Monroe County, FL Public Conduct: Loud Party Ordinance (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing sections
- Monroe County Code §§ 17-130, 17-134
- Host/owner liability
- liable along with whoever controls the volume
- Joint hosts
- jointly and severally liable if prosecuted together
- First-offense fine
- $250.00
- Subsequent-offense fine
- $500.00
- Citizen remedy
- neighbors may sue for injunction and damages
Summary
In the unincorporated Florida Keys (Monroe County), Sec. 17-130 bans making or allowing disturbing noise on any property, and Sec. 17-134(b) puts liability on whoever controls the volume and on the property's operator or owner, with joint hosts jointly and severally liable for the resulting fine.
(a)No person shall make, continue, or cause to be made any disturbing noise. Disturbing noise shall be established in one of two manners:(1)The occurrence of any sound which through the exercise of reasonable care, the maker or operator should know is loud and raucous due to its volume, character, duration, time of occurrence, or the number of persons affected, regardless of its source or content; or ... (b)It shall be unlawful, and an offense, for any person(s), to permit, cause, allow, amplify, create, emit, or sustain disturbing noise on any property, including air space thereof, located in unincorporated Monroe County. ... (b)Liability. The individual controlling or responsible for maintaining the volume of disturbing noise and the operator and/or owner of the premises that are its sound source shall be subject to liability for violations of this article. If prosecuted jointly, each shall be jointly and severally liable for fines imposed pursuant to this article.
Full Breakdown
Monroe County Code § 17-130(a) bans disturbing noise two ways: first, any sound that a reasonable person operating the source should know is loud and raucous given its volume, character, duration, timing or the number of people it affects, regardless of source or content; second, any sound measured at 75 dBA or 84 dBC or higher for more than ten percent of a measurement period of at least ten minutes at the property boundary. Subsection (b) makes it unlawful for any person to permit, cause, allow, amplify, create, emit or sustain disturbing noise on any property, including its air space, anywhere in unincorporated Monroe County, which reaches a homeowner who lets a loud party run rather than only the guest making noise.
Sec. 17-134(b) then fixes liability: the individual controlling or responsible for the volume, and the operator or owner of the premises where the sound source sits, are both subject to liability, and if prosecuted together they are jointly and severally liable for the fine. A public event's sponsor escapes that liability unless the sponsor itself violates a condition placed on its public assembly permit. Sec. 17-134(c) also lets any adversely affected citizen sue in civil court for an injunction and damages against a noisy neighbor's party, independent of a county citation, and can recover attorney's fees if substantially prevailing.
Violations & Fines
A citation under § 17-134(a) carries a $250.00 fine for a first offense and $500.00 for a repeat offense, and a commercial entity's business tax receipt can be revoked after two violations. A noise control officer, meaning a code compliance officer or law enforcement personnel, can act on a neighbor's disturbing-noise complaint even without a sound level meter reading.
Frequently Asked Questions
If my tenant throws a loud party, am I liable as the landlord?
Does a deputy need a decibel meter to cite a loud party?
Can I sue my neighbor directly over a loud party instead of calling the county?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Monroe County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Monroe County to another location·View the Florida public conduct overview
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