Plano, TX Public Conduct: Loud Party Ordinance (2026)
Key Facts
- Offense
- allowing a noise nuisance on property you control
- Nuisance test
- unreasonable discomfort or interference
- Residential dB cap
- 65 dB day / 55 dB night
- Amplified voice threshold
- audible 50+ ft onto public property
- Penalty
- up to $500 per offense (Sec. 1-4(b))
- Adopted
- Ordinance No. 2025-8-3
Summary
Plano holds a property owner or occupant personally liable for a loud party or other noise nuisance on land under their care, custody or control, not just for noise they cause themselves. Code of Ordinances Sec. 14-86(b) makes it an offense to 'allow' a noise nuisance on your own property, with 'noise nuisance' defined by an objective discomfort standard and decibel presumptions.
(b)It shall be an offense for a person to intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly make, cause to be made, or allow a noise nuisance on property owned by him or subject to his care, custody or control...(d)The issuance of a certificate of occupancy, land occupancy permit, multiple pet permit, or other permit issued by City of Plano shall not be a defense to prosecution under this article, unless otherwise expressly provided in this article. [Sec. 14-85:] Noise nuisance shall mean any specific noise that is likely to cause unreasonable discomfort or distress to a reasonable person or to unreasonably interfere with the use or enjoyment of property.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 153).
Full Breakdown
Section 14-86(b), part of the noise article rewritten by Ordinance No. ' That 'allow' language is what makes a host or homeowner liable for a loud gathering even if a guest, not the host, is the one playing music or shouting, if the owner controls the property and lets the nuisance continue, they can be cited. Sec. 14-85 defines a 'noise nuisance' as 'any specific noise that is likely to cause unreasonable discomfort or distress to a reasonable person or to unreasonably interfere with the use or enjoyment of property,' and Sec.
' Unlike the public-place offense in Sec. 14-86(a), which needs the noise itself to occur in a public place, subsection (b) applies purely to private property the person owns or controls, making it the operative rule for backyard parties, loud gatherings and similar disturbances that stay entirely on one property but bother neighbors. Sec. 14-86(d) removes a common defense: holding a city permit or certificate of occupancy does not excuse the nuisance.
Violations & Fines
A property owner or occupant found to have allowed a noise nuisance is punished under the Code's general penalty, Sec. 1-4(b), a fine of up to $500 per offense, and holding a certificate of occupancy or other city permit is not a defense under Sec. 14-86(d). Each night the nuisance continues can be charged separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I be cited for a party I didn't personally make loud?
How loud does a party have to be to count as a nuisance in Plano?
Does a city permit protect me from a noise complaint?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Plano
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Plano to another location·View the Texas public conduct overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Loud Party Ordinance in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Collin County handle loud party ordinance.