St. Petersburg, FL Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)
Amplified music rules in St. Petersburg, 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
- Performance venue limit
- 3,000 feet, 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
- Extended cutoff
- 12:00 midnight on Fridays, Saturdays and days before a national holiday
- Restaurant deck limit
- 1,000 feet, 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
- Residential use limit
- 500 feet, 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
- Standard of proof
- Plainly audible by unaided hearing, no meter
- Second violation fine
- $500 within 365 days of a written warning
- Permit suspension
- 30 days after two $500 fines within 365 days
Summary
St. Petersburg sets amplified music limits by distance, not decibels. At a privately owned outdoor place where making sound is the primary permitted use, such as a performance venue, music cannot be plainly audible 3,000 feet from the source between 8:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m., stretched to midnight on Fridays, Saturdays and the days before a national holiday. City Code § 11-53(4) sets that ceiling.
Playing, using, operating or permitting to be played, used, or operated any radio, compact disc or tape player, musical instrument, drum, phonograph, sound amplifier, or other machine or device that produces, reproduces or amplifies sound in any privately-owned outdoor place in a nonresidential zoning district so that the sound is plainly audible to any person at a distance of 100 feet or more from the source of the sound between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. the following morning. ... Playing, using, operating or permitting to be played, used, or operated any radio, compact disc or tape player, musical instrument, drum, phonograph, sound amplifier, or other machine or device that produces, reproduces or amplifies sound in any privately-owned outdoor place, when making sound is the primary, lawful permitted use of that portion of the property (e.g., a performance venue), so that the sound is plainly audible to any person at a distance of 3,000 feet or more from the source of the sound between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. (12:00 midnight on Fridays, Saturdays and the days before a national holiday, this is an exception to subsection (4)a of this section).
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 54).
Full Breakdown
Section 11-53(4) of the St. Petersburg City Code sorts privately owned outdoor places into tiers, and each tier carries its own distance and hours. The test is plainly audible, which § 11-47 defines as sound a reasonable person of ordinary sensibilities can hear with unaided hearing. Words need not be discernible and low frequency reverberations count, so no meter is involved.
In a nonresidential zoning district, music cannot be plainly audible 100 feet from the source between 11:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. (§ 11-53(4)a). At a nonresidential use where making sound is not the principal use, such as a restaurant's outdoor deck, the limit is 1,000 feet between 8:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m., with the cutoff moved to 12:00 midnight on Fridays, Saturdays and the days before a national holiday, and outdoor speakers must face away from residential properties wherever possible (§ 11-53(4)b). Where sound is the primary, lawful permitted use of that portion of the property, such as a performance venue, the limit is 3,000 feet over the same hours (§ 11-53(4)c). A residential use is held to 500 feet from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. (§ 11-53(4)d), and any outdoor source in a residential zoning district drops to 25 feet from 11:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. (§ 11-53(4)e).
A speaker counts as outdoors unless it sits inside a structure fully enclosed by walls and a roof with all doors and windows closed (§ 11-53(4)f). City parks, beaches and rights-of-way have separate limits in § 11-53(2): 50 feet overnight and 200 feet by day, rising to 5,000 feet for events holding a park or street closure permit. Sidewalk cafés are capped at 200 feet by day and 50 feet overnight (§ 11-53(5)).
Anyone needing relief for a specific continuing activity applies in writing to the POD for a waiver under § 11-84. The applicant must notify affected occupants, who get at least seven days to file written objections, and affected persons can request a public hearing in writing within seven days of the decision.
Violations & Fines
The first violation of the noise division earns a written warning. A second violation within 365 days of the warning costs $500, and later violations within one year of a $500 fine carry another $500. After two $500 fines within 365 days, the City can suspend an extended hours permit or sidewalk café permit for 30 days and require a noise mitigation and monitoring plan within 90 days. The City can also seek an injunction. For an incorporated entity or LLC, the penalty falls on the entity and its registered agent is served by mail.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far can music from a St. Petersburg performance venue carry?
What limit applies to music on a restaurant patio or deck?
What are the limits for music at a home or in a backyard?
Can a business get a waiver for a special event with amplified sound?
Does the amplified music rule cover a person's unamplified voice?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Petersburg
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Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Pinellas County handle amplified music & outdoor sound.