Spring Hill, FL Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Events (2026)

Spring Hill is unincorporated; Hernando County rules apply. Hernando County Code Ch. 21, Art. VIII, Sec. 21-135 ('Sound level limits') is the controlling rule for amplified music - the dBA caps measured at the property line apply to all sound sources except the narrow list of exemptions in Sec. 21-136. Sec. 21-136 exempts the 'unamplified human voice' and 'unamplified church bells or chimes' but does NOT exempt amplified sound, stereos, PA systems, live amplified bands, or DJ rigs. The effect: amplified music in a Spring Hill backyard, restaurant patio, or commercial venue must not exceed 60 dBA at the neighboring residential property line during 7 a.m.-9 p.m., or 55 dBA during 9 p.m.-7 a.m. (commercial-zone receivers get 65/60). The 5 dBA nighttime drop creates a meaningful curfew effect - a typical outdoor speaker system that registers 60 dBA at the property line by day must be reduced by 9:00 p.m. or moved indoors. The 'unamplified human voice' exemption protects neighborhood conversation, kids playing, and church choirs without microphones, but does NOT protect karaoke, megaphone use, or bullhorn announcements. Hernando County has historically had enforcement gaps - portions of an earlier 'plainly audible' version of the noise rule became unenforceable after Florida court rulings (the BOCC discussed this in 2012 around the State of Florida v. Catalano case), and the county had to purchase an ANSI Type II noise meter (~$2,000) to resume Sec. 21-135 dBA enforcement. Special events (Spring Hill 5K races, holiday gatherings, community festivals at Anderson Snow Park, Veterans Memorial Park) typically operate under a county special-event permit that can authorize higher amplified-sound levels for the permitted duration. Commercial venues in Spring Hill (e.g., restaurants along U.S. 19 / Commercial Way) with outdoor amplified music are subject to Sec. 21-135 and routinely receive complaints when sound carries to abutting residential subdivisions.