Woodbury, MN Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)
Amplified music rules in Woodbury, MN, also called sound permit, PA system, or live music ordinances, set decibel limits, time-of-day restrictions, and when permits are required.
Key Facts
- Governing section
- City Code § 13-1(c)(2)
- Covered equipment
- Radios, CD/cassette players, instruments, phonographs, PA systems
- Applies
- Any hour, home, business, park, or vehicle
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor, fine up to $700, up to 90 days
- Enforced by
- Woodbury Police Department
- Key exemptions
- City-authorized events, church bells, school bells, emergency signals
Summary
Woodbury bars anyone from running a radio, stereo, CD or cassette player, CB radio, paging system, musical instrument or phonograph loudly enough to unreasonably disturb a neighbor's peace and comfort. City Code § 13-1(c)(2) covers this equipment at any hour, in homes, yards, businesses and vehicles, and a violation is a misdemeanor enforced by Woodbury police.
(2)Radios, phonographs, paging systems, etc. No person shall use or operate, or permit the use or operation of any electronic sound system or audio equipment including, but not limited to, any compact disc player, cassette tape player, AM-FM radio, citizen band radio, paging system, musical instrument, phonograph, or any other devise designed for the production or reproduction of sound, in a distinctly and loudly audible manner as to unreasonably disturb the peace, quiet, and comfort of a reasonable person or reasonable persons nearby.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 48).
Full Breakdown
Section 13-1(c)(2) of the Woodbury City Code, part of the chapter's broader noise prohibition, singles out 'radios, phonographs, paging systems' and any other electronic sound system or audio equipment, from CD and cassette players to musical instruments, as unlawful when operated in a 'distinctly and loudly audible manner' that unreasonably disturbs a reasonable person's peace, quiet or comfort. The rule is not limited to nighttime: unlike the chapter's construction and equipment curfews, it applies around the clock, at home, in a business, in a park or from a parked or moving vehicle.
m. Subsection (c)(2)b makes clear that when the offending sound comes from a vehicle, both the driver and the vehicle's owner can be charged. The ordinance carves out specific exemptions in (c)(2)c: sound tied to a city-authorized, sponsored or permitted activity conducted under its license or permit terms, church bells, chimes or carillons, school bells, civil defense warning signals, anti-theft devices, and authorized emergency vehicle equipment. Woodbury police respond to and cite amplified-sound complaints under this section, and the chapter's 'intent' clause in (a) makes clear the rule protects a resident's use and enjoyment of property, not just quiet for its own sake.
Violations & Fines
A violation of § 13-1(c)(2) is a misdemeanor under § 13-1(d), punishable by a fine of up to $700.00, up to 90 days in jail, or both. Because the general prohibition in (b) is not limited by the specific list in (c), police may cite excessive amplified sound even where the 50-/100-foot presumption in (c)(2)a isn't met, if the noise otherwise disturbs a reasonable person.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Woodbury's amplified sound rule only a nighttime rule?
Does the ordinance cover a car stereo?
Are any events exempt from Woodbury's amplified sound rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Woodbury
Compare Woodbury to another location·View the Minnesota noise ordinances overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.