Noise Ordinances in Sunnyvale, CA (2026)
4 verified noise ordinances for Sunnyvale, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Construction Hours
Sunnyvale limits construction activity to 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday under Municipal Code Section 16.08.030, with no construction on Sunday or on federal holidays when city offices are closed. Loud disruptive noise, including unmuffled air compressors and generators, is barred wherever it becomes a nuisance to nearby residential neighbors.
Sunnyvale Construction Noise Hours Rules
Some RestrictionsSunnyvale Municipal Code § 16.08.030 (Hours of construction, Time and noise limitations)
Construction activity shall be permitted between the hours of seven a.m. and six p.m. daily Monday through Friday. Saturday hours of operation shall be between eight a.m. and five p.m. There shall be no construction activity on Sunday or federal holidays when city offices are closed. No loud environmentally disruptive noises, such as air compressors without mufflers, continuously running motors...
Barking Dogs
Sunnyvale treats persistent barking as an animal nuisance under Municipal Code Section 6.02.040(a)(7): a dog that barks, bays, cries or howls continuously for ten minutes within any fifteen-minute window, or intermittently for half an hour or more, to another person's disturbance, puts the owner in violation. An animal control officer or police officer decides case by case whether to cite.
Sunnyvale Barking Dog Nuisance Rules
Some RestrictionsSunnyvale, CA Municipal Code § 6.02.040(a)(7) (Nuisances by animals)
It is unlawful for an owner or custodian to permit an animal to engage in any of the following acts: ... (7) Bark, bay, cry, howl, or make any other noise continuously and incessantly for a period of ten minutes within any fifteen-minute period, or intermittently for one-half hour or more, to the disturbance of any other person. The issuance of a citation shall be within the discretion of an an...
Leaf Blower Rules
Sunnyvale limits leaf blower use in or adjacent to residential areas to the hours of eight a.m. to eight p.m., under Municipal Code § 19.42.030(c)(4). Since January 1, 2000, every leaf blower operated in those areas must run at or below 65 dBA measured fifty feet away, tested to ANSI standards, with the machine's dBA rating displayed on the unit itself.
Sunnyvale Leaf Blower Hours and Noise Limit
Some RestrictionsSunnyvale, CA Municipal Code § 19.42.030(c)(4) (Leaf Blower), Chapter 19.42 Operating Standards
Leaf Blower. A "leaf blower" is a small, combustion engine-powered or electric device used for property or landscape maintenance that can be hand-held or carried by the operator and which operates by propelling air under pressure through a cylindrical tube. It is unlawful for any person to operate a leaf blower on private property in or adjacent to a residential use except between the hours of ...
Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound
Sunnyvale bans outdoor loudspeakers and sound amplifiers between 10 p.m. and 10 a.m. citywide. Operating one during those hours requires a permit from the chief of the department of public safety, granted only for public events of general interest, and the chief can revoke it any time the equipment disturbs the public peace under Chapter 9.48.
Sunnyvale Loudspeaker and Amplified Sound Permit
Significant RestrictionsSunnyvale, CA Municipal Code Sec. 9.48.010 (Operation during certain hours—Permit required), Chapter 9.48 Loudspeakers
No person shall operate any loudspeaker or sound amplifier or instrument, in such a manner as to cause any sound to be projected outside of any building, or out-of-doors, in any part of the city between the hours of ten p.m. and ten a.m., except during public events and affairs of interest to the general public, and then only on permit from the chief of the department of public safety. Such per...
Looking for Santa Clara County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Sunnyvale city rules.
Noise Ordinances in Santa Clara County →