Pinellas County tightens noise ordinance to target transient party noise, streamlines enforcement
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Summary
The board adopted changes to Article 12, Chapter 58 (noise ordinance) to add definitions for itinerant/transient noise, simplify complaint affidavits, and give deputies and county code officers clearer authority to cite noisy short‑term rentals and adjacent properties.
Pinellas County commissioners unanimously approved revisions to the county noise ordinance (Article 12, Chapter 58) after a public hearing and staff briefing Sept. 18. The update adds explicit language aimed at “itinerant” and “transient” noise, clarifies loud‑and‑raucous definitions and reduces certain affidavit requirements to allow more flexible enforcement.
What changed and why: County staff said the ordinance had not been substantially updated since 2003 and did not reflect the rise of short‑term rental (STR) complaints. Under the amendment, loud or raucous noise produced by large, temporary gatherings (described by staff as “yelling, screaming, shouting, and other noises consistent with parties or large gatherings”) can be treated as itinerant/transient noise. The ordinance reduces the prior requirement for two separate witness affidavits to a single complainant affidavit in many enforcement pathways, which staff said will let deputies and code officers act more quickly when evidence exists.
Enforcement workflow: Jude Reason, code enforcement division manager and county housing official, described the practical steps: a resident calls a short‑term‑rental hotline or 911, deputies respond and may ask to have the noise reduced; deputies can issue citations on scene when appropriate; code enforcement can accept the sheriff’s report and a complainant affidavit to pursue an owner before the county’s special magistrate. Reason said the county will also encourage complainants to submit recordings, video or other documentary evidence to support violations.
Construction, exceptions and officer discretion: The revised text clarifies that construction work between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. Monday–Saturday and all day Sunday will be treated as loud and raucous unless it is “urgent necessity in the interest of public health or safety or permitted by the housing official.” Commissioners asked staff to make clear that emergency repairs and health/safety work can be treated as exceptions; staff confirmed officers retain field discretion to evaluate circumstances.
Public comments and concerns: Several residents testified about repeated loud parties at short‑term rentals and frustration with slow enforcement; one resident described a string of multi‑hour disturbances that deputies did not resolve to her satisfaction. Commissioners and staff said they would work with the sheriff’s office and community policing units to train deputies and provide clearer guidance about quiet hours, affidavit use and documenting evidence.
Next steps: Staff said they will publicize the ordinance changes and coordinate training for deputies and code officers. Staff also said they will monitor enforcement outcomes and return to the board if further changes are needed.
