Noise Ordinances in Chico, CA (2026)
7 verified noise ordinances for Chico, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Quiet Hours
Chico lets officers skip the warning step and cite immediately for nighttime noise, generally 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. on weeknights and after midnight on weekends.
Chico Nighttime Noise Curfew Hours
Some RestrictionsChico Municipal Code § 9.38.054(B)
an enforcement officer is not required to issue a warning and may issue a citation for a violation of section 9.38.030, 9.38.050 or 9.38.052 under any of the following circumstances:...2. The noise occurs between the following hours: a. 10:00 p.m. Sunday and 7:00 a.m. Monday;...f. 12:01 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Construction Hours
Chico limits construction equipment to 83 dBA at 25 feet and 86 dBA at the property line, even during permitted work hours, under the city's noise ordinance.
Chico Construction Equipment Noise Caps
Some RestrictionsChico Municipal Code Section 9.38.060.B.1
No individual device or piece of equipment shall produce a noise level exceeding eighty-three (83) dBA at a distance of twenty-five (25) feet from the source... The noise level at any point outside of the property plane of the project shall not exceed eighty-six (86) dBA.
Barking Dogs
Chico's dog nuisance ordinance makes it unlawful for a dog to disturb a neighborhood by howling, barking, or making unusual noises, with the owner liable for the violation.
Chico Barking Dog Nuisance Law
Some RestrictionsChico Municipal Code § 7.08.130(E)
Without limitation as to the general provisions of Section 7.08.120, the following specific acts and conditions committed by a dog are hereby declared to be unlawful and to constitute a public nuisance, and the owner of a dog committing any of the following shall be subject to the penalties provided by this title: ... E. Creating a disturbance in a neighborhood by howling, barking or making unu...
Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound
Chico requires a discretionary use permit for any business within 300 feet of a residential district that plays amplified music or operates 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Chico Amplified Music Use Permit Rule
Significant RestrictionsChico Municipal Code § 19.44.020, Table 4-6, Note (5)
Businesses within 300 feet of a residential district which operate between the hours of 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. or allow amplified music require use permit approval.
Aircraft Noise
Chico's Airport Environs (-AE) overlay zone requires noise-insulated construction, recorded avigation easements, and a recorded Notice of Aircraft Overflight for development near Chico Municipal Airport and Ranchero Airport, addressing aircraft noise exposure under Chico Municipal Code § 19.52.020.
Aircraft Noise Rules Near Chico Airports
Some RestrictionsChico Municipal Code § 19.52.020(E)(2)-(3)
Noise Mitigation. Proposed structures shall be designed and constructed to provide noise insulation to reduce interior noise levels to the community noise equivalent level (CNEL) recommended by the Noise Element of the General Plan. ... the property owner shall enter into an agreement with the City granting any necessary avigation easements for aircraft overflight and/or acknowledging and permi...
Decibel Limits
Chico caps noise from commercial and industrial property at 70 dBA measured at any point outside the property plane, a single flat limit that applies at all hours of the day.
Industrial Noise Limit in Chico, CA
Some RestrictionsChico Municipal Code § 9.38.040
No person shall produce, suffer or allow to be produced by human voice, machine, animal, or device, or any combination of same, on commercial or industrial property, a noise level at any point outside of the property plane that exceeds seventy (70) dBA.
Vehicle Noise
Chico caps vehicle sound amplification systems at 50 feet audibility on public property and 25 feet on private property, and bans unnecessary horn use.
Chico Vehicle Sound System Noise Limits
Some RestrictionsChico Municipal Code § 9.38.056
No person shall use or operate any sound amplification system in or on a vehicle located within a public park, within a public parking lot, or on any other public property other than a highway within the city which is audible to a person of normal hearing sensitivity more than fifty feet from such vehicle nor shall any person use or operate any such sound amplification system on or in a vehicle...
Looking for Butte County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Chico city rules.
Noise Ordinances in Butte County →