Anaheim, CA Noise from Specific Sources: Bar & Nightclub Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Music/dancing cutoff
- 2:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., every day
- Security staffing
- Set by Chief of Police
- Exterior noise duty
- Operator must control patron noise outside
- Minors
- Barred under 16 unless with parent/guardian
- Enforcement lever
- Entertainment permit conditions/revocation
Summary
Bars, nightclubs, and other venues holding an Anaheim entertainment permit cannot play or reproduce music, or allow dancing, between 2:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. any day. The permit also obligates the operator to keep enough security on site to stop patrons from disturbing the neighborhood with noise while entering or leaving.
The operator shall not permit any person to dance or permit any music to be played or reproduced by any device between the hours of two a.m. and nine a.m. of any day ... At all times that entertainment is conducted security measures shall be adequate to deter unlawful conduct on the part of employees and patrons, to promote the safe and orderly assembly and movement of persons and vehicles, and to prevent disturbance of the neighborhood by excessive noise created by patrons entering or leaving the premises.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-28: Code: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. 6627, passed 8-11-2026 | Zoning: Local legislation current through Ord. 6627, passed 8-11-2026).
Full Breakdown
0404. This is a hard clock cutoff independent of the city's general amplified-sound or sound-pressure-level chapters, and it applies specifically to permitted entertainment venues rather than to amplified equipment generally. 0408). 0402). 0409). or fails to control noise from patrons outside is risking its entertainment permit in addition to any separate noise citation.
Violations & Fines
Operating entertainment (music or dancing) past the 2:00 a.m. cutoff, or failing to control patron noise on the exterior of the premises as required by Section 18.16.060.040, is a violation of the entertainment permit's operational standards and can lead to permit denial, conditions, or revocation under the permit review process in Section 18.16.060.030; unpermitted entertainment activity is separately declared a public nuisance under Section 18.16.060.010.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time must music stop at an Anaheim bar or nightclub?
Is a nightclub responsible for noise from patrons outside the building?
What happens if a venue violates its entertainment permit noise conditions?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Anaheim
California rules heatmap·Compare Anaheim to another location·View the California noise from specific sources overview
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Bar & Nightclub Noise in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Orange County handle bar & nightclub noise.