Howard County has no outdoor-concert permit in its noise code. Outdoor music is measured against Section 8.900's dBA limits. Non-amplified sound from sporting, amusement and entertainment events is exempt when operating under county-imposed terms; electronically amplified outdoor music is not.
Outdoor music at festivals, backyard parties and events is regulated under Section 8.900 rather than a stand-alone concert ordinance. The exemptions list excludes only 'sound, not electronically amplified, created by sporting, amusement and entertainment events and other public gatherings operating according to terms and conditions imposed by the County.' So an acoustic crowd or unamplified event can qualify for the exemption, but any electronically amplified outdoor music must meet the COMAR 26.02.03 residential limits at neighboring homes (65 dBA daytime, 55 dBA nighttime). Large public gatherings that receive county terms and conditions operate within those conditions. There is no late-night carve-out, so amplified outdoor music after 10:00 p.m. faces the stricter 55 dBA nighttime standard.
Amplified outdoor music exceeding the residential dBA limits is a Section 8.900 violation: Class E civil offense first, Class D for repeats, enforced by police and, for commercial or industrial venues, the health department, under Title 24.
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