West Des Moines, IA Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)

Section 4-7-11 of the Noise Control Regulations governs any loudspeaker, sound amplifier, or similar device used outdoors to amplify a live performance or prerecorded music; using one without a permit is prohibited under subsection A. Applicants file with the city clerk under subsections B and C, providing the required forms and paying the fee set by city council resolution under subsection G. The city clerk or a designee approves permits, but retains discretion to refer a request to the city council, and any request extending past ten o'clock P.M. must go to the council itself under subsection D.

Before approving certain requests the City may require notice to all neighboring residential property owners within three hundred seventy feet of the event. Rental properties need the landlord's written permission, and properties under common ownership need permission from the landlord or the association, under subsection H. Permits are nontransferable and cover a single event or a series at the same location under subsection E; the city council, clerk, or designee can revoke or modify a permit for alleged violations, including sound-meter readings, and the chief of police or a designee can terminate an activity if it keeps exceeding the permitted level after a warning.

Under subsection I, only music or human speech may be amplified, and volume still cannot exceed the maximum permissible sound levels set in section 4-7-7. Radios and stereos rated at fifty watts or less do not need a permit under subsection J. Appeals from a permit denial or revocation go to the municipal code hearing officer within ten calendar days under section 4-7-14, and the city clerk and chief of police share enforcement authority under section 4-7-15.