Noise Ordinances in Ontario, CA (2026)
10 verified noise ordinances for Ontario, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Quiet Hours
Ontario does not use a single curfew but enforces lower nighttime exterior noise limits between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. (45 dBA in single-family zones), plus a general loud-and-disturbing-noise prohibition that applies at any hour after a cease-and-desist request.
Nighttime Noise Standards (10 p.m. to 7 a.m.)
Some RestrictionsOntario Municipal Code Sec. 5-29.04 (Exterior noise standards) (Sec. 2, Ord. 2888, eff. March 6, 2008)
The following exterior noise standards, unless otherwise specifically indicated, shall apply to all properties within a designated noise zone. Noise Zone I, Single-Family Residential: 65 dBA from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and 45 dBA from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.; Noise Zone II, Multi-Family Residential and Mobile Home Parks: 65 dBA from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and 50 dBA from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.; Noise Zone III, Comm...
Construction Hours
Ontario Municipal Code section 5-29.09 limits noise-producing construction, remodeling, grading and demolition to 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on weekdays and 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, unless the activity complies with the dB limits in section 5-29.04 or 5-29.05.
Construction Hours: 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Weekdays, 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Weekends
Some RestrictionsOntario Municipal Code Sec. 5-29.09 (Construction activity noise regulations) (Sec. 2, Ord. 2888, eff. March 6, 2008)
No person, while engaged in construction, remodeling, digging, grading, demolition or any other related building activity, shall operate any tool, equipment or machine in a manner that produces loud noise that disturbs a person of normal sensitivity who works or resides in the vicinity, or a Police or Code Enforcement Officer, on any weekday except between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. o...
Barking Dogs
Ontario Municipal Code Title 6 (Animals) treats persistent barking as a public nuisance: a dog that barks in a substantially continuous manner, day or night, to the annoyance of the neighborhood may be declared a nuisance and abated, supported by two sworn declarations from separate households.
Barking Dogs Deemed a Public Nuisance
Some RestrictionsOntario Municipal Code Sec. 6-1.217 (Barking dogs: Deemed nuisance), Title 6 Animals
A dog which barks in a substantially continuous manner in the daytime or nighttime to the annoyance of people in the neighborhood may be declared to be a nuisance which may be abated by the procedures provided in this article regarding barking dogs.
Leaf Blower Rules
Ontario regulates leaf blowers through its noise ordinance and daytime equipment hours. Gas blowers remain legal to operate, but California AB 1346 bars new gas SORE sales statewide since 2024, phasing them out.
Ontario Leaf Blower Rules
Some RestrictionsAmplified Music & Events
Ontario Municipal Code section 5-29.13 requires a Police Chief permit to operate a loudspeaker or sound amplifier on public property, or at outdoor/indoor events over 100 people that are audible at the property line, and bars sound-amplifying equipment from being used between 8:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m.
Amplified Sound Permit and 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. Cutoff
Heavy RestrictionsOntario Municipal Code Sec. 5-29.13 (Amplified sound) (Sec. 2, Ord. 2888, eff. March 6, 2008)
It is unlawful for any person, other than personnel of law enforcement or governmental agencies, to install, use or operate a loudspeaker or sound amplifying device in a fixed or movable position or mounted upon any vehicle within the City for the purpose of giving instructions, directions, talks, addresses or lectures to any persons or assemblages of persons in or upon any street, alley, sidew...
Aircraft Noise
No Ontario-specific ordinance directly regulates aircraft noise; the City's noise chapter exempts activities preempted by state or federal law (OMC 5-29.06(h)), and aircraft noise is governed by FAA federal preemption and California's 65 dB CNEL airport noise standard (21 CCR 5012).
Aircraft Noise: Federally Preempted; CA 65 dB CNEL Standard
Few RestrictionsCal. Code Regs. tit. 21, Sec. 5012 (Airport Noise Standard); cf. OMC Sec. 5-29.06(h)
The standard for the acceptable level of aircraft noise for persons living in the vicinity of airports is hereby established to be a community noise equivalent level of 65 decibels. No airport proprietor of a noise problem airport shall operate an airport with a noise impact area based on the standard of 65 dB CNEL unless the operator has applied for or received a variance.
Industrial Noise
Ontario controls industrial and warehouse noise through zoning-based exterior sound limits and the nuisance ordinance. Noise crossing into residential zones faces daytime limits and stricter nighttime limits.
Ontario Industrial Noise Rules
Some RestrictionsDecibel Limits
Ontario applies exterior decibel standards set in zoning and noise rules. Residential limits are about 55 dBA daytime and 50 dBA nighttime at the property line, with higher limits in commercial and industrial zones.
Ontario Decibel Limits
Some RestrictionsOutdoor Music
Outdoor music is regulated under OMC Title 5 Chapter 29 and the special-event permit process. Venues and events with amplified sound need a city permit; residential outdoor music cannot disturb neighbors after 10 PM.
Ontario Outdoor Music Rules
Some RestrictionsVehicle Noise
Ontario Municipal Code section 5-29.14 prohibits operating any motor vehicle in a condition that creates excessive, impulsive or intrusive noise, including exhaust noise from engines or motorcycles, and requires compliance with the California Vehicle Code.
Motor Vehicle and Exhaust Noise Prohibited
Some RestrictionsOntario Municipal Code Sec. 5-29.14 (Motor vehicles) (Sec. 2, Ord. 2888, eff. March 6, 2008)
The use of any motor vehicle in such a condition as to create excessive, impulsive or intrusive noises is prohibited. The discharge into the open air of the exhaust of any internal combustion engine, stationary or mounted on wheels, motorboat or motor vehicle, including motor cycle, whether or not discharged through a muffler or other similar device, which discharge creates excessive, unusual, ...
Looking for San Bernardino County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Ontario city rules.
Noise Ordinances in San Bernardino County →