Bay County, FL Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Bay County, FL, also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time, define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Key Facts
- Residential nighttime limit
- 55 dBA, 10 p.m.-6:59 a.m.
- Residential daytime limit
- 60 dBA, 7 a.m.-9:59 p.m.
- Portable device curfew
- audible to operator only after 10 p.m.
- First offense fine
- $500.00
- Repeat offense
- 2nd-degree misdemeanor, $1,000/60 days
- Enforcing agency
- Bay County Sheriff's Office
- Applies in
- unincorporated Bay County only
Summary
Unincorporated Bay County drops its outdoor sound limit from 60 dBA to 55 dBA at neighboring property lines in residential and conservation areas once the clock hits 10:00 p.m., under Code Sec. 17-72. Portable stereos and boom boxes played in public spaces must go silent to everyone but the operator during those same overnight hours. The Bay County Sheriff's Office cites violators directly.
(b)It shall be unlawful for the owner of a parcel or real property or of a unit or units in a multi-unit building or buildings, or for any person to cause on public streets or on any parcel, sound levels, as measured at neighboring property lines, which exceed:(1)In receptor areas zoned residential and conservation:a.60 dBA between 7:00 a.m. and 9:59 p.m.b.55 dBA between 10:00 p.m. and 6:59 a.m. ... (d)Self-contained, portable, hand-held sound production devices, including but not limited to devices such as boom boxes, radios, stereos, or any similar device shall not be operated on a public space or public right-of-way in such a manner as to be plainly audible at a distance of 50 feet in any direction from the operator between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. Between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., sound from such equipment shall not be plainly audible by any person other than the operator.
Full Breakdown
Bay County's noise article (ch. 17, art. ) in residential and conservation districts; 70/65 dBA in seasonal-resort, commercial and public/institutional areas; and a flat 75 dBA at all times in agricultural or industrial zones, all measured at the neighboring property line under Sec. 17-72(b). Separately, Sec. they cannot be "plainly audible" to anyone but the person operating them. Impulsive sounds (single bursts under one second) are separately capped at 80 dBA under Sec. 17-72(h). A long list of exemptions in Sec. 17-72(i) allows trash trucks, construction crews, domestic power tools, farm machinery, road and utility repairs, church bells and sporting or cultural events to operate on their own scheduled hours even where they would otherwise exceed these limits. The whole article, per Sec. 17-74, applies only in unincorporated Bay County; Panama City and Panama City Beach enforce their own separate noise codes.
Violations & Fines
A first offense under Sec. 17-73 draws a $500.00 fine. A second offense, or two or more violations within any six-month span, is a second-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1,000.00 fine, 60 days in jail, or both, and every day a nuisance continues counts as a separate violation. Property owners and managers are jointly liable with whoever actually made the noise, even if absent, and a non-contested civil penalty gets a 50 percent discount if paid within 20 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Bay County's official quiet hours?
Can I play a car stereo late at night in unincorporated Bay County?
What is the fine for a first noise violation?
Does this noise ordinance apply inside Panama City or Panama City Beach?
Are trash trucks and construction crews exempt from the noise limits?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bay County
How Bay County compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·Florida rules heatmap·Compare Bay County to another location·View the Florida noise ordinances overview
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