Long Beach, CA Noise from Specific Sources: Car Alarm Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Time limit
- 15 minutes of audible sound
- First offense
- $25 infraction fine
- 4th+ offense
- Misdemeanor (after 3 priors)
- Enforcement
- LBPD may enter vehicle, disconnect alarm, tow
Summary
Long Beach caps any motor vehicle alarm at 15 minutes of continuous or intermittent sound under Municipal Code § 10.25.010, timed from the first audible emission. A first violation is a $25 infraction; a fourth violation becomes a misdemeanor, and police may enter the vehicle to disconnect the alarm and impound it.
B.No person shall cause, allow, permit or suffer any alarm located in a motor vehicle registered in the name of or operated by such person to emit any continuous or intermittent audible sound in the City for a period of more than fifteen (15) minutes. The time shall be calculated based upon the emission of the first audible sound and ending fifteen (15) minutes thereafter notwithstanding any variation or delay in the emissions of audible sound.C.Except as provided in Subsection 10.25.010.D, any person violating this Section shall be guilty of an infraction. Any person convicted of an infraction under this Section shall be punishable by a fine of not more than twenty-five dollars ($25.00).D.Any person violating this Section who has been previously convicted of three (3) or more violations of this Section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 52 Update 1 | City Charter: Supplement 5).
Full Breakdown
010(A) opens with a City Council finding that motor vehicle alarms are a 'significant problem' in Long Beach because most trigger by accident or carelessness rather than actual crime, and declares alarm noise contrary to public health, safety and welfare and a public nuisance. Subsection B sets the operative rule: no person may cause, allow, permit or suffer an alarm on a vehicle they own or operate to emit continuous or intermittent audible sound in the City for more than 15 minutes, with the clock starting at the first audible sound and running 15 minutes regardless of any pause or variation in the noise.
010(D)), exposing them to the Code's general misdemeanor penalties. Subsection E gives the Police Department direct abatement power: to stop the nuisance, officers may enter the offending vehicle, disconnect the alarm, and remove the vehicle for safekeeping by any method the law otherwise allows, without waiting for the registered owner.
Violations & Fines
A first offense is a $25 infraction under §10.25.010(C). A fourth violation (after three prior convictions) becomes a misdemeanor under §10.25.010(D), carrying the Code's general misdemeanor penalty of up to a $1,000 fine and up to six months in jail under §1.32.010. Police may also enter the vehicle, disconnect the alarm and tow it under §10.25.010(E).
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can my car alarm sound before it's illegal in Long Beach?
What's the fine for a first car alarm violation?
Can police actually get into my car to shut off the alarm?
Does a repeat car alarm violation ever become a criminal charge?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Long Beach
California rules heatmap·Compare Long Beach to another location·View the California noise from specific sources overview
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