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Noise ordinances › Inglewood, CA
Inglewood noise ordinance: quiet hours, limits and complaints
Inglewood, CA regulates noise under Inglewood Municipal Code. Quiet hours: 10:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. (night base level applies). Base ambient noise levels: 45 dB(A) residential at night, 55 dB(A) daytime, with strict duration caps above them. Below: the exact code language, who actually takes complaints, and a link to the official text.
Last updated:
| Quiet hours | 10:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. (night base level applies) |
|---|---|
| Limit type | Numeric decibel limits (sound-level meter standard) |
| Headline limit | Base ambient noise levels: 45 dB(A) residential at night, 55 dB(A) daytime, with strict duration caps above them |
| Official code | Inglewood Municipal Code |
Quiet hours in Inglewood
No single "quiet hours" clause; nighttime is defined via the residential base ambient level: 10:00 p.m.-7:00 a.m. residential base drops to 45 dB(A) vs 55 dB(A) daytime (Sec. 5-27). Activity-specific night bans: construction/repair work in or within 500 ft of a residential zone prohibited 8:00 p.m.-7:00 a.m. without a permit (Sec. 5-41); vehicle repair in residential areas prohibited 8:00 p.m.-7:00 a.m. (Sec. 5-44); motorized gardening equipment restricted between sunset and 7:00 a.m. (Sec. 5-40); amplified sound equipment allowed only 8:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. (Sec. 5-51(b)); train horns over 90 dB(A) and jet-engine testing over 50 dB(A) prohibited 10:00 p.m.-7:00 a.m. (Secs. 5-45, 5-47)
Decibel limits
Yes - numeric limits. Sec. 5-27 base ambient noise levels (BANL): 45 dB(A) residential 10 p.m.-7 a.m.; 55 dB(A) residential 7 a.m.-10 p.m.; 65 dB(A) commercial/unspecified anytime; 75 dB(A) industrial anytime. Sec. 5-30 exterior residential duration caps: noise may exceed BANL max 30 min/hour; BANL+5 dB(A) 15 min/hour; +10 dB(A) 5 min/hour; +15 dB(A) 1 min/hour; +20 dB(A) never permitted. Interior residential: BANL 5 min/hour, +5 dB(A) 1 min/hour, +10 dB(A) never. Sec. 5-32: impact/repetitive/simple-tone noise limits reduced by 5 dB(A). Sec. 5-31: nonresidential capped at commercial/industrial BANL max 30 min/hour. Sec. 5-51(c): amplified sound max 15 dB(A) above ambient base at any property line. The code ALSO layers a plainly-audible-style rule (Sec. 5-34: radios/stereos unlawful if audible at 50+ feet or inside any other residence) and a general reasonable-person nuisance clause (Sec. 5-29).
What the ordinance actually says
Sec. 5-29: "it shall also be unlawful for any person to willfully make or continue, or cause to be made or continued, any loud, unnecessary, or unusual noise which disturbs the peace or quiet of any neighborhood or which causes discomfort or annoyance to any reasonable person residing in the area"
Sec. 5-34: it is unlawful to operate "any radio, television set, musical instrument, phonograph, stereophonic equipment, jukebox or other machine or device for producing, reproducing or amplifying sound when audible at a distance of fifty feet or more from the source of the sound and/or when audible within any other residence"
Sec. 5-41: no construction equipment operation "between the hours of eight p.m. and seven a.m. of the next day in such a manner that a reasonable person residing in the area is caused discomfort or annoyance unless beforehand a permit therefor has been obtained from the Permits and Licenses Committee of the City"
Quoted verbatim from the official codified text (Inglewood Municipal Code, Chapter 5 (Offenses, Miscellaneous), Article 2 "Noise Regulations," Sections 5-24 through 5-54 (adopted by Ord. 88-29, 9-13-1988; stadium-area amendments Ord. 15-10 and Ord. 20-14)). Verified against the live code on 2026-07-11. Ordinances get amended — before acting on a specific provision, check the linked official code. This page is a plain-language summary, not legal advice.
How to file a noise complaint in Inglewood
Nuisance/noise complaints go to the Code Enforcement Division: 310-412-5590, in person, by mail, or by phone (Inglewood City Hall, 1 Manchester Blvd, 4th Floor, Mon-Fri 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.); complainant name/address/phone required but kept confidential (cityofinglewood.org/154). The city's "Living Neighborly" page (cityofinglewood.org/157) cites IMC Sec. 5-29 for loud music and also lists the Police Department Community Services Division, 310-412-5530, for neighborhood concerns.
For the general playbook — documenting the problem, talking to a landlord or HOA, when 311 beats 911 — see the noise complaints guide.
Worth knowing
Stadium carve-outs are the headline quirk: Sec. 5-24.1 (Ord. 15-10) exempts SoFi Stadium (Hollywood Park Specific Plan) construction plus all sporting events and up to 12 other events/year from the entire noise article, and Sec. 5-24.2 (Ord. 20-14) does the same for the SE Sports and Entertainment Overlay Zone (Intuit Dome) - in both cases noise exceeding Article 2 limits just may not extend past 12:00 a.m. Other quirks: violation is declared both a public nuisance and a misdemeanor, abatable by injunction (Sec. 5-49); emergency and utility-restoration work exempt from the construction ban (Sec. 5-42); ice cream trucks must switch off their jingle while stopped (Sec. 5-37); aircraft over the city exceeding 90 dB(A) unlawful unless operating per federal law/FAA rules (Sec. 5-46 - LAX flight paths effectively exempt); amplified sound requires a registration statement filed 5 working days ahead, $25/day fee for commercial use, no commercial amplified sound on Sundays/legal holidays, and none within 200 ft of churches, schools, hospitals (Secs. 5-50, 5-51, 5-53); drums/instruments to attract attention banned except school bands/licensed parades 7 a.m.-10 p.m. (Sec. 5-38).
Document it before you report it
Inglewood's limits are measured numbers, so a reading is direct evidence of how loud it really is. Take a quick reading with the free online decibel meter — it runs in your browser and records nothing — and check how loud your block is on the Inglewood noise map. For time-stamped measurement history you can show a landlord or code officer, the app keeps a log.