Owensboro, KY Noise Ordinances: Vehicle Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Audibility limit
- Plainly audible at 50 feet
- Includes
- Bass reverberation, not just discernible words
- Applies on
- Public property, right-of-way, parking lots
- Fine
- Up to $250 per violation
- Exempt
- Emergency vehicle sirens and alarms
- Adopted
- Ordinance No. 64-99, October 19, 1999
Summary
Sec. 17-8(b) bars playing a car radio, speaker, or other sound-amplification device from inside a vehicle on public property or right-of-way loud enough to be plainly audible fifty feet away, bass reverberation included. A violation carries a fine of up to $250 under subsection (e), with each occurrence charged as a separate offense, and emergency vehicle sirens and alarms are exempted.
(b)Unlawful noises emanating from motor vehicles on public right-of-way: No person operating or occupying a motor vehicle on any publicly owned property, park, right-of-way, easement, alley, off-street parking lot, or any other area to which the public has access, shall play, use, operate, or permit to be played, used, or operated, any radio, tape player, cassette player, compact disk player, loud speaker, sound amplification system, or other device designed to generate, amplify, and/or reproduce sound, from within the motor vehicle in such manner that the sound is plainly audible by another human being at a distance of fifty (50) feet from the device producing the sound. ... (e)Penalties: Any person who violates any provisions of this section shall be guilty of a violation and upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine not to exceed two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00). Each such violation shall constitute a separate offense.
Full Breakdown
Section 17-8(b), part of the noise-control ordinance adopted by Ordinance No. 64-99 in 1999, targets sound coming from inside a motor vehicle on public property, a park, right-of-way, easement, alley, off-street parking lot, or any other area the public can access. It is unlawful to play, use, or operate, or let someone else play, use, or operate, a radio, tape player, cassette player, compact disk player, loudspeaker, sound-amplification system, or other device that generates, amplifies, or reproduces sound from within the vehicle, if the sound is plainly audible to another person fifty feet away.
The section defines plainly audible as any sound clearly heard by unimpaired hearing based on a direct line of sight at fifty feet or more; the words do not need to be distinguishable, and the standard specifically includes bass reverberation, covering the low-frequency thump audible before individual lyrics can be made out. Subsection (c) exempts a short list of sources from the noise-control section generally, including sirens, whistles, horns, bells, or alarms lawfully used by emergency vehicles or as a warning of danger, so a police or ambulance siren does not trigger this vehicle-sound provision.
There is no separate registration or permit for loud car audio; a driver either complies with the fifty-foot audibility line or is in violation, and the city manager's special-variance process under subsection (d) is built for other noise sources, not for routine vehicle stereo use.
Violations & Fines
Sec. 17-8(e) punishes any violation of the noise-control section, including the vehicle sound-system rule in subsection (b), with a fine not to exceed $250, and each violation is treated as a separate offense, so repeated citations for the same vehicle can add up fast. The section gives no separate escalating schedule; every citation is capped at the same $250 maximum regardless of prior offenses.
Frequently Asked Questions
How loud can my car stereo be in Owensboro?
What does plainly audible mean under the vehicle noise rule?
What is the fine for a plainly audible car stereo violation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Owensboro
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