Austin Noise Ordinance Chapter 9-2 prohibits unreasonable noise after 10 p.m. on weeknights and 10:30 p.m. weekends; second-response loud-party calls within 12 hours trigger cost-recovery billing of the host plus class C misdemeanor citations.
Austin City Code Chapter 9-2 sets the residential nighttime quiet baseline at 10 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday and 10:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. APD measures sound at the property line; sustained levels above 75 dBA at the source or audible from the next residence violate the ordinance. The cost-recovery provision (Section 9-2-19) bills hosts and property owners for police response when officers must return within 12 hours of an initial warning, with charges typically running $300 to $500 plus officer time. Repeat offenses can result in property-owner notices and short-term-rental license review. Outdoor music venues in the Red River Cultural District operate under separate sound-management agreements with extended hours and decibel allowances.
First responses are typically warnings; second responses within 12 hours add cost-recovery billing of host or property owner plus class C citations under Section 9-2-2 with fines up to $500. Repeats can trigger STR or sound-permit review.
Austin, TX
As the self-proclaimed Live Music Capital of the World, Austin has detailed amplified sound rules in City Code Chapter 9-2. Outdoor amplified music requires ...
Austin, TX
Austin short-term rentals are subject to Chapter 9-2 noise limits plus stricter STR-specific conditions under City Code Chapter 25-2. STR operators must post...
See how Austin's loud party ordinance rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.