Yellowstone County, MT Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)

1(c) of the Zoning Code, part of the Outdoor and Sidewalk Seating standards in Article 27-1000. The provision states that the use of mechanically produced sound, amplified sound, or live music shall only be permitted in conformity with the County's noise standards, and it bars any waiver or variance from those noise standards for a property located within 50 feet of a residential zoning district. That places a hard floor under the rule: even where the County's general noise standards would otherwise allow a variance, an outdoor seating area, patio, or rooftop deck within 50 feet of a residential zone in unincorporated Yellowstone County cannot get one for amplified sound or live music.

The rule sits alongside the section's other outdoor-seating conditions, including that outdoor seating stay free of garbage and debris and that its hours match the indoor use's hours. 1 requires that audible electronic devices at a drive-through, such as loudspeakers and order-taking equipment, not be audible beyond the property line when located within 50 feet of a residential zoning district, showing the County consistently using a 50-foot buffer as the trigger for stricter sound control on commercial accessory uses.