Redding's Noise Ordinances: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles noise ordinances a little differently. In Redding, California, there are 6 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.

Barking Dogs

Redding treats a habitually barking, howling or screeching animal as a public nuisance under RMC § 7.04.090. Noise that runs continuously for ten minutes, or intermittently for thirty minutes at any hour, counts as an unreasonable disturbance, and an animal control officer can act after a written complaint signed by two people from different households.

Key details: Trigger threshold: 10 min continuous or 30 min intermittent noise. Complaint requirement: Signed by 2 people in different households. First response: Written warning notice, no citation yet. Repeat response: Court notice or Chapter 1.13 citation. Watchdog exception: Protected if owner quiets it promptly.

A first substantiated, two-household complaint draws a written warning notice from the animal control officer; repeat violations bring a notice to appear in court or an administrative citation under Chapter 1.13 of the Redding Municipal Code, and Section 7.04.090(F) makes owning a noise-violating animal an infraction.

Vehicle Noise

Redding Municipal Code Section 10.24.030 requires every motorcycle, motor-driven cycle, ATV, go-cart, or minibike ridden off an improved street to run a constantly maintained muffler meeting state Vehicle Code Section 38370, with no cutout or bypass device. The rule targets noise from off-road riding on vacant lots, easements, and private acreage citywide, not street-legal exhaust systems.

Key details: Governing section: RMC § 10.24.030. Muffler standard: Cal. Veh. Code § 38370. First-offense fine: Up to $100. Fourth-offense fine: Up to $500. Exemption: Lawfully zoned racetracks only.

Every violation of Chapter 10.24, including a bad muffler under Section 10.24.030, is an infraction under Section 10.24.050: up to $100 for a first conviction, $200 for a second within one year, $350 for a third, and $500 for a fourth or later conviction within that year. Riders cited under this chapter can still face separate citations under the state Vehicle Code if the vehicle is also unregistered or unsafe for street use.

Quiet Hours

Redding cuts its allowable noise level at night: Schedule 18.40.100-A drops the residential exterior limit from 55 decibels in the daytime to 45 decibels between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. On top of that hourly limit, Section 18.40.100(F) bans specific noisy activities, including power tools, loading and unloading, and construction work, during set nighttime and weekend hours.

Key details: Residential nighttime limit: 45 dB, 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.. Residential daytime limit: 55 dB, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.. Power tool curfew: 10 p.m.-7 a.m. weekdays, 9 p.m.-8 a.m. weekends. Construction curfew (summer): 7 p.m.-6 a.m. weekdays, May 15-Sep 15. Legal basis: Noise is a public nuisance, § 18.40.100(A)(3).

Section 18.40.100(A)(3) declares that noise exceeding the chapter's limits is a public nuisance and punishable as such. A property owner or business that runs a lawnmower, leaf blower, or power saw after 10:00 p.m. on a weekday, or that allows construction noise to cross a residential property line outside the seasonal curfew windows, is subject to code enforcement citation regardless of whether a decibel meter is used, because the prohibited-acts list in subsection F applies independently of the Schedule 18.40.100-A dB table.

Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound

Redding Municipal Code § 2.56.060 requires a park facilities reservation permit for any amplified speech or music in a city park, caps volume at 75 decibels measured 50 yards out, and confines that amplified sound to the hours of 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. absent a special waiver.

Key details: Governing section: Redding Municipal Code § 2.56.060. Permit required: Park facilities reservation permit for amplified sound. Volume cap: 75 decibels at 50 yards from the source. Allowed hours: 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.. Waiver available: Director may allow louder or later on request.

A violation of the park amplified-sound rule is enforced the same way as any other Chapter 10.20 park violation: criminally under Chapter 1.12, administratively under Chapters 1.13 through 1.15, or by a civil action the city attorney files in Shasta County Superior Court under § 10.20.200. Absent a more specific penalty, the citywide default in § 1.12.020 applies, meaning a misdemeanor conviction can draw a fine of up to $1,000 and up to six months in jail, or an infraction fined $100 for a first offense, rising to $500 for a third within a year.

Decibel Limits

Redding caps exterior noise by zone and time of day under Section 18.40.100. Residential property lines can't take more than 45 dB at night and 55 dB by day; office and commercial areas top out at 55 dB at night and 65 dB by day. Exceeding the limit is a declared public nuisance.

Key details: Residential night limit: 45 dB Leq, 10 p.m.-7 a.m.. Residential day limit: 55 dB Leq, 7 a.m.-10 p.m.. Commercial limits: 55 dB night / 65 dB day. Measurement method: hourly energy-equivalent noise level (Leq). Power tools curfew: 10 p.m.-7 a.m. weekdays, 9 p.m.-8 a.m. weekends.

A noise reading above the Schedule 18.40.100-A limit for the receiving property's zone is a declared public nuisance under Section 18.40.100(A)(3), enforceable through the city's general penalty provisions and nuisance-abatement process. Because violations are measured property-by-property using hourly Leq readings, code enforcement or police typically respond to a complaint, take a measurement at the affected property line, and cite the source if it exceeds the applicable table value.

Leaf Blower Rules

RMC 18.40.100(F)(3) restricts domestic power tools - including leaf blowers and lawn and garden equipment - across residential or commercial property lines. Use is prohibited 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. on weekdays and 9:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. on weekends and legal holidays. Redding has no outright gas-blower ban.

Key details: Code Section: RMC 18.40.100(F)(3). Weekday Allowed: 7:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.. Weekend/Holiday Allowed: 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.. Day dB(A) Cap: 55 Leq residential. Gas-Blower Ban: None at city level.

A violation is a public nuisance under RMC 18.40.100(A)(3), enforced through administrative citation under Chapter 1.13. Code Enforcement (530-245-7110) handles complaints from neighbors. Commercial landscape contractors working during prohibited hours can also face business-license consequences.

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

The Bottom Line

Redding's noise ordinances rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Redding is broadly strict or permissive.

Keep in mind that Redding can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.