Noise Ordinances in Long Beach, CA: What Residents Actually Need to Know

If you live in Long Beach or are thinking about moving there, noise ordinances are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Long Beach has 8 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of noise ordinances, and some of them might surprise you.

Vehicle Noise

Long Beach bars off-road recreational vehicles from exceeding the city's district noise limits and separately prohibits repairing, rebuilding, modifying or testing a motor vehicle or motorboat in a way that disturbs residential neighbors.

Key details: Off-road vehicles: Must meet §§ 8.80.150/.170 noise tables. Repair/modification: Cannot disturb residential property line. Sanctioned-event exception: Applies to repair/testing noise only. Aircraft exemption: Airport-property aircraft excluded. Max penalty: $500 fine / 180 days jail.

A documented violation of either section that continues after a Noise Control Officer abatement order is a misdemeanor under § 8.80.380, punishable by a fine up to $500, up to 180 days in jail, or both, with each additional day of noncompliance treated as a separate offense; the vehicle or activity can also be enjoined as a public nuisance under § 8.80.410.

Quiet Hours

Long Beach imposes a 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. residential noise curfew on radios, TVs, musical instruments and similar devices under LBMC § 8.80.200(A), backed by a general anti-disturbance rule in § 8.80.130 that applies around the clock.

Key details: Curfew window: 10:00 p.m., 7:00 a.m.. Covered devices: Radios, TVs, instruments (§ 8.80.200(A)). General standard: Any loud/unusual noise, § 8.80.130. Other curfewed acts: Loudspeakers, power tools, box handling. Enforcing officer: Noise Control Officer.

Violating the 10 p.m.: 7 a.m. curfew under § 8.80.200 or the general disturbing-noise standard in § 8.80.130 is enforceable as a Chapter 8.80 infraction or misdemeanor, and can be pursued as an administrative citation under Chapter 9.65, with escalating Council-set fines for repeat violations of the same section within a year.

Barking Dogs

LBMC § 8.80.200(D) makes it a violation to own, possess or harbor an animal or bird that "frequently or for continued duration howls, barks, meows, squawks, or makes other sounds" creating a noise disturbance across a residential or commercial property line or in a noise sensitive zone. Public zoos are exempt.

Key details: Governing section: LBMC § 8.80.200(D). Standard: Frequent/continued barking crossing property line. Exemption: Public zoos. Investigating agency: Noise Control Officer. Complaint trigger: Citizen complaint under § 8.80.140.

A confirmed violation of § 8.80.200(D) is enforceable as a Chapter 8.80 infraction or misdemeanor and can also be pursued through Chapter 9.65's administrative citation program, with fines set by Council resolution that escalate for a second or third violation of the same section within one year.

Leaf Blower Rules

LBMC § 8.80.200(M)(3) bans leaf blower use in or near residential areas after 8 p.m. and before 8 a.m. on weekdays, after 5 p.m. and before 9 a.m. Saturdays, and after 5 p.m. and before 11 a.m. Sundays and holidays. Fines run $50 to $100, escalating to a misdemeanor for a fourth violation.

Key details: Weekday ban: 8:00 p.m., 8:00 a.m.. Saturday ban: 5:00 p.m., 9:00 a.m.. Sunday/holiday ban: 5:00 p.m., 11:00 a.m.. Coverage radius: Residential areas + 400 feet. First-offense fine: $50.00.

First violations in a one-year period draw a $50 fine, second violations $75, and third violations $100 under § 8.80.200(M)(3). A fourth or subsequent violation within the same one-year period may be filed as a misdemeanor rather than an infraction. Unlike most Chapter 8.80 provisions, this subsection may be enforced directly by a Police Officer.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Long Beach actively enforces its leaf blower rules requirements.

Decibel Limits

Long Beach doesn't grandfather existing industrial noise sources forever. Municipal Code § 8.80.300 gives nonconforming industrial noise sources only ten years from the noise chapter's effective date to meet its sound-level standards, and only if they sit in an industrial zoning district or hold a valid special-use permit predating the chapter. Expansions and post-damage rebuilds must comply immediately, with no extension of the ten-year clock.

Key details: Amortization period: 10 years from chapter's effective date. Applies to: nonconforming sources in industrial districts. Max penalty: $500 fine and/or 180 days jail. Enforcement trigger: written sworn complaint to Noise Control Officer. Variance term: up to 365 days.

A documented, uncorrected violation is a misdemeanor under Section 8.80.380, punishable by a fine up to $500, up to 180 days in jail, or both, but only after the Noise Control Officer issues an abatement order and the source stays in violation. Each day the violation continues after that order counts as a separate offense. The City may also seek injunctive relief because Section 8.80.410 declares an out-of-compliance noise source a public nuisance.

Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound

LBMC § 8.80.200(B) bans operating any loudspeaker or amplified sound system between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. if it creates a noise disturbance across a residential property line, or at any time if it exceeds the district decibel limits in §§ 8.80.150 or 8.80.170, unless the Noise Control Office issues a variance.

Key details: Curfew: 10:00 p.m., 7:00 a.m., residential property line. Daytime standard: Must meet Table A/C limits at any time. Exemption: Variance from Noise Control Office for public speaking. Governing section: LBMC § 8.80.200(B).

Operating a loudspeaker or amplified sound system in violation of § 8.80.200(B) is a violation of Chapter 8.80, enforceable as an infraction or misdemeanor and subject to administrative citation under Chapter 9.65 with escalating fines set by Council resolution for repeat violations of the same section within a year.

Construction Hours

Long Beach limits noisy construction work to 7 a.m.–7 p.m. on weekdays and federal holidays, 9 a.m.–6 p.m. on Saturdays, and bars it entirely on Sundays unless the Noise Control Officer issues a Sunday work permit.

Key details: Weekday hours: 7 a.m.–7 p.m. (incl. federal holidays). Saturday hours: 9 a.m.–6 p.m.. Sunday: Barred without a Noise Control Officer permit. Enforcement: May be enforced directly by Police Officer. Max penalty: $500 fine / 180 days jail per day.

A violation of § 8.80.202 is a misdemeanor under the section's own penalty clause, punishable by a fine up to $500, imprisonment up to 180 days, or both, with each day of the violation a separate offense; an employee prosecuted under the ordinance can request the court add the landowner, contractor, subcontractor or employer as a codefendant.

Aircraft Noise

Chapter 16.43 of the Long Beach Municipal Code sets a CNEL noise ceiling and per-runway SENEL limits for every non-governmental flight at Long Beach Airport, restricts touch-and-go training and engine runups to daytime hours, and lets the Airport Manager issue escalating money surcharges against owner/operators who exceed them.

Key details: Training-flight hours: 7 a.m.-7 p.m. weekdays, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. weekends. Engine runup hours: 7 a.m.-9 p.m. weekdays, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. weekends. Overnight SENEL limit: 79 SENEL, 11 p.m.-6 a.m., Runways 30/12. CNEL noise goal: 65 CNEL near Incompatible Property. First violation surcharge: $200 within 24 months.

A first noise violation after the Airport Manager's written notice draws a $200 surcharge under § 16.43.090(E); a second or subsequent violation within any 12-month period draws $600 under § 16.43.090(F). Surcharges are CPI-adjusted each July 1 starting 2025. Owner/operators may contest any decision through the administrative hearing and appeal procedure in § 16.43.110.

This is one of the stricter rules in Long Beach's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

The Bottom Line

Long Beach is tougher than many cities when it comes to noise ordinances. Out of the 8 rules covered here, 2 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Long Beach, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

These rules come from Long Beach's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.