Wayne County, MI Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)
Amplified music rules in Wayne County, MI, also called sound permit, PA system, or live music ordinances, set decibel limits, time-of-day restrictions, and when permits are required.
Key Facts
- Sunday to Thursday nights
- 10:00 p.m. until 7:00 a.m. the next morning
- Friday and Saturday
- 12:01 a.m. until 7:00 a.m.
- Distance test
- Clearly discernible 100 feet from the property line or vehicle
- Decibel test
- Over 60 decibels at the property line or outside the vehicle
- First violation
- $25.00 civil penalty if you comply with the officer
- Fourth violation in one year
- Misdemeanor, up to $1,000.00 fine or 90 days in jail
- Vehicle release bond
- $1,000.00 cash bond before the case ends
Summary
Wayne County's Nuisance Noise Ordinance bars amplified music and other amplified sound that carries outside the premises or vehicle from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. on Sunday through Thursday nights, and from 12:01 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Sound is unreasonable if clearly discernible at 100 feet from the property line or above 60 decibels there.
(a) A person shall not make, assist in making, permit another to make or to continue to make any loud or unreasonable noise, music, percussion, or other sounds which is audible outside of the boundaries of the premises thereof or vehicle thereof by means of any amplified musical instrument, drum, or similar device, or by means of any radio, phonograph, tape recorder, compact disc player, or any similar device which amplifies or produces sound during any of the following periods of time: (1) During the period of 10:00 p.m. at night and until 7:00 a.m. of the following morning, beginning on any Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. (2) During the period of 12:01 a.m. until 7:00 a.m. on any Friday or Saturday. (b) During these periods, a loud and unreasonable sound is one which is clearly discernible at a distance of 100 feet from the property line of the property, or from the vehicle, from which the sound is emanating, or which is in excess of 60 decibels at the edge of that property line or from immediately outside the vehicle
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 31).
Full Breakdown
Section 170-3(a) of the Wayne County Nuisance Noise Ordinance covers any loud or unreasonable noise, music, percussion or other sound that is audible outside the boundaries of the premises or vehicle and comes from an amplified musical instrument, drum or similar device, or from a radio, phonograph, tape recorder, compact disc player or any similar device. The ordinance reaches a person who makes the sound, assists in making it, permits another to make it or continues to make it, so a host who lets a guest keep the speakers running is covered along with the person at the controls.
Two time windows apply. Under subsection (a)(1), the restriction runs from 10:00 p.m. until 7:00 a.m. the following morning, beginning on any Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. Under subsection (a)(2), it runs from 12:01 a.m. until 7:00 a.m. on any Friday or Saturday. The text lists no daytime or early evening hours, so this section sets no volume cap outside those windows.
Subsection (b) defines what counts as loud and unreasonable during those windows. Sound qualifies if it is clearly discernible at a distance of 100 feet from the property line of the property, or from the vehicle, that is the source. It also qualifies if it exceeds 60 decibels at the edge of that property line or from immediately outside the vehicle. A measured reading uses a Type 1 or Type 2 sound level meter built to the American National Standard Institute standard, or equivalent recording and analyzing equipment. No meter is required when the enforcement officer has been trained to audibly recognize sound clearly in excess of the 60 decibel limit.
Subsection (c) exempts two things: bells, chimes, carillons, loudspeakers and similar devices used for religious purposes, in conjunction with religious services, or for celebrations of public holidays; and outdoor gatherings, public dances, shows and sporting or entertainment events held on commercial or institutional premises, under applicable rules and zoning restrictions, and in full compliance with any permit or license a public agency issued for the event. A party at a private home is not on commercial or institutional premises, so that second exemption does not reach it.
Section 170-6 lets a charter city or township opt out of the chapter, or enforce it for the county through its municipal attorney.
Violations & Fines
Section 170-4 sets a ladder. A first violation where the person complies with an officer's instruction to reduce the sound is a $25.00 civil penalty. A second violation within one month, a refusal to desist, or an unpaid earlier citation is $100.00. A third violation within one year is $200.00. A fourth within one year is a misdemeanor with a fine of up to $1,000.00, up to 90 days in jail, or both. Under section 170-5, an officer must warn first, and repeat offenders can lose sound equipment or a vehicle to impoundment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can an officer cite me without a decibel meter?
Does the ordinance cover car stereos?
Is a Friday night party until 11:00 p.m. covered?
Does my city follow the county chapter?
Are church bells or a stadium event exempt?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Wayne County
Compare Wayne County to another location·View the Michigan noise ordinances overview
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