Wichita, KS Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)
Amplified music rules in Wichita, KS, also called sound permit, PA system, or live music ordinances, set decibel limits, time-of-day restrictions, and when permits are required.
Key Facts
- Residential limit
- 55 db(A) day / 50 db(A) night
- Commercial limit
- 60 db(A) day / 55 db(A) night
- Measured
- 25 feet from the noise source
- Night hours start
- 10:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m.
- Governing chapter
- WMC Chapter 5.63 (Noise)
Summary
Wichita's noise code sets zone-based decibel ceilings for amplified sound, loudspeakers, and sound systems: 55 db(A) by day and 50 db(A) by night in residential areas, with higher caps for commercial and industrial zones.
A noise measured or registered as provided herein from any source not exempted by this Chapter at a level which is equal to or in excess of the db(A) established for the time period and zones listed below or that exceeds the background level by five db(A), whichever is greater, is declared to be excessive, unusual, loud and unnecessary, for the purposes of 5.63.010: Zone 8:00 a.m. to next 10:00 p.m. 10:00 p.m. to next 8:00 a.m.
Residential 55 db(A) 50 db(A) Commercial 60 db(A) 55 db(A) Light Industrial 70 db(A) 65 db(A) Industrial 80 db(A) 75 db(A) Parks 60 db(A) 55 db(A) Old Town District as set forth in subsection (b)
Background noise means noise from all sources other than that under specific consideration, including traffic operating on public thoroughfares, and is established by measuring the noise level over a 15-minute period of time.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 35).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 5.63 of the Wichita Municipal Code makes loud, unnecessary amplified sound, radios, boom boxes, loudspeakers, sound amplifiers, and similar devices, a noise nuisance when it disturbs people of reasonable sensibilities. Section 5.63.030 backs that ban with numeric db(A) ceilings by zone and time period: residential 55/50, commercial 60/55, light industrial 70/65, industrial 80/75, and parks 60/55 (day/night), measured 25 feet from the source. A defendant can beat a Sec. 5.63.010 charge only by proving, with calibrated meter readings submitted a week before trial, that the sound stayed under these limits.
Violations & Fines
Violation is a municipal offense under Sec. 5.63.010, enforced by Wichita Police; officers can also order a noisy party or gathering to disperse. Exceeding the zone's db(A) threshold forfeits the ordinance's only listed defense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I play amplified music outdoors in Wichita at night?
Does a licensed event get an exception?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Wichita
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