Sedona, AZ Noise from Specific Sources: Car Alarm Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Continuous sound limit
- 5 minutes maximum
- Intermittent sound limit
- 15 minutes maximum
- Covers
- Building and motor vehicle alarms
- Decibel standard
- Does not apply while alarm sounds
- Civil penalty
- Up to $2,500 per offense
Summary
Sedona requires exterior burglar alarms on buildings and motor vehicles to shut off within five minutes for continuous sound or 15 minutes for intermittent sound. The alarm rule overrides the normal decibel-based noise standards entirely.
E. Burglar Alarms. An exterior burglar alarm of a building or motor vehicle must be activated in such a manner that the burglar alarm terminates its operation within five minutes for continuous airborne sound and 15 minutes for impulsive sound after it has been activated. At all times, the limits of the applicable community noise standards set forth in SCC 8.25.030 do not apply.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Initiative Ordinance 2026-01, approved by voters at the July 21, 2026 election).
Full Breakdown
040(E), "Burglar Alarms," governs any exterior burglar alarm attached to a building or a motor vehicle, covering car alarms directly. The alarm must be set up so it terminates automatically within five minutes for continuous airborne sound or within 15 minutes for impulsive, intermittent sound after it activates. 030 do not apply to the alarm while it is sounding within those windows, meaning a loud car alarm is not measured against the 50-60 dB(A) residential limits the way ordinary noise is; the only regulated variable is duration.
Once the five- or fifteen-minute window expires and the alarm keeps sounding, it becomes a violation of this section regardless of volume. 040(F), which uses the identical five-minute continuous and fifteen-minute intermittent structure, showing the city applies one duration-based template to both automated alarms and animal noise rather than a decibel test for either. 070(C), who can act on a complaint once the alarm has run past the allowed window.
Violations & Fines
Letting a burglar or vehicle alarm exceed the five-minute continuous or 15-minute intermittent limit is a civil violation under SCC 8.25.070(A)(1), carrying a penalty of up to $2,500 per offense with each day of continuing violation treated as a separate offense. An owner found responsible for three or more such violations within 24 months is a habitual offender under SCC 8.25.070(A)(2), subject to a class 1 misdemeanor charge, up to six months in jail, and a mandatory minimum $500 fine per count.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can a car alarm legally sound in Sedona?
Do the normal decibel noise limits apply to a car alarm?
Who enforces the car alarm time limit in Sedona?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sedona
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