Wicomico County, MD Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)
Amplified music rules in Wicomico County, MD, also called sound permit, PA system, or live music ordinances, set decibel limits, time-of-day restrictions, and when permits are required.
Key Facts
- Music time cap
- 4 hours per 24-hour period
- Audibility standard
- not unreasonably audible beyond property line
- Permit authority
- Director of Administration
- Max penalty
- $1,000 fine, 1 year jail
- Governing chapter
- Ch. 110, Assemblies, Mass Public
Summary
Outdoor musical festivals in unincorporated Wicomico County may not play music for more than four hours in any twenty-four-hour period, and the sound cannot be unreasonably audible beyond the festival property's boundary lines. Both conditions are mandatory attachments to the special entertainment permit application required by Chapter 110 before the event can be held.
§ 110-5. Required information and attachments. Application for a special entertainment permit, as above required, shall contain the following attachments: ... ... J. A statement providing that no music played shall be unreasonably audible beyond the property lines of the subject property. K. A statement and condition that no music shall be played for more than four hours during any twenty-four-hour period, which 24 hours shall be computed from the time the initial music is played.
Full Breakdown
Wicomico County does not have a general noise ordinance for amplified sound, but Chapter 110, Assemblies, Mass Public, regulates amplified music at outdoor musical festivals, defined as any group participating in or listening to musical entertainment in open spaces outside a permanent structure (§ 110-2). Before a promoter, meaning the festival's organizer, operator, producer, or the property's owner, tenant, or lessee, may hold such an event in unincorporated Wicomico County, the special entertainment permit application to the County's Director of Administration must include, among its required attachments under § 110-5, a written statement and condition that no music played shall be unreasonably audible beyond the property lines of the subject property (§ 110-5J), and a separate statement and condition that no music shall be played for more than four hours during any twenty-four-hour period, with that period computed from the time the initial music is played (§ 110-5K).
The application must also include a plan for shielding devices to limit the effect of outdoor lighting on adjoining properties and roads if outdoor facilities are used (§ 110-5I), and written permission letting law enforcement officers onto the premises during the performance to enforce the chapter (§ 110-5M). The Director of Administration reviews and can disapprove any application, including the music conditions, within 10 days of filing, and must notify the promoter by registered mail with reasons for any denial under § 110-4.
Violations & Fines
Holding a festival, or performing at one, without an approved special entertainment permit or in violation of any of its conditions, including the four-hour music limit or the property-line audibility standard, is a misdemeanor under § 110-6. A convicted promoter, performer, or corporation faces a fine of up to $1,000, up to one year of imprisonment, or both, with each day of violation charged as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a general decibel limit for amplified music in unincorporated Wicomico County?
How is the four-hour music limit measured?
Who enforces the festival music conditions?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Wicomico County
Compare Wicomico County to another location·View the Maryland noise ordinances overview
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