Marion County, FL Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)
Amplified music rules in Marion County, FL, also called sound permit, PA system, or live music ordinances, set decibel limits, time-of-day restrictions, and when permits are required.
Key Facts
- Code Section
- Marion County Code 13-9
- Standard
- Plainly audible (no meter required)
- Largest-lot distance
- 50 ft from source property line
- Commercial/public
- Audible at 50 ft = violation
- Added by
- Ord. 15-08 (2015)
Summary
Marion County prohibits playing any radio, stereo, sound amplifier, or musical instrument so that it is plainly audible past the source property line at distances set in Table 3 (e.g., 50 feet for the largest lots) or audible inside a neighboring dwelling. Both code enforcement and law enforcement officers may cite violators.
Sec. 13-9: The use, operation or playing of any radio, television, phonograph, stereo set, tape player, sound amplifier, musical instrument or similar device which produces or reproduces sound in a manner as to be plainly audible at a distance, herein prescribed in Table 3, away from the real property line of the source of the sound, to any person in a residential area [is a violation].
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 122 | Land Development Code: Supplement 7).
Full Breakdown
Section 13-9 of Marion County Code Chapter 13 creates a 'plainly audible' standard, added by Ordinance No. 15-08 in 2015, that applies independently of the Section 13-7 decibel limits. It bars the use of any radio, television, phonograph, stereo, tape player, sound amplifier, musical instrument or similar device that is plainly audible at the distances in Table 3 (Residential Density) from the source real property line - ranging from 50 feet for lots 150 feet wide or more down to 15 feet for lots 45-74 feet, or one-third of lot width for the smallest lots.
It is also a violation if such sound is plainly audible inside a neighboring multifamily unit, a single-family unit in a P-MH or P-RV park, or an occupied building in a noise-sensitive zone; or plainly audible 50 feet beyond the source line in commercial, industrial, or public space. 'Plainly audible' (Sec. 13-5) means sound that can be clearly heard by an officer using normal hearing not enhanced by any device such as a microphone or hearing aid.
Violations & Fines
Section 13-14 imposes a warning for a first violation, a $100 civil penalty for a second, and $500 for third and subsequent violations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I be cited for loud music without a decibel meter?
How far does the sound have to carry to be a violation?
Does the rule cover apartments?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Marion County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Marion County to another location·View the Florida noise ordinances overview
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