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Washington County, UT Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Amplified music rules in Washington County, UT, also called sound permit, PA system, or live music ordinances, set decibel limits, time-of-day restrictions, and when permits are required.

Key Facts

Equipment rule
Sound systems must be permanently installed with limiters
Portable equipment
No other sound systems or speakers permitted
Quiet-time shutoff
Automatic shutoff required at 10:00 p.m.
Daytime cap
Must stay at or below 75 dB
Data retention
90 days, produced within 5 business days

Summary

Washington County requires every sound system and exterior speaker at a licensed short-term rental to be permanently installed with a built-in volume limiter; portable speakers, boomboxes, and temporary PA systems are not permitted at all. Under County Ordinance 10-13-23(O), the limiter must shut sound off automatically during quiet time and hold volume at or below the decibel thresholds set in the same section during daytime hours.

City-specific rules exist: St. George has its own amplified music & outdoor sound rules that differ from Washington County's county-level regulations. If you live in St. George, check the city-specific page instead.

Sound Systems; Speakers: All sound systems and exterior speakers shall be permanently installed and have volume limiters. No other sound systems or exterior speakers are permitted. The owner, owner occupant, or local property manager shall set the volume of the sound system and exterior speakers to automatically shut off during quiet time, and to stay at or below permitted decibel levels during daytime. It is the owner or property manager's duty to monitor its STR for sound system use and volume and store the data for 90 days, and provide it to the County no later than five business days after a request, in an easily accessible format, or it is a violation.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-17: Code current through: Ord. 2026-1329-O, passed 8-18-2026).

Full Breakdown

Section 10-13-23(O) of the Washington County Code treats amplified sound equipment as a licensing condition for Short Term Rentals rather than a general noise permit. Any sound system or exterior speaker used at an STR must be permanently installed and fitted with a volume limiter; the code flatly states that no other sound systems or exterior speakers are permitted, which rules out portable Bluetooth speakers, rental PA systems, and DJ equipment brought in for an event. ) and to keep volume at or below the decibel ceilings set in § 10-13-23(M): 55 dB at the property line overnight and 75 dB during the day.

Compliance is not self-certifying: the same subsection requires the owner or manager to monitor sound system use and volume, retain that monitoring data for 90 days, and hand it over to the county within five business days of a request in an easily accessible format. Failing to produce the records is a violation by the terms of the ordinance itself, independent of whether an actual noise complaint was substantiated. The rule sits inside the broader Events; Parties; Noise framework of § 10-13-23(M), which also bans live music, disc jockeys, and portable PA systems as indicators of a prohibited event or party at an STR, reinforcing that amplified sound at these properties is tightly restricted rather than merely discouraged.

Violations & Fines

A sound system that is not permanently installed, lacks a volume limiter, or fails to shut off during quiet time violates § 10-13-23(O) and can be charged as excessive noise under § 10-13-23(M), carrying the $2,000 hybrid violation fine in § 10-13-23(R)(2)(c) once the noise runs 20 minutes or more. Failure to provide required monitoring data within five business days is a separate, independent violation enforced by the Community Development Department.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a short-term rental in Washington County have portable speakers for guests?
No. Section 10-13-23(O) states that all sound systems and exterior speakers must be permanently installed with volume limiters and that no other sound systems or exterior speakers are permitted, which excludes portable Bluetooth speakers, rental PA equipment, and DJ setups brought in for a gathering.
What decibel level must an STR sound system stay under during the day?
The system must be set to stay at or below the daytime threshold in § 10-13-23(M), which is 75 decibels measured at the property line over a continuous 10-minute period between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m.; after 10:00 p.m. the limiter must shut the system off entirely for quiet time.
Who has to keep records of STR sound system use?
The owner, owner-occupant, or local property manager must monitor the sound system's use and volume, store that data for 90 days, and give it to the county within five business days of a request in an easily accessible format; not doing so is itself a violation under § 10-13-23(O).

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Washington County

All Washington County rules

Compare Washington County to another location·View the Utah noise ordinances overview

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