Glendale, CA Noise from Specific Sources: Bar & Nightclub Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- GMC § 8.36.150
- Sound threshold
- 95 dbA at customer area
- Required if exceeded
- Posted hearing-impairment warning sign
- Default penalty
- Misdemeanor, $1,000 / 6 months
- Enforcing agency
- Glendale Police, code enforcement
Summary
Glendale caps amplified sound in bars, nightclubs and other places of public entertainment at 95 dbA measured where customers normally stand. Above that level, the business must post a hearing-impairment warning sign at each public entrance or the operation is a code violation.
Operating, playing or permitting the operation or playing of any radio, television, phonograph, drum, musical instrument, sound amplifier or similar device which reproduces or produces or amplifies sound in any place of public entertainment at a sound level greater than ninety-five dbA at a place of business normally occupied by customers shall be a violation unless a conspicuous and legible sign is located outside such place or near each public entrance, stating, “WARNING: SOUND LEVEL MAY CAUSE HEARING IMPAIRMENT.”
Full Breakdown
150 governs music, DJ sound, live bands and any amplified sound system operating inside a nightclub, bar, restaurant lounge or similar place of public entertainment. The rule is not a flat prohibition above 95 dbA: it is a disclosure requirement. 150 regardless of the venue's zoning or hours. 290, which require a filing with the city clerk five days ahead and cap outdoor amplified sound at 15 dbA above ambient. 150 violation defaults to the code's general penalty: a misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000 and up to six months in county jail, or both, though the city attorney has discretion under the city charter to charge it as an infraction instead. 050.
Violations & Fines
Operating without the required warning sign while exceeding 95 dbA is a misdemeanor under the general penalty in Section 1.20.010: up to a $1,000 fine, up to six months in county jail, or both, per violation. The city attorney may instead charge it as an infraction. Repeat calls can also trigger public-nuisance abatement and civil penalties under Sections 1.20.030-1.20.050.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Glendale nightclub play music louder than 95 dbA?
What counts as a place of public entertainment under this rule?
What happens if a Glendale nightclub violates the noise sign rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Glendale
California rules heatmap·Compare Glendale to another location·View the California noise from specific sources overview
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