MOUNT DORA, Fla. – A person may be fined for loud music when driving through Mount Dora after the passing of a new noise ordinance.
If an officer can hear any plainly audible or loud booming music from at least 50 feet away a citation may be applied.
“Literally once a day I would get a call, and on specific days where we have events I would get numerous calls,” Chief Brett Meade said.
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Chief Meade said he helped create the ordinance.
Meade said he hasn’t kept a record of noise complaints, but it’s still a major issue in Mount Dora.
The ordinance went into effect this past week, it is set to address the “loud booming noises emanating from a vehicle.”
The ordinance does not address noises from a muffler or motorcycles but instead focuses on things like music.
“It’s not about the lyrics, it’s not about the content of the lyrics. It’s about the noise level,” Meade said.
Meade said for his officers to issue a citation they need to see and hear it happen in real-time and also capture it on their body or dash camera.
“So the most important aspect again is that the ordinance is being enforced professionally, without bias and to ensure the constitutional guarantees are in place,” Meade said.
After a warning, the ordinance states a person can be fined $100 and by the third violation, $350.
Meade said this is not just about cutting down loud noises, but for safety as well.
“So if someone is in their vehicle and their music is loud they can’t hear an emergency vehicle, they might not hear a pedestrian or someone in the vicinity,” Meade said.
Going forward, the Mount Dora Police Department said in order to remain unbiased they will be looking at all the data from noise violation traffic stops which will include demographic information like race, sex and age.
For the next month or so, the department will be handing out flyers so people can remain educated about the new ordinance.