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

Chapter 5.90, the Entertainment Permit ordinance, applies to any business offering entertainment, live or recorded music carried on by more than two people, amplified sound, dancing, karaoke, and similar activity, inside a city council-designated entertainment district (Sections 5.90.010, 5.90.020). Section 5.90.040(A) lets the city council set uniform operating conditions for every permittee in the district, and the code specifically lists 'hours for amplified music' among the examples the council may adopt alongside allowable entertainment hours and security requirements.

Section 5.90.110 puts the compliance burden directly on the venue: 'Each responsible person shall ensure compliance with all laws applicable to noise abatement, including those contained in Chapter 8.42,' the city's general noise ordinance, tying the entertainment permit system directly to Folsom's decibel-based exterior and interior noise standards. A responsible person, meaning the permittee, owner, manager, or anyone exercising control over the establishment, also has to make 'reasonable efforts' to prevent disorderly conduct and to disperse patrons quietly from within twenty feet of the property line at closing time (Sections 5.90.120, 5.90.130), both closely tied to late-night noise complaints near bars and nightclubs.

Failing to comply with the noise ordinance is expressly listed as grounds for the director to suspend, modify, or revoke an entertainment permit under Section 5.90.210(A)(3), and the chief of police can order an establishment to suspend operations and disperse patrons immediately if disorderly conduct threatens public safety (Section 5.90.140).