Loudspeaker legal?

Louisville, KY

Is it legal to have a loudspeaker mounted on top of your car for commercial purposes? I'm a promoter for bands and locally owned stores, and I think it would make an excellent promotion tool for small business. I'm going to do it anyway, but just like to ask beforehand out of curiosity.

it's probably legal to have it on there, as long as it does not cause a height problem.

Now using it; that is another matter.

I don't see why not. The ice cream man is allowed to troll thru your neighborhood for business, so why not you?

Alex23 said:

I don't see why not. The ice cream man is allowed to troll thru your neighborhood for business, so why not you?

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Hmm, that raises what may be an interesting question: does the ice cream man require some sort of special licenses to be allowed to do that?

Yes, there is a fine line between the ice cream truck playing Bingo was his name-O and a ****box Ford Taurus playing Rolling Stones.

The Occultist said:

Hmm, that raises what may be an interesting question: does the ice cream man require some sort of special licenses to be allowed to do that?

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There is no license or variation. The ice cream man gets to break the law. If you call and complain, the police tell you "no one has ever complained before" and they don't do anything. Some lucky cities have been able to ban the ice cream jingle, but not mine, so far.

Alex23 said:

Some lucky cities have been able to ban the ice cream jingle

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Hey now, I am a fan of that jingle, if for nostalgic reasons alone.

Is your name Jake or Elwood?

tholt4 said:

Is your name Jake or Elwood?

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What are you talking about?

Is your name Jake or Elwood?

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Ever see The Blues Brothers movie? They (Jake & Elwood) attach a huge speaker to the top of their ragged out ex-police car and ride around Chicago promoting their concert.

Ah, never saw it.

The Occultist said:

Ah, never saw it.

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Wow. I guess you don't know about the nuns then.

tholt4 said:

Is your name Jake or Elwood?

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No, but yes, that is where I got the idea from. I'm a concert and small business promoter, and I thought, if they can do it, why can't I? Mind you I do have prudence, I'm not going to being doing this sort of thing late at night or in areas it need not apply.

But is anyone positive to whether or not I need a permit to do this?

Check your local city or municipal statutes for laws against amplified sound. There may be something there regarding decibel levels (which may have something to do with how the ice cream man gets away with it).

made_man_590 said:

if they can do it, why can't I?

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'Cause that was a movie!

Court Clerk has brought up an interesting point. Unless one of the knowledgeable posters here live in your town (which they don't), they can really only offer generalities based on state law. This may not help since, as CC pointed out, your county/town (or whatever town you have in mind to use as your venue) may have its own ordinances that might prohibit what you wish to do.