Noise ordinances › San Diego, CA

San Diego noise ordinance: quiet hours, limits and complaints

Last updated: August 11, 2026

Quiet hours in San Diego

San Diego has three overlapping night-time rules, and they do not share the same clock. (1) The decibel table in §59.5.0401 runs on three time tiers: a daytime tier 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., an evening tier 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., and a night tier 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. The three residential rows step down twice, at 7 p.m. and again at 10 p.m., so for them the night tier is the strictest: in a single-family residential zone the night limit is 40 dB (50 dB daytime, 45 dB evening); multi-family up to a maximum density of 1/2000 is 45 dB (55 and 50); all other residential is 50 dB (60 and 55). Commercial steps down only once, at 7 p.m., from 65 dB to 60 dB, and then stays at 60 dB across the 10 p.m. boundary, so in a commercial zone there is no stricter night number. Industrial or agricultural land is capped at 75 dB at any time, with no night step-down. (2) Independently of any meter, §59.5.0502(b)(2)(A) makes it a prima facie violation to operate a radio, television, musical instrument, drum, phonograph, loudspeaker or sound amplifier between 10:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. so as to be plainly audible 50 feet from the building, structure or vehicle it is in — note that window ends at 8 a.m., an hour later than the decibel table's. (3) Construction has its own hours under §59.5.0404(a): it is unlawful, between 7:00 p.m. of any day and 7:00 a.m. of the following day, or on legal holidays specified in §21.0104 (except Columbus Day and Washington's Birthday), or on Sundays, to erect, construct, demolish, excavate for, alter or repair any building or structure so as to create disturbing, excessive or offensive noise, unless a permit has been applied for and granted beforehand by the Noise Abatement and Control Administrator. Refuse compacting, processing or collection vehicles are barred from residential areas from 7:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., and parking lot sweepers from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., without a permit (§59.5.0406). Leaf blowers are barred in residentially zoned areas between 7 p.m. and 8 a.m. on weekdays and between 5 p.m. and 9 a.m. on weekends or legal holidays (§59.5.0502(g)(2)).

Decibel limits

Yes — San Diego sets real numeric limits, expressed as a ONE-HOUR AVERAGE sound level (not an instantaneous peak), measured at any location on or beyond the boundaries of the property on which the noise is produced. §59.5.0401 Table of Applicable Limits: Single Family Residential — 50 dB from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., 45 dB from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., 40 dB from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. Multi-Family Residential (up to a maximum density of 1/2000) — 55 / 50 / 45 dB across those same three periods. All other Residential — 60 / 55 / 50 dB. Commercial — 65 dB from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., then 60 dB from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. and 60 dB again from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. (commercial is the one category with no further overnight step-down). Industrial or Agricultural — 75 dB at any time. "Sound level" means A-weighted with "fast" time averaging unless another time averaging is specified (§59.5.0102(i)), and only the portion of total noise due solely to the accused person's action counts against the limit. Other numeric limits elsewhere in the article: construction activity may not cause an average sound level greater than 75 decibels at or beyond the property lines of any residentially zoned property during the 12-hour period 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (§59.5.0404(b)); sound production or reproduction devices in public parks, on public beaches, and in public parking lots or streets adjacent to them may not exceed 65 dB from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. or 55 dB from 7:01 p.m. to 6:59 a.m., measured at any point 10 feet or more from the source, absent prior written approval of the City Manager or the Administrator (§59.5.0502(f)); leaf blowers may not exceed 65 dB measured 50 feet or more from the point of noise origin (§59.5.0502(g)(3)); off-highway motor vehicles are held to the California Vehicle Code §23130 "45 mile-per-hour or less speed limits" table, with a published distance-correction chart running -6 dB at 25 feet to +6 dB at 100 feet around the preferred 50-foot measurement distance (§59.5.0402(a)).

What the ordinance actually says

§59.5.0401(a): "It shall be unlawful for any person to cause noise by any means to the extent that the one-hour average sound level exceeds the applicable limit given in the following table, at any location in the City of San Diego on or beyond the boundaries of the property on which the noise is produced, unless the use or activity is otherwise authorized by a special event permit, development permit, or other permit or agreement approved by the City Manager, or designee. The noise subject to these limits is that part of the total noise at the specified location that is due solely to the action of said person."

§59.5.0401 TABLE OF APPLICABLE LIMITS, row 1: "Single Family Residential — 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. — 50; 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. — 45; 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. — 40" (column heading: "One-Hour Average Sound Level (decibels)")

§59.5.0401(b): "The sound level limit at a location on a boundary between two zoning districts is the arithmetic mean of the respective limits for the two districts. Permissible construction noise level limits shall be governed by Sections 59.5.0404 of this article."

§59.5.0502(b)(2)(A): "The operation of any such sound production or reproduction device, radio receiving set, musical instrument, drum, phonograph, television set, machine, loud speaker and sound amplifier or similar machine or device between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. in such a manner as to be plainly audible at a distance of fifty feet from the building, structure, or vehicle in which it is located."

§59.5.0404(a): "It shall be unlawful for any person, between the hours of 7:00 p.m. of any day and 7:00 a.m. of the following day, or on legal holidays as specified in Section 21.0104 of the San Diego Municipal Code, with exception of Columbus Day and Washington's Birthday, or on Sundays, to erect, construct, demolish, excavate for, alter or repair any building or structure in such a manner as to create disturbing, excessive or offensive noise unless a permit has been applied for and granted beforehand by the Noise Abatement and Control Administrator."

§59.5.0404(b): "Except as provided in subsection C. hereof, it shall be unlawful for any person, including The City of San Diego, to conduct any construction activity so as to cause, at or beyond the property lines of any property zoned residential, an average sound level greater than 75 decibels during the 12-hour period from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m."

§59.5.0501(a): "It shall be unlawful for any person to make, continue, or cause to be made or continued, within the limits of said City, any disturbing, excessive, or offensive noise which causes discomfort or annoyance to any reasonable person of normal sensitiveness residing in the area."

§59.5.0102(i): "Sound Level — in decibels, that quantity measured with a sound level meter as defined herein, by use of the “A” frequency weighting and “fast” time averaging unless some other time averaging is specified."

§59.5.0102(l): "Disturbing, Excessive or Offensive Noise — any sound or noise conflicting with the criteria or levels set forth in this article."

§59.5.0406: "No person shall operate or permit to be operated a refuse compacting, processing, or collection vehicle between the hours of 7:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. or a parking lot sweeper between the hours of 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. in any residential area unless a permit has been applied for and granted by the Administrator."

§59.5.0601: "Any person violating any of the provisions of this article shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction thereof shall be fined in an amount not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1000.00) or be imprisoned in the City or County jail for a period not exceeding six (6) months, or by both such fine and imprisonment. Each day such violation is committed or permitted to continue shall constitute a separate offense and shall be punishable as such."

Quoted verbatim from the official codified text (San Diego Municipal Code, Chapter 5 (Public Safety, Morals and Welfare), Article 9.5 "Noise Abatement and Control," added 9-18-1973 by O-11122 N.S. Six divisions, each published as a separate PDF on the City Clerk's document server. Division 1 General (edition stamp 6-2000): §59.5.0101 purpose and intent, §59.5.0102 definitions, including (a) "Average Sound Level," (i) "Sound Level" (A-weighting, "fast" time averaging) and (l) "Disturbing, Excessive or Offensive Noise." Division 2 Administration (8-2014): §59.5.0201 establishes the Noise Abatement and Control Administrator, §59.5.0202 duties, §59.5.0205 inspection powers and inspection warrants. Division 3 Noise Abatement Contract Compliance (6-2000): §59.5.0301 required noise provisions in City contracts. Division 4 Limits (7-2026): §59.5.0401 sound level limits table by land use and time of day, §59.5.0402 motor vehicles, §59.5.0403 watercraft, §59.5.0404 construction noise, §59.5.0406 refuse vehicles and parking lot sweepers (note: there is no §59.5.0405 — the numbering jumps from 0404 to 0406). Division 5 Public Nuisance Noise (6-2000): §59.5.0501 general prohibitions and the nine factors for judging a violation, §59.5.0502 declared acts (horns; radios/TVs/amplifiers with the plainly-audible prima facie rule and confiscation powers; animals; hospitals, schools, libraries and care facilities; transit buses and trolleys; parks and beaches; leaf blowers), §59.5.0503 burglar alarms. Division 6 Violations and Enforcement (6-2000): §59.5.0601 misdemeanor penalties plus destruction of amplifying equipment after conviction, §59.5.0602 nuisance/injunction remedy, §59.5.0604 manner of enforcement, §59.5.0605 display of permits, §59.5.0606 false statements, §59.5.0607 severability.). Verified against the live code on 2026-08-11. 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 San Diego

San Diego does NOT use 311. For human-generated noise happening right now — a party, a bar, loud music — call the San Diego Police Department non-emergency line at 619-531-2000 while the noise is occurring. SDPD's noise-complaints page warns that if the noise has stopped by the time officers arrive they cannot take enforcement action unless the complainant is willing to sign a complaint, so be prepared to give your name. IMPORTANT CORRECTION TO A COMMON ASSUMPTION: SDPD states it does not respond to calls about barking dogs. Barking or other animal noise, air conditioners and other fixed equipment, and construction outside permitted hours go instead to the Development Services Department's Building and Land Use Enforcement (BLUE) division — referred to on SDPD's page as Code Enforcement — via a Request for Investigation, or through the City's Get It Done portal and app at getitdone.sandiego.gov. Enforcement authority under the article sits with the Noise Abatement and Control Administrator, defined by §59.5.0201 as the Director of the (now renamed) Neighborhood Code Compliance Department, who may inspect noise-producing devices and premises at any reasonable time and must obtain an inspection warrant if entry is refused (§59.5.0205). The City also refers residents with persistent neighbor disputes to the National Conflict Resolution Center at 619-238-2400 for mediation. Violations are misdemeanors punishable by up to $1,000 and six months in jail, and each day a violation continues is a separate offense.

For the general playbook — documenting the problem, talking to a landlord or HOA, when 311 beats 911 — see the noise complaints guide.

Worth knowing

Limits vary by zoning district, and §59.5.0401(b) resolves the boundary case by arithmetic mean of the two districts' limits — so a house backing onto commercial land does not simply inherit the commercial number. The limit is a ONE-HOUR AVERAGE, not a peak, so a single door slam or one loud song will not breach the table even if it is far above the number; the plainly-audible rule in §59.5.0502(b)(2) exists precisely to cover short bursts of amplified sound at night. Permit and exemption carve-outs in §59.5.0401: activity authorized by a special event permit, development permit, or other permit or agreement approved by the City Manager or designee is outside the limits; firework displays authorized by permit from the Fire Department are exempt; helicopters at heliports or helistops authorized by conditional use permit are exempt, as is "any roller coaster operated on City-owned parkland" (a Belmont Park carve-out). Fixed-location public utility distribution or transmission facilities on or adjacent to a property line are measured at or beyond six feet from the boundary of the easement. Construction: night, Sunday and holiday work is permitted only by advance permit from the Administrator, who weighs listed factors (population density, traffic interference, low-noise work types, neighborhood character, economic hardship, public interest) and may prescribe conditions, working times, equipment and permissible noise levels; emergency work is exempt from the 75 dB construction cap if the Administrator is notified within 48 hours. VERIFIED DISCREPANCY worth surfacing to readers: the codified §59.5.0404(a) restricts 7 p.m.-7 a.m., Sundays and legal holidays and does NOT restrict Saturday daytime, while the City's own Development Services construction-noise-permit page states permits are required for construction between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. on weekdays and all day on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. The code is the enforceable text; the permit page is administrative guidance — but a builder relying on the code alone may still be told to get a Saturday permit. State-law deferral appears twice: watercraft noise is prosecuted under the California Harbors and Navigation Code rather than the City code (§59.5.0403), and off-highway vehicle limits are borrowed from California Vehicle Code §23130 (§59.5.0402). Source-specific provisions also exist for horns and signaling devices; animals (prima facie violation where the noise disturbs two or more residents in separate residences adjacent to the property, or three or more in separate residences in close proximity); hospitals, schools, libraries, rest homes and long-term medical or mental care facilities; radios, phonographs and tape players on urban transit buses and trolleys (prohibited if audible to any other person in the vehicle); parks and beaches; and leaf blowers, which must also carry functional mufflers and an approved sound-limiting device. Audible burglar alarms are prohibited unless they can be terminated within 20 minutes of activation, and SDPD may disconnect them (§59.5.0503). Enforcement teeth are unusual: anyone authorized to enforce the article who encounters a prima facie amplified-sound violation may confiscate and impound the amplifying or transmitting components as evidence; a peace officer may impound the vehicle under California Vehicle Code §22655.5 where the components cannot be readily removed without damage; and after conviction the prosecutor may move for destruction of the equipment (§59.5.0601). Two stale cross-references in the code itself: §59.5.0201 vests the Administrator role in the Director of the "Neighborhood Code Compliance Department," a department that no longer exists under that name (the function now sits in Development Services), and the leaf-blower holiday clause cites "section 21.04" while the construction clause cites §21.0104. Timing: §59.5.0401 was amended 6-15-2026 by O-22109 N.S., effective 7-15-2026, and an Editor's Note states those amendments do not apply within the Coastal Overlay Zone until the California Coastal Commission certifies them as a Local Coastal Program Amendment — but the strikeout ordinance marks the TABLE OF APPLICABLE LIMITS and subsections (b) through (e) expressly "[No change in text.]", so the decibel numbers are identical inside and outside the coastal zone.

Document it before you report it

San Diego'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 San Diego noise map. For time-stamped measurement history you can show a landlord or code officer, the app keeps a log.