Shenandoah, TX Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)

Chapter 47 of the Shenandoah Code of Ordinances, enacted by Ord. No. O-03-023 in 2003 and amended by Ord. No. O-05-010 in 2005, governs noise citywide. Section 47-2(g) specifically targets amplified music and sound equipment, making it unlawful to play any radio, phonograph, stereo, boom box or musical instrument in a manner or at a volume that disturbs the peace, quiet, comfort or repose of persons in any dwelling, apartment, hotel or other type of residence. That subsection sits alongside a broader catch-all in § 47-2(a) banning any loud, unnecessary or unusual noise that annoys, disturbs, injures or endangers the comfort, repose, health, peace or safety of others, evaluated using factors listed in the code: time of day, proximity to residential areas, whether the noise is recurrent or constant, its volume and intensity, whether it has been amplified electronically or mechanically, and whether it could be controlled without unreasonable cost.

Enforcement falls to the city administrator or a designee under § 47-6. Chapter 47 does carve out exemptions in § 47-5, including sound amplification at a permanent business location, a stadium or ballpark, or a church for clarion amplification, and activity preempted by state or federal law. Section 47-8 sets the penalty: any violation of chapter 47, including the amplified-music subsection, is a class C misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $500, with each occurrence treated as a separate offense, and the city retains the right to seek injunctive relief to abate a noise nuisance on top of any fine.