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Elk Grove, CA Noise from Specific Sources: Bar & Nightclub Noise (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Cap
95 dBA at customer locations
Applies to
Loudspeakers, musical instruments, sound sources
Governing section
EGMC § 6.32.140(D)
Measurement point
Inside venue, not property line
Penalty
Misdemeanor, up to $1,000 fine or 6 months
Timing
No day/night split in this cap

Summary

Elk Grove caps sound inside bars, nightclubs, and other places of public entertainment at 95 dBA. EGMC Section 6.32.140(D) makes it a violation to operate a loudspeaker, musical instrument, or other sound source above that level at any point a customer normally occupies, regardless of the time of day or whether the venue otherwise has a permit.

Places of Public Entertainment. Operating or allowing to be operated any loudspeaker, musical instrument, or other source of sound in any place of public entertainment that exceeds ninety-five (95) dbA at any point normally occupied by a customer.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4937385; v2 updated 2026-05-13; through 05-13-2026).

Full Breakdown

140(D) sits inside the Noise Control chapter's list of six prohibited activities, right after the nighttime loading and unloading ban and just before the section barring stationary electronic signaling devices. 080, which measures sound at the property line of a neighboring sensitive receptor and drops to 45 dBA overnight, this cap applies inside the venue itself: it measures the loudspeaker, musical instrument, or other sound source at any point a customer would normally stand or sit, and it runs at a flat 95 dBA around the clock with no daytime/nighttime split.

That makes it the operative standard for bar and nightclub sound systems even though a neighboring residence a block away is still separately protected by the exterior standard measured at that residence's own property line. The ordinance does not define "place of public entertainment" elsewhere in the chapter, so enforcement in practice reaches any commercial venue that operates amplified sound for patrons, from a live-music bar to a nightclub dance floor. 140 violations at once.

Violations & Fines

Exceeding 95 dBA at a customer location under EGMC Section 6.32.140(D) is enforced as a misdemeanor by default under Section 1.04.030(B): a fine up to $1,000, up to six months in jail, or both, because the noise chapter does not label the violation an infraction. Each night the sound source operates above the cap is charged as a separate offense under EGMC Section 1.04.020, so a venue open nightly above 95 dBA accumulates one citation per night.

Frequently Asked Questions

How loud can a nightclub's sound system be in Elk Grove?
EGMC Section 6.32.140(D) caps sound from loudspeakers, musical instruments, or other sources at any place of public entertainment at 95 dBA, measured at any point normally occupied by a customer, such as the bar or dance floor. The limit applies at all hours, unlike the City's daytime/nighttime exterior noise standards.
Is the 95 dBA nightclub limit the same as the neighborhood noise limit?
No. The general exterior standard in EGMC Section 6.32.080 protects neighboring sensitive receptors at 55 dBA by day and 45 dBA at night, measured at the affected property line. Section 6.32.140(D)'s 95 dBA cap is a separate, higher limit measured inside the venue itself, at customer locations.
What happens if a bar is cited more than once for exceeding the 95 dBA cap?
Each night the sound source runs above 95 dBA is a separate misdemeanor offense under EGMC Sections 6.32.140(D), 1.04.030, and 1.04.020, so a venue that stays loud every night faces one citation, and one exposure to the up-to-$1,000 fine or six-month jail term, per night.

Sources & Official References

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