Story County, IA Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)
Amplified music rules in Story County, IA, also called sound permit, PA system, or live music ordinances, set decibel limits, time-of-day restrictions, and when permits are required.
Key Facts
- Sound plan
- required in every special event application
- Must show
- speaker locations and start/end times
- Review basis
- impact review under § 83.06(3)(A)
- Extra restrictions
- possible in residential areas
- Enforcement
- County Sheriff's Office, on-site
- Decibel limit
- none countywide; permit conditions only
Summary
Story County doesn't set a countywide decibel limit for amplified sound, but any special event in the unincorporated county must submit an amplified sound plan under Code of Ordinances § 83.06(1)(Q), covering speaker locations and start and end times, and reviewing agencies can restrict hours in residential areas under § 83.06(3)(A).
Q. Plans for use of amplified sound, location of speakers, start and ending times. ... layout of public address system/speakers, hours and time (restrictions may be imposed in residential areas) and site plan sketch showing proposed use of property including tents or other structures or related items.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 83 folds amplified sound control into its special events permitting process rather than setting a standalone noise ordinance. 06(1)(Q) requires every special events application to include plans for use of amplified sound: where speakers will be located, and the start and ending times for amplified sound use. 06(3)(A), which specifically flags the public address system and speaker layout, and the hours and timing of the event, noting that restrictions may be imposed in residential areas. 08. Because the amplified sound plan is folded into the same application as the rest of the event's logistics, an applicant proposing a concert, carnival, or public address system near a residential area should expect narrower hours or speaker placement conditions than an event held on farmland well away from houses.
Violations & Fines
Running amplified sound outside the hours or layout approved in the permit is a term violation enforced the same way as any other special event violation under Section 83.11: a county infraction citation for the permit fee plus up to twice that amount, in lieu of the standard county infraction fine under Section 93.03, with the County Sheriff's Office authorized to stop an event that is out of compliance with its approved conditions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a decibel limit for events in unincorporated Story County?
Can the County limit my event's hours near houses?
What if amplified sound runs past the approved time?
Do I need to identify speaker locations before the event?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Story County
Compare Story County to another location·View the Iowa noise ordinances overview
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