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Berkeley, CA Noise from Specific Sources: Delivery Truck Noise (2026)

Some Restrictions

Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Restricted hours: 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
Enforcing agency: Environmental Health Division / NCO
Residential exterior limit, nighttime: 45-55 dBA depending on zone
Complaint threshold: 1 complaint (2 in commercial areas)
Charge level: Misdemeanor or infraction, BMC Ch. 1.20

Summary

Berkeley bars loud loading and unloading between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. if the racket crosses a residential property line above code limits. The Environmental Health Division enforces it on a two-complaint trigger, with a warning issued before any citation.

6. Loading and Unloading. Loading, unloading, opening, closing or other handling of boxes, crates, containers, building materials, or similar objects between the hours of ten p.m. and seven a.m. such that the sound therefrom across a residential real property line violates the provisions of Section 13.40.050 or 13.40.060.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 8031-NS, passed July 28, 2026).

Full Breakdown

060. 050(A)(2). 070. 040. Grocery, restaurant, and warehouse loading docks in residential-adjacent commercial strips are the recurring targets. 090 are excluded from the overnight restriction.

Violations & Fines

A first violation of this subsection follows the standard two-step process in Section 13.40.030(C): the NCO issues a warning, and only a repeat or continuing violation within eight hours becomes chargeable. Under Section 13.40.030(B), any violation of Chapter 13.40 may be charged as a misdemeanor or an infraction under BMC Chapter 1.20, and is separately declared a public nuisance abatable under Sections 11.40.010 through 11.44.030.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a delivery truck unload behind a Berkeley store at midnight?

Only if the noise from handling boxes and containers does not exceed the residential exterior noise standard across the nearest residential property line. Section 13.40.070(B)(6) specifically targets loading and unloading between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.

Does one neighbor complaint stop a 5 a.m. delivery?

In most areas, one non-anonymous complaint triggers an NCO investigation under Section 13.40.040. In a commercial area, or for an event, it takes two complaints before the City measures the sound.

What happens the first time a business is caught?

The NCO issues a warning under Section 13.40.030(C). Only if the loading noise continues or recurs within eight hours does it become a chargeable misdemeanor or infraction under Chapter 1.20.

Sources & Official References

[1]Berkeley Municipal Code § 13.40.070

Other rules in Berkeley

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All Berkeley rules

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