San Bernardino's Noise Ordinances: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles noise ordinances a little differently. In San Bernardino, 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.

Quiet Hours

San Bernardino's Controlled Hours of Operation rule pushes eleven categories of noisy activity, from leaf blowers to power tools, out of residential zones before 8:00 a.m. or after 8:00 p.m., and out of all other zones before 7:00 a.m. Violators face infraction or misdemeanor penalties.

Key details: Residential hours allowed: 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.. Non-residential hours allowed: 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.. Heavy-truck idling limit: 15 min/hour on public right-of-way. Loading noise buffer: Within 1,000 ft of a residence. Heavy equipment curfew: Barred 10 p.m.-8 a.m. citywide.

Violating the controlled-hours schedule is a code violation under § 8.54.080, punishable as an infraction or misdemeanor per § 1.12.010: fines starting at $100 and rising to $500 for repeat infractions within a year, with a fourth violation charged as a misdemeanor carrying up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound

San Bernardino Municipal Code § 8.54.020(D) bans playing a radio, phonograph or other sound-amplification equipment loud enough to disturb neighbors, and sets fixed audibility limits: plainly audible at 50 feet between 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., or at just 25 feet between 10:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m.

Key details: Daytime audibility limit: 50 ft, 8:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m.. Nighttime audibility limit: 25 ft, 10:00 p.m.-8:00 a.m.. Repeat violation window: 72 hours triggers citation. In-park cap without permit: 25 watts total output. In-park cap with permit: 95 dBA at 50 feet.

Violating § 8.54.020's amplified-sound limits is an infraction or misdemeanor under § 8.54.080, punishable per § 1.12.010; a second violation within 72 hours under § 8.54.030 can bring a criminal citation and impoundment of the offending equipment. Exceeding the park-specific 25-watt or 95-decibel limits in § 12.80.130 is a misdemeanor under § 12.80.140.

Construction Hours

Construction, demolition, and repair work in San Bernardino is confined to 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. under the Noise Control chapter's disturbance rule. Work outside that window, absent a city-approved exception, is a code violation regardless of zone.

Key details: Allowed construction hours: 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.. Applies: Citywide, all zones. Heavy-equipment curfew: Barred 10 p.m.-8 a.m., § 8.54.020(L). Exemptions: Emergency repair, city-agreement work. Governing section: SBMC § 8.54.070.

Building or demolition work outside the 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. window is punishable under § 8.54.080 as an infraction or misdemeanor per § 1.12.010, with fines of $100, $200, and $500 for successive infractions within a year, and a fourth violation charged as a misdemeanor carrying up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Vehicle Noise

San Bernardino bans modified mufflers that boost a vehicle's noise above factory levels in residential zones and outlaws car stereos plainly audible 50 feet away in daytime or 25 feet at night. Police can issue a written notice and, on a repeat within 72 hours, seize the amplifying equipment.

Key details: Governing chapter: SBMC Ch. 8.54, Noise Control. Modified exhaust rule: § 8.54.020(C), residential zones. Stereo daytime limit: Plainly audible at 50 ft, 8am-10pm. Stereo nighttime limit: Plainly audible at 25 ft, 10pm-8am. Repeat violation: Equipment seizure within 72 hrs.

A first violation of the noise chapter is an infraction punishable under § 1.12.010: up to $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second within a year, and $500 for a third, with a fourth becoming a misdemeanor carrying up to six months in county jail and a $1,000 fine. A second stereo/muffler violation within 72 hours of the written notice also triggers confiscation of the amplifying equipment under § 8.54.030(B).

Barking Dogs

A dog or other animal that barks or makes noise so as to annoy neighbors and disturb the peace is declared a public nuisance under Chapter 6.02. Animal Control issues a written warning first, giving the owner seven days to abate before enforcement.

Key details: Governing section: SBMC § 6.02.020. First step: Written warning notice, § 6.02.030. Abatement window: 7 days from notice. Penalty: Infraction under § 6.02.040 / § 1.12.010. Appeal path: Animal Control Commission, § 6.14.100.

Failing to abate a noisy-animal nuisance within seven days of a written warning, or failing to request a hearing under § 6.14.080, is an infraction under § 6.02.040 punishable per § 1.12.010; the City Attorney may separately pursue civil or criminal nuisance abatement under § 6.02.050.

Decibel Limits

San Bernardino's general noise code judges most noise by whether it is plainly audible at a set distance rather than a decibel meter, but licensed vending sound trucks face an actual numeric cap: 90 decibels at ten feet in the city's core and 95 decibels elsewhere.

Key details: Sound-truck cap, city core: 90 dB at 10 ft, § 8.57.020(C). Sound-truck cap, elsewhere: 95 dB at 10 ft. Core boundary: Mt. Vernon/E St to Marshall/west limits. Park amplification cap: 95 dBA at 50 ft, § 12.80.130(A)(2). Unpermitted park amp cap: 25 watts total output.

Exceeding the sound-truck decibel cap forfeits the § 8.57.020(C) exemption and exposes the operator to the general sound-vehicle penalty in § 8.57.090, punishable as an infraction under § 1.12.010 with fines from $100 to $500 for repeat offenses in a year. Amplified sound over 95 dBA in a park without a permit violates § 12.80.130 and is likewise chargeable as an infraction.

The Bottom Line

San Bernardino'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 San Bernardino is broadly strict or permissive.

Keep in mind that San Bernardino 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.