Noise Ordinances in Westminster, CA (2026)
10 verified noise ordinances for Westminster, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Quiet Hours
The City of Westminster's own Noise Control ordinance (WMC Chapter 8.28) does not use blanket 'quiet hours' but sets day/night exterior sound-level limits. Citywide (Zone 1) the limit is 55 dB(A) day and night; in R2-R5 multifamily districts (Zone 2) it drops from 60 dB(A) daytime to 55 dB(A) between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.
Westminster Quiet Hours & Nighttime Noise Limits
Some RestrictionsConstruction Hours
Under the City of Westminster's own code (WMC Section 8.28.060(E)), construction, repair, remodeling and grading noise is exempt from the noise limits only if it does NOT occur between 8 p.m. and 7 a.m. on weekdays including Saturday, and not at all on Sundays or federal holidays.
Westminster Construction Hours
Some RestrictionsBarking Dogs
The City of Westminster has a specific barking-dog law (WMC 6.08.180, added by Ord. 2553, 2018). A 'barking dog' (defined in WMC 6.04.020) that barks, bays, howls or cries audibly across property lines for 30 minutes or more incessantly, or intermittently, in any 24-hour period is declared a public nuisance.
Westminster Barking Dog Ordinance
Some RestrictionsLeaf Blower Rules
The City of Westminster limits residential leaf-blower use to 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday. On Sundays and holidays only the resident may use one, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Just one leaf blower per address may run at a time, capped at fifteen minutes per day, per the city's published code-enforcement standards.
Westminster Leaf Blower Rules
Some RestrictionsAmplified Music & Events
Westminster has no separate amplified-sound permit chapter; amplified music is controlled by the dB(A) limits in WMC Chapter 8.28. Because amplified music counts as 'music' content, the applicable limit is lowered by 5 dB(A) - so as low as 50 dB(A) in citywide Zone 1 - making sustained amplified music a likely public-nuisance violation.
Westminster Amplified Music & Sound
Some RestrictionsAircraft Noise
Westminster cannot locally regulate aircraft noise. Aviation noise is preempted by federal law (the FAA), and WMC 8.28.060(J) itself exempts activities preempted by state or federal law. Complaints about overflights, helicopters or jets go to the FAA, not the city. The city's dB(A) limits do not apply to aircraft in flight.
Westminster Aircraft Noise
Few RestrictionsIndustrial Noise
Industrial and commercial noise in Westminster is governed by the property-line dB(A) limits of WMC Chapter 8.28. Citywide Zone 1 is 55 dB(A) day and night; the higher Zone 2 limits apply only in R2-R5 residential districts. Steady industrial noise containing tones is measured 5 dB(A) lower, and graduated duration triggers apply.
Westminster Industrial & Commercial Noise
Some RestrictionsDecibel Limits
Westminster's own code sets numeric dB(A) noise limits in WMC 8.28.040 (exterior) and 8.28.050 (interior). Citywide Zone 1 exterior is 55 dB(A) day and night; R2-R5 Zone 2 is 60 dB(A) day and 55 dB(A) at night. Music, speech, tone and impact noise are measured 5 dB(A) lower.
Westminster Decibel Limits
Some RestrictionsOutdoor Music
Outdoor music in Westminster is governed by the general dB(A) limits of WMC Chapter 8.28, with a 5 dB(A) reduction because the noise contains music. Permitted public outdoor gatherings and events are exempt under WMC 8.28.060(B); unpermitted backyard or commercial outdoor music must meet the standard limits.
Westminster Outdoor Music & Events
Some RestrictionsVehicle Noise
Westminster's noise chapter does not separately regulate vehicle exhaust; on-road vehicle noise is controlled by California state law. CA Vehicle Code 27150 requires an adequate muffler with no cutout or bypass, and 27151 bans exhaust modifications that amplify noise - generally over a 95 dBA test threshold for lighter passenger vehicles.
Westminster Vehicle Noise
Some RestrictionsLooking for Orange County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Westminster city rules.
Noise Ordinances in Orange County →