Noise Ordinances in Union City, CA (2026)
6 verified noise ordinances for Union City, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Quiet Hours
Union City has no separate nighttime curfew ordinance: instead, a daytime exemption for noise under 70 dBA at 25 feet lapses at 8 p.m. (6 p.m. Sundays/holidays), leaving the stricter ambient-based limits in force overnight.
Nighttime Quiet Hours in Union City, CA
Some RestrictionsUnion City Municipal Code § 9.40.050
Any noise source which does not produce a noise level exceeding seventy dBA at a distance of twenty-five feet from the noise source under its most noisy condition of use shall be exempt from the provisions of Article 4 between the hours of eight a.m. and eight p.m. daily except Sundays and holidays, when the exemption herein shall apply between ten a.m. and six p.m.
Construction Hours
Union City caps each piece of permitted construction equipment at 83 dBA measured 25 feet away, or 86 dBA at the project's property line.
Union City Construction Equipment Noise Cap
Some RestrictionsUnion City Municipal Code § 9.40.053(A)-(B)
No individual piece of equipment shall produce a noise level exceeding eighty-three dBA at a distance of twenty-five feet. If the device is housed within a structure on the property, the measurement shall be made outside the structure at a distance as close to twenty-five feet from the equipment as possible. B. The noise level at any point outside the property plane of the project shall not ...
Barking Dogs
Union City prohibits letting any dog, bird, fowl, or other animal disturb a neighbor's peace and quiet through barking or other noise, though a watchdog exception applies if the owner acts quickly to quiet it.
Union City Barking Dog Nuisance Law
Some RestrictionsUnion City Municipal Code § 8.28.010
No person owning, keeping or having in his or her care or custody any dog, bird, fowl or other animal, shall knowingly permit or suffer such dog, bird, fowl or other animal, by any barking or other noise or sound, to disturb any other person's peace and quiet. This section shall not be construed to prohibit the keeping of any watchdog, provided the keeper thereof takes immediate steps to quiet ...
Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound
Union City requires an administrative use permit for amplified live music at restaurants and event venues, bans it outdoors entirely, and caps indoor hours by distance to housing.
Union City Amplified Live Music Rules
Significant RestrictionsUnion City Municipal Code § 18.36.180(B)
Amplified live music at restaurants or event venue is permitted with an administrative use permit approval as detailed in Chapter 18.54 and shall comply with the following standards: 1. Amplified live music shall not be permitted outdoors. 2. Amplified live music shall end by: a. For facilities within 500 feet of a residential district or use, amplified live music shall end by 12:00 a....
Decibel Limits
Union City caps added noise at 10 dBA above ambient on residential land, 12 dBA on commercial and industrial property, and 15 dBA on public property, each measured outside the property line.
Noise Decibel Limits in Union City, CA
Some RestrictionsUnion City Municipal Code § 9.40.041
No person shall produce, suffer or allow to be produced by any machine, animal or device, or any combination of same, on residential property, a noise level more than 10 dBA above the local ambient at any point outside of the property plane.
Vehicle Noise
Union City bars driving motorcycles, scooters, or minibikes on any property that isn't a public or City-approved private street, a rule the Council adopted specifically to curb excessive off-road vehicle noise.
Union City's Off-Road Motorcycle Noise Ban
Significant RestrictionsUnion City Municipal Code § 9.36.025
No person shall drive a motorcycle or motor-driven vehicles, as such vehicles are defined in the California Vehicle Code, including, but not limited to, motor scooters, motorbikes, and minibikes, upon any property which is not a public street, or a private street approved by the City. A. Exceptions. This section shall not apply where such vehicle is being driven upon property by the resident...
Looking for Alameda County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Union City city rules.
Noise Ordinances in Alameda County →