-10pm Sun-Thu, 7am-11pm Fri-Sat
- Frequency cap
- 36 hours per 28-day period
- Banned locations
- Spring Street, Chestnut Plaza
- Enforcing agency
- DSI (permits), Saint Paul Police (chapter)
Summary
Saint Paul requires an amplified sound permit before any event's amplified music or announcements may exceed the city's baseline noise limits. The Department of Safety and Inspections issues permits under Legislative Code § 293.09, capping residential events at 80 dBA and non-residential events at 90 dBA, both measured 50 feet from the speaker, with a $138 fee per event.
(1)Permit fees. Fees for amplified sound permits are one hundred thirty-eight dollars ($138.00) for each event for which amplified sound which exceeds the levels defined in Table 1 is played or operated. To be considered one (1) permit, multi-day events shall be substantially similar.(2)Permit duration. amplified sound permits may only be issued to permit amplified sound which exceeds the levels defined in Table 1 between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., Sunday through Thursday and 7:00 a.m. through 11:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday.(3)Permit allowed sound levels.a.Residential: Up to eighty (80) dBA measured at fifty (50) feet from sound source.b.Non-residential: Up to ninety (90) dBA measured at fifty (50) feet from sound source.(4)Frequency of permits. Amplified sound permits for one property are limited to twelve (12) hours in any one (1) day, twenty-four (24) hours in any seven (7) day period and thirty-six (36) hours in any twenty-eight (28) day period.(6)No amplified sound permit may be issued that would locate the source of any amplified music, announcements, or cheer stations on Spring Street or Chestnut Plaza.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 133 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
09, any event that wants amplified music, PA announcements, or cheer-station sound louder than the city's general noise-source limits under Table 1 must get an amplified sound permit from the Department of Safety and Inspections. 00 per event, and a multi-day event is billed as one permit only if the days are substantially similar. m. m. Friday and Saturday, nothing later. Even with a permit, sound is capped at 80 dBA at 50 feet for residential events and 90 dBA at 50 feet for non-residential events.
A single property cannot rack up more than 12 hours of amplified sound in one day, 24 hours in any 7-day period, or 36 hours in any 28-day period. Applicants must send notice to their district council, and the department separately notifies every property within a 300-foot radius. No amplified sound permit may ever place a speaker source on Spring Street or Chestnut Plaza, a flat, address-specific carve-out. DSI administers and enforces the permits (orders, revocation, denial of future requests); the Saint Paul Police Department enforces the rest of Chapter 293.
10 lets the applicant seek a variance from the city council instead, following a public hearing within 30 days of application and mailed notice to owners within 300 feet.
Violations & Fines
Operating amplified sound beyond Table 1 limits without a valid permit is a violation of Chapter 293, punishable under § 293.02(f) as a misdemeanor, up to 90 days in jail, a $1,000 fine, or both, and each day the violation continues is a separate offense. DSI can also deny or revoke amplified sound permits and variances for noncompliance, and the Saint Paul Police Department handles day-to-day enforcement of the chapter.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is a Saint Paul amplified sound permit?
How loud can amplified music be at a permitted Saint Paul event?
Can I run amplified sound past 10 p.m. in Saint Paul?
Is there anywhere in Saint Paul I can't get an amplified sound permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Saint Paul
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