Murrieta, CA Noise from Specific Sources: Bar & Nightclub Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Sound limit
- 95 dBA, slow response
- Measurement point
- Where customers normally stand
- Exception
- Posted hearing-impairment warning signs
- Governing chapter
- Murrieta Code Ch. 16.30, Noise
- First offense penalty
- Infraction, up to $100 fine
Summary
Murrieta caps amplified sound inside bars, nightclubs and other places of public entertainment at 95 dBA measured on the slow response setting wherever a customer normally stands, unless hearing-impairment warning signs are posted at every public entrance.
Places of Public Entertainment. Operating, playing, or permitting the operation or playing of a radio, television. phonograph, drum, musical instrument, sound amplifier or similar device that produces, reproduces, or amplifies sound in a place of public entertainment at a sound level greater than ninety-five (95) dBA, (read by the slow response on a sound level meter) at any point that is normally occupied by a customer is prohibited, unless conspicuous signs are located near each public entrance stating, "Warning: Sound Levels Within May Cause Hearing Impairment."
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-23: A Codification of the General Ordinances of the City of Murrieta, California through Ord. 634-26, passed 7-7-2026).
Full Breakdown
D, part of the city's noise chapter, makes it unlawful to operate, play or permit the operation of a radio, television, phonograph, drum, musical instrument, sound amplifier or similar device that produces, reproduces or amplifies sound in a place of public entertainment above ninety-five (95) dBA, read on the slow response setting of a sound level meter, at any point normally occupied by a customer. 020). Bar and nightclub operators who exceed the limit without the required signage are separately exposed to the property-line noise-disturbance standards that apply citywide, and code enforcement or police can measure sound directly inside the venue rather than only at the lot line, since the measurement point specified is wherever patrons stand.
140 lets the planning director grant modifications of up to two years if more time is needed to bring the operation into compliance or if compliance is not feasible and no reasonable alternative exists.
Violations & Fines
Violating Chapter 16.30 is enforced under the citywide penalty scheme in Murrieta Code Section 1.08.050: a first offense is an infraction punishable by up to a $100 fine, a second infraction within a year up to $200, and a third or later infraction within a year up to $500. A third infraction of the same provision by the same person is prosecutable as a misdemeanor, and the city attorney may charge a violation as a misdemeanor outright given the seriousness of the conduct, carrying up to a $1,000 fine and/or up to six months in county jail. Each day of continued excess noise is a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
What decibel limit applies to a Murrieta bar or nightclub?
Can a Murrieta nightclub legally exceed 95 dBA?
What happens on a repeat noise violation at a Murrieta venue?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Murrieta
California rules heatmap·Compare Murrieta to another location·View the California noise from specific sources overview
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