Outdoor music at private venues in Milwaukee County is regulated by municipal ordinances, not the county. The county does control outdoor music in its parks: under Code Chapter 47, sound may not carry beyond 50 feet, and larger concerts need authorization from the Parks director or County Board.
Milwaukee County runs a large regional park system, and outdoor music inside those parks is the one area where the COUNTY sets the rule directly. Under Milwaukee County Code Chapter 47 (Parks and Parkways), no sound or amplification device may be operated in a park so as to be heard beyond 50 feet, and none within 50 feet of a park boundary in a way audible outside. The section allows the Director of Parks, Recreation and Culture, or the County Board, to authorize musical shows and gatherings not limited by the 50-foot rule, which is how permitted park festivals proceed. Outdoor music outside county parkland is governed by the host municipality's noise ordinance and special-event permit.
Unpermitted outdoor music in a county park that carries beyond 50 feet is a Chapter 47 violation enforced by Parks staff and the Sheriff's Office, carrying a forfeiture and possible loss of a reservation. Off-park music is municipal.
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