Noise Ordinances in Chino, CA (2026)
10 verified noise ordinances for Chino, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Quiet Hours
Chino does not impose a strict bedtime curfew on residents, but Chino Municipal Code Chapter 9.40 (Noise) sets enforceable A-weighted decibel limits at the receiving residential property line that drop 5 dB between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Section 9.40.040 (Exterior Noise Standards) caps continuous noise (L50) at 55 dBA daytime / 50 dBA nighttime, with maximum (Lmax) of 75 dBA daytime / 70 dBA nighttime.
Chino Quiet Hours and Exterior Noise Limits
Some RestrictionsConstruction Hours
Construction noise in Chino is exempt from the exterior decibel limits in CMC § 9.40.040 only when the work occurs within designated construction hours. The City of Chino General Plan Noise Element (Objective N-1.3, Policy P2) limits construction work near noise-sensitive uses to 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., and CMC Chapter 9.40 carries that limit through as the exemption window.
Chino Construction Hours
Some RestrictionsBarking Dogs
Chino contracts with San Bernardino County Animal Care & Control for animal services (not the Inland Valley Humane Society, which serves neighboring Chino Hills). Continuous or habitual barking that exceeds the CMC § 9.40.040 decibel limits, or that constitutes a public nuisance under CMC Title 9, can be cited. San Bernardino County Code Title 3, Division 2 (Animal Control) prohibits keeping any animal whose noise disturbs the peace and quiet of any neighborhood.
Chino Barking Dog Rules
Some RestrictionsLeaf Blower Rules
Chino has no leaf-blower–specific ban or hour restriction in its Municipal Code; leaf-blower operation is governed by the general exterior noise standards in CMC § 9.40.040 and by California state law. Under California AB 1346, the California Air Resources Board prohibits the sale of new gas-powered small off-road engines (SORE) — including most gas leaf blowers — beginning with model-year 2024.
Chino Leaf Blower Rules
Few RestrictionsAmplified Music & Events
Amplified music is regulated under two parallel layers in Chino: CMC § 9.40.040 (general exterior noise standards) caps any amplified sound at 55/50 dBA L50 day/night at the neighbor's property line, and CMC Chapter 9.36 — substantially rewritten by Ordinance No. 2019-005 — imposes flat administrative fines on hosts of 'loud or unruly gatherings' without any decibel proof, on a per-response escalating schedule.
Chino Amplified Music and Sound Rules
Heavy RestrictionsAircraft Noise
Federal law (49 U.S.C. §§40103, 41713 and FAA regulations) preempts the City of Chino from regulating aircraft-in-flight noise. Operations at Chino Airport (KCNO) — a San Bernardino County-owned general aviation reliever airport along Merrill Avenue at the southern edge of the city — are governed by the FAA and the airport sponsor, not Chino Municipal Code §9.40. What Chino does regulate is the land-use side: under the Chino Airport Comprehensive Land Use Plan (ACLUP) administered through San Bernardino County's 'Alternative Process' (no formal ALUC; local jurisdictions handle compatibility planning), the City must notice development applications within adopted airport noise and safety zones and assure compatibility with Chino Airport operations. The CMC §9.40.040 exterior noise standards (65 dBA daytime / 55 dBA nighttime in residential zones) expressly do not apply to aircraft operations.
Aircraft Noise — Chino Airport (KCNO) Preempted by FAA; Land-Use Compatibility via ACLUP
Few RestrictionsIndustrial Noise
Industrial noise in Chino is governed primarily by Chino Municipal Code Chapter 9.40 (NOISE), §9.40.040 Exterior Noise Standards, with measurement methodology fixed in §9.40.020 (A-weighted, slow response, reference 20 micropascals). Per the city's General Plan Noise Element and CMC, the baseline exterior noise standard applied at the receiving property line is 65 dBA. Industrial sources (M-1 Light Industrial and M-2 General Industrial zones, including The Preserve specific-plan industrial areas, Chino Industrial Park along Edison Ave / Pine Ave, and the Auto Center) must not cause noise at adjoining residential property lines exceeding the residential standard (65 dBA daytime 7 a.m.–10 p.m. / 55 dBA nighttime 10 p.m.–7 a.m.). Mechanical and electrical equipment at industrial sites (cooling towers, compressors, dust collectors) is independently regulated under CMC §§9.40.030–9.40.060. Title 20 Zoning performance standards layer in vibration, glare, and noise limits enforced at the time of site-plan review.
Industrial Noise — CMC §9.40.040 Standards Plus Title 20 Zoning Performance Standards
Some RestrictionsDecibel Limits
Chino Municipal Code §9.40.040 (Exterior Noise Standards) establishes maximum permitted noise levels at the receiving (residential) property line: 65 dBA during daytime hours (7 a.m. to 10 p.m.) and 55 dBA during nighttime hours (10 p.m. to 7 a.m.). Measurement is per §9.40.020: A-weighted scale, slow response, referenced to 20 micropascals, using a sound level meter that meets ANSI specifications. Noise sources in commercial and industrial zones must comply with the residential standard when measured at the nearest residential property line. The standard is exceeded when the level is exceeded for any 30 minutes in an hour; lower thresholds (typically 5 dBA below the base) apply for shorter cumulative durations (15 min, 5 min, 1 min, instantaneous).
Decibel Limits — CMC §9.40.040 Sets 65 dBA Daytime / 55 dBA Nighttime at Residential Property Line
Some RestrictionsOutdoor Music
Amplified outdoor music in Chino is regulated by Chino Municipal Code Chapter 9.40 (NOISE) plus the City's special-event permitting process. Amplified sound that exceeds the §9.40.040 exterior noise standards (65 dBA daytime / 55 dBA nighttime at the nearest residential property line) is a violation unless covered by an exemption — most commonly a city-permitted special event, parade, or authorized public-park activity. Routine amplified music from a backyard party, restaurant patio, or event venue must comply with the standard. Chino updated its loud-party ordinance in 2019 to impose a flat-rate fine schedule for noise nuisance / disturbing-the-peace responses; subsequent responses to the same address within a defined period trigger escalating cost-recovery charges and may be assessed against the property owner.
Outdoor Music & Amplified Sound — Permit Required; Special-Event Authorization
Some RestrictionsVehicle Noise
On-road motor-vehicle exhaust and engine noise is primarily a matter of California Vehicle Code, not the Chino Municipal Code. Vehicle Code §27150 requires every motor vehicle to have an adequate muffler in constant operation, with no cutout, bypass, or similar device. §27151 prohibits modifying an exhaust system to amplify or increase noise; for passenger vehicles under 6,000 lb GVWR (other than motorcycles), an exhaust sound level over 95 dBA (measured per SAE J1492 / J1169) is a violation. CHP and Chino Police enforce these under state law. Article 2.5 (Veh. Code §§27200–27207) sets vehicle-class noise limits (e.g., motorcycles: 80 dBA at 50 ft for post-1985 models). Loud cars off public roadways, or stationary vehicle noise (revving in a driveway, idling refrigerated trucks), fall under Chino CMC §9.40 exterior noise standards (65 dBA day / 55 dBA night at residential property line). Cal. Vehicle Code §21461 preempts cities from regulating equipment on vehicles operated on public highways beyond what state law allows.
Vehicle Noise — Largely State Preempted (Cal. Veh. Code §27150 et seq.); Local CMC §9.40 Backstop
Some RestrictionsLooking for San Bernardino County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Chino city rules.
Noise Ordinances in San Bernardino County →