How to file a noise complaint in Santa Ana

Last updated: October 1, 2026

Documenting this? A dated log of when the noise started, when it stopped and how loud it got is what Santa Ana acts on. Log noise levels for a complaint — free, runs in your browser, records no audio.

Santa Ana noise complaint at a glance
Quiet hours	10:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. (50 dBA); construction exempt only 7 a.m.–8 p.m. Mon–Sat
How it is enforced	Decibel limits for some sources, audibility for others
Emergencies	911
Ordinance	Santa Ana Municipal Code

Official text: Santa Ana Municipal Code, Chapter 18 "Health and Sanitation," Article VI "Noise Control," Secs. 18-308 through 18-321 (Ord. No. NS-1441, § 1, enacted 8-21-78, which replaced the former Article VI): 18-309 definitions, 18-310 measurement criteria, 18-311 designated noise zone, 18-312 exterior noise standards, 18-313 interior noise standards, 18-314 special provisions (exemptions and construction hours), 18-315 schools, hospitals and churches, 18-316 air conditioning and refrigeration, 18-317 noise level measurement, 18-318 manner of enforcement, 18-319 variance procedure, 18-320 appeals, 18-321 violations (misdemeanors); Chapter 10, Sec. 10-153 loud and raucous noise from sound-making or amplifying devices (Ord. No. NS-2184, § 1, 2-1-93; Ord. No. NS-2964, § 2, 4-2-2019) and Article VII, Secs. 10-300 through 10-305 police services at large parties (Ord. No. NS-1958, 5-16-88); Chapter 5, Secs. 5-1 (barking dog definition), 5-59 and 5-59.1 noisy animals (Ord. No. NS-2818, 5-2-11); Chapter 11, Secs. 11-7 and 11-11 entertainment permits (Ord. No. NS-2847, 8-5-13); Sec. 31-2.10 park noise; Secs. 36-43 and 36-465 vehicle loudspeakers and ice cream vendors. Code codified through Ord. No. NS-3097, adopted 7-7-2026 (Supp. No. 33, Update 1), with no adopted-but-uncodified ordinances listed by Municode. Text read on Municode (library.municode.com, the City's code host) on 2026-10-01..

Where to file in Santa Ana

Per santa-ana.gov (the City's "Who Do I Call?" directory; santa-ana.org addresses now redirect to santa-ana.gov): "Noise Complaints" are listed under Police at (714) 834-4211, the same number the directory gives for "Police Dispatch (non-emergency police)"; the directory also lists Animal Control (Police) at (714) 245-8792 and Code Enforcement (Planning and Building) at (714) 667-2780; call 9-1-1 for emergencies. The Police Department's FAQ page separately says "You may report non-emergency problems at (714) 245-8665," and the Police Department Directory lists "Non-Emergency Dispatch" at (714) 245-8049 and "Non-Emergency Reporting" at (714) 245-8665, so the City's pages give three different non-emergency police numbers. Under the code, the chief of police and the Orange County health officer enforce the noise article (18-318) and violations are misdemeanors, each day a separate offense (18-321). For amplified sound audible at 50 feet, officers issue administrative citations under Sec. 10-153(f)-(g): no fine for the first response, then $100, $250, $500, $750 and $1,000 for the second through sixth-and-later responses to the same location within a calendar year, due within 30 days and appealable within 15 days. A second police response to a large party after a first warning can also be billed to the person responsible as a police services fee of no more than $500 for a single incident, though the City may seek actual costs above that through other legal remedies (10-302, 10-303). All noisy-animal and barking-dog complaints "shall be lodged with the Santa Ana Police Department"; an enforcement officer may cite, for a violation the officer did not see or hear, on a community member's complaint signed under penalty of perjury, after a 10-day warning notice (5-59.1).

From the city's official pages and code, verified 2026-10-01. Numbers and departments change; if a line does not answer, the city's main switchboard or 311 can redirect you.

Before you call

Log it. Date, start and end time, what the noise was and where you heard it from. Three dated entries carry more weight than one angry call.
Measure it if you can. Santa Ana sets measured limits, so a reading near the limit is direct evidence. The free noise log runs in your browser, records nothing, and saves a dated report.
Check the rule. Quiet hours in Santa Ana are 10:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. (50 dBA); construction exempt only 7 a.m.–8 p.m. Mon–Sat. The Santa Ana noise ordinance page quotes the code verbatim, so you can cite the section.
Try the source once. A neighbour, landlord or venue manager often fixes it faster than the city does, and telling them first strengthens a later complaint.

What happens after you file

Non-emergency noise reports are queued, not dispatched, so a first call rarely ends the noise that night. What it does is start a record against the address. Repeated reports, a dated log and a reading are what move a case from a warning to a citation. Where the city needs an officer to witness the noise, as most audibility rules require, file while it is happening rather than the next morning.

How loud is Santa Ana in general? The Santa Ana noise map shows the federal transportation-noise data for every neighbourhood, and the apartment quiet hours page compares every city's night rule.

Who do I call for a noise complaint in Santa Ana?

What are the quiet hours in Santa Ana?

10:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. (50 dBA); construction exempt only 7 a.m.–8 p.m. Mon–Sat. The full rule, quoted from the code, is on the Santa Ana noise ordinance page.

Should I call 911 for noise in Santa Ana?

Only if there is danger, a threat or a crime in progress. For ongoing noise use the non-emergency police line or the department named above; repeated calls build an official record tied to the address, which is what code enforcement acts on.

What evidence helps a noise complaint in Santa Ana?

Santa Ana uses both decibel limits and audibility rules, so keep a dated log and take readings when you can; which rule applies depends on the source of the noise.

This page is a plain-language guide to the reporting route, not legal advice. Ordinances and contact numbers get amended; check the linked official sources before relying on a specific provision.