JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — You may need to watch how loudly you play music in your car come July 1.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office took to Facebook on Tuesday to remind drivers the Florida Statute controlling radio volume will once again become enforceable.
This is a law that will be enforced throughout all of Florida, but Jacksonville residents are getting particularly infuriated.
According to the statute, which was reintroduced through the “pop-up party” bill, police can ticket drivers playing their music too loudly.
The law says it’s unlawful if the sound coming from a motor vehicle is plainly audible from 25 feet or more, or louder than necessary for convenient hearing in areas with churches, schools, or hospitals.
However, that’s what attorney John Phillips said is the problem. He argues the law is too subjective, using phrases such as “plainly audible” and “convenient hearing.”
“Where do you draw the line? And I’m afraid we draw the line with rap music,” Phillips said.
Phillips thinks the law is asking for trouble.
“If they have reason to pull somebody over that they’re kind of targeting because of music, and then they find weed or you get a subjective resisting arrest, we’re violating civil rights left and right,” Phillips said.
Some residents feel the same.
RELATED: Is your music too loud? Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office says it will begin giving out tickets in July
“A lot of times they’re looking for any reason to pull you over and that’s just one extra reason and roll the windows and who knows what they may find,” Northside resident Omar Rice said.
Others on social media have voiced support, posting comments that said “we need loud vehicles silenced” and they’re “tired of vibrations rattling their windows.”
However, during a period when officers are responding to violence almost every day, Phillips doesn’t see the urgency to enforce a law like this.
“We have shootings every day and JSO is using its resources and social media awareness to focus on loud music, not shootings, not an actual crime,” Philips said.
According to the statute, the law is a noncriminal traffic infraction, punishable as a nonmoving violation.
According to JSO, that would be $114.
Different agencies have different fees so if FHP or the beach police pull you over, it may be a different ticket amount.
You can read the statute HERE.
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