Potential Changes to Noise Ordinance for Amplified Outdoor Music

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About the Policy

For several years, the enforcement of the current noise ordinance regarding amplified outdoor music, Leesburg Town Code Section 24-182(a)(5), has presented challenges due to the lack of precise measurement criteria and variations in enforcement approaches. The current ordinance prohibits amplified outdoor music before 2:00 p.m. and after 10:00 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and before 10:30 a.m. and after 8:00 p.m. on all other days. During the hours within which amplified outdoor music is allowed, it is too loud if it is plainly audible beyond 50 feet from the property boundary. However, because sound travels differently in various directions, this standard is inherently subjective and open to interpretation, making compliance challenging for venues and enforcement challenging for Town staff charged with enforcement.

Prior to 2023, businesses and event organizers were required to secure a permit for amplified outdoor music. However, staff identified a key issue: the permit offered no added benefits or allowances compared to operating without one. This rendered the permitting process ineffective and discouraged participation, leading to the Town discontinuing the permit requirement in April 2023 for further review.

The Noise Ordinance, originally adopted in 2009, was last amended in March 2020 (Ordinance No. 2020-O-007) to extend weekend hours for amplified outdoor music. The ordinance still does not utilize decibel levels for enforcement. Instead, different types of sounds are regulated by various subjective standards, complicating both compliance and enforcement efforts.

Proposed Initiative

Staff has proposed amending the regulation of amplified outdoor music in the following ways:

Amplified outdoor music would only be allowed at commercial and business establishments or special events with an approved Amplified Outdoor Music Permit issued by the Town. The permits will be of a one-year duration. Non-commercial applicants may also seek single-event permit, subject to the same limitations with respect to volume and hours.
A specific decibel limit would replace the subjective “plainly audible” standard. The Town would measure compliance using a decibel meter of its choosing.
The permit would specify a location from which sound would be measured in the event of a complaint, which would provide both an incentive for the venue to pre-test sound levels for compliance as well as certainty for measurement by Town enforcement staff.

Please note that this initiative is limited to the amplified outdoor music section of the noise ordinance and not to any other sections.

Discussion for Town Council

This initiative will be discussed at the Town Council work session on February 9, 2026 at 7:00 p.m.

Sound Study

Council directed staff to retain a consultant to make recommendations related to appropriate decibel levels and testing processes. In that context, the Town retained an experienced sound consulting firm, Shen, Milsom & Wilke.

Participants

We asked any venue that: 1) had an amplified sound permit in the past; 2) had been the subject of a noise complaint related to amplified outdoor noise in the recent past; or 3) had been raised as a potential source of amplified outdoor music in the context of recent development applications.

Four venues voluntarily cooperated:

Goosecup (216 South King Street)
Birkby House (109 Loudoun Street SW)
Crow’s Nest (7 West Market Street)
The Burg Hotel Rooftop Bar (208 South King Street)

Reports

The reports from those tests are set forth below. In addition, on December 8, 2025, the consultant conducted a demonstration on the Town Green where sound meters were placed at different distances from a fixed sound source, set at a volume level similar to that of a live band or DJ, to show how decibel levels correspond to distance. A narrative of that demonstration, as well as images of the meters during the demonstration, are also set forth below.

Goosecup

An acoustic study conducted at Goosecup to assess noise levels for potential ordinance amendments. Goosecup was tested twice because they wanted data from when they had a DJ, who had cancelled the evening of the first test.

View the Goosecup Sound Study (First)

View the Goosecup Sound Study (Second)