Austin requires an Outdoor Music Venue (OMV) permit for any commercial property hosting outdoor amplified music. Permits specify decibel caps, cutoff times, and stage orientation, and residential outdoor music is generally prohibited after 10:00 PM under Chapter 9-2.
Austin's Outdoor Music Venue program under City Code Chapter 25-2 and Chapter 9-2 is unusually robust for a U.S. city, reflecting the live-music economy. Any commercial venue (bars, restaurants, hotels, breweries) with an outdoor stage must obtain an OMV permit from the Music & Entertainment Division. Permits require a Sound Impact Plan signed by a qualified acoustical consultant, stage orientation away from residential receivers, and monitoring logs. Cutoff times are 10:30 PM Sunday-Wednesday and midnight Thursday-Saturday, with the Red River District and select Sixth Street venues reaching 2:00 AM under special overlay. Residential backyard music (parties, bands) must end by 10:00 PM and is subject to the 75 dB(A) residential cap. Food trucks and temporary events require a separate Outdoor Special Event permit through the Austin Center for Events (ACE), which coordinates across APD, Fire, EMS, and Health. SXSW, ACL, and Rodeo Austin operate under festival-scale permits with expanded hours. OMV violations can trigger permit suspension and escalate to TABC referral for mixed-beverage licensees.
Specific penalty amounts for this ordinance are not published in a publicly accessible fine schedule. Contact Austin code enforcement directly for current fines, enforcement procedures, and hearing options.
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