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Turlock, 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

Interior limit
95 dBA
Escape valve
Post required warning sign
Governing section
TMC § 5-28-110(m)
Measured at
Customer-occupied points

Summary

Turlock bars, nightclubs, and other places of public entertainment can't exceed 95 dBA measured inside at customer areas without posting a warning sign about hearing-impairment risk from the sound levels.

Operating or permitting the operation or playing of any loudspeaker, musical instrument, motorized racing vehicle, or other source of sound which exceeds ninety-five (95) dBA as read on the scale of a sound level meter inside any place of public entertainment at any point normally occupied by a customer without a conspicuous and legible sign stating "Warning Sound Levels Within May Cause Hearing Impairment."

(n) Tampering. The removal or rendering inoperative, other than for purposes of maintenance, repair, or replacement, of any noise control device, or element thereof, of any product required to meet specified noise emission limits under Federal, State, or local laws and the use of such product after its noise control device has been removed or rendered inoperative, other than for purposes of maintenance, repair, or replacement.

(o) Trash enclosures and trash compacting equipment. No person shall operate a trash enclosure or trash compacting equipment between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. when such compacting activity takes place on any premises adjacent to, or across the street or alley from, a sensitive receptor. (Formerly 9-2-309; 1207-CS, Rep&ReEn, 05/28/2015; 1231-CS, Amended, 04/13/2017)

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4937289; v6 updated 2026-06-25).

Full Breakdown

The noise ordinance's prohibited-acts section caps interior sound at any place of public entertainment, bars and nightclubs included, at ninety-five dBA measured at any point normally occupied by a customer, covering loudspeakers, musical instruments, motorized racing vehicles, or any other sound source. A venue may exceed that level only if it posts a conspicuous, legible sign reading 'Warning Sound Levels Within May Cause Hearing Impairment.' This interior limit is separate from the chapter's exterior amplified-sound limits (60 dBA daytime/45 dBA nighttime at a sensitive receptor's property line).

Violations & Fines

Enforced by the Noise Control Officer; violations default to an infraction and can be elevated to a misdemeanor carrying up to a $500 fine or six months in jail (TMC § 1-2-01).

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a Turlock bar play music louder than 95 dBA?
Only if it posts a conspicuous sign reading 'Warning Sound Levels Within May Cause Hearing Impairment' at customer areas, per TMC § 5-28-110(m).
Is there a separate limit for outdoor entertainment noise?
Yes: outdoor amplified sound is capped by TMC § 5-28-108's zone-based exterior limits, not this 95 dBA interior standard.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Turlock

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