Cathedral City, CA Noise from Specific Sources: Bar & Nightclub Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Standard
- Not visible or plainly audible from public street or sidewalk
- Door exception
- Not exceeding one minute while patrons enter or exit
- Entertainment hours
- None between 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m.
- After hours permit
- Chief of police; recorded entertainment until 4:00 a.m.
- First conviction fine
- Not to exceed $250
- Fourth conviction fine
- $1,000 within twelve months
Summary
In Cathedral City, California, a place that sells alcohol for on-premises consumption cannot permit entertainment that is visible or plainly audible from any public street or sidewalk. The only allowance is up to one minute while patrons walk in or out through a doorway.
No person owning, operating, managing or otherwise controlling any place as defined in Section 5.08.010, shall suffer or permit any entertainment to be conducted which is visible or plainly audible from any public street or sidewalk, except for such temporary periods not exceeding one minute when patrons are entering or exiting through a doorway.
Full Breakdown
Cathedral City Municipal Code § 5.08.030 applies to any person owning, operating, managing or controlling a place where entertainment is performed and alcoholic beverages are sold or offered for consumption on the premises. Section 5.08.010 defines entertainment as any act, play, revue, song and dance act, music rendition or other performance by one or more persons in such a place. The test is not a decibel reading. The entertainment cannot be visible or plainly audible from any public street or sidewalk in Cathedral City. The single exception covers temporary periods not exceeding one minute when patrons are entering or exiting through a doorway.
Related sections in the same chapter shape how a bar or nightclub runs. Section 5.08.060 bars entertainment between 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. The chief of police can issue a special after hours permit allowing recorded entertainment until 4:00 a.m. The permit is issued month to month and can be revoked at any time on five days' notice, and the chief can impose special procedures to enforce state Alcoholic Beverage Control laws. Section 5.08.020 prohibits entertainment while employees solicit or accept drinks from patrons, § 5.08.040 prohibits soliciting trade on the street or sidewalk near the entrance, and § 5.08.050 requires regularly used doors to stay unlocked with free entry and exit while patrons are inside.
Enforcement runs through the Cathedral City Police Department and city code compliance. A holder of a city permit or license who violates these sections also faces modification, suspension or revocation under Chapter 13.150 (§ 5.08.120). The city can also pursue the remedies of Chapter 13.140, including denial or revocation of certificates of occupancy, stop work orders and injunctive relief (§ 5.08.130).
Violations & Fines
A violation is an infraction under Chapter 13.65 and a public nuisance under Chapter 13.80. Fines per violation cannot exceed $250 for a first conviction, $500 for a second within twelve months and $750 for a third within twelve months. A fourth and later conviction within twelve months carries a $1,000 fine (§ 5.08.090). The city can issue an administrative citation under Chapter 13.58 instead (§ 5.08.100).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Cathedral City bar have live music that people hear outside?
What hours can entertainment run at a Cathedral City nightclub?
What is the fine for a noise violation at a Cathedral City bar?
Does this rule use a decibel limit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cathedral City
California rules heatmap·Compare Cathedral City 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 Riverside County handle bar & nightclub noise.