Los Angeles, CA Noise from Specific Sources: Delivery Truck Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Curfew hours
- 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. banned citywide
- Protected radius
- 200 feet of residential building
- Permit alternative hours
- 6 a.m.-11 p.m. with DOT permit
- Permit zone limit
- Western Ave to San Diego Fwy area only
- Excluded businesses
- high-noise haulers like trash pickup barred
Summary
Los Angeles bans loading or unloading vehicles, or running dollies, carts, and forklifts, with impulsive or raucous noise within 200 feet of a residential building between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. under LAMC § 114.03(a), though a Department of Transportation permit can extend hours to 6 a.m.-11 p.m. inside one mapped downtown-area zone.
(a) It shall be unlawful for any person, between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. of the following day, to load or unload any vehicle, or operate any dollies, carts, forklifts, or other wheeled equipment, which causes any impulsive sound, raucous or unnecessary noise within 200 feet of any residential building. (b) Irrespective of the provisions of Subsection (a), loading or unloading of vehicles of the type of activity referred to in Subsection (a) may occur between the hours of 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. of the same day pursuant to a permit issued by the Department of Transportation in accordance with a business program as defined by said department. This permit program would be limited to the area bounded by Western Avenue, Santa Monica Freeway, Central Avenue, and the San Diego Freeway, within the limits of the City of Los Angeles. Such permits will not be issued to high-noise businesses such as trash pickup.
Full Breakdown
03, "Vehicles, Loading and Unloading," targets exactly the noise a delivery truck makes outside a home overnight: engines idling, hand trucks banging, tailgates dropping. " The 200-foot radius runs from the residential structure itself, not a zoning boundary, so a truck parked on a commercial street can still violate the section if a home sits within range. " Even inside that mapped zone, the code specifically states such "permits will not be issued to high-noise businesses such as trash pickup," so trash and recycling haulers cannot use a DOT permit to work around the nighttime curfew. 03(a) restriction controls without exception. The section was last amended by Ordinance No. 166,514, effective January 24, 1991.
Violations & Fines
Loading or unloading a truck, or running dollies, carts or forklifts that create impulsive or raucous noise within 200 feet of a home between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., violates § 114.03(a) and is enforceable as a Municipal Code infraction or misdemeanor. Working outside the DOT business-program's permitted hours or mapped area, or using the daytime permit for a high-noise business like trash pickup, is also a violation even if performed during the day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a delivery truck unload outside my LA home at midnight?
Is there any way for a business to get an exception for overnight deliveries?
Does the 200-foot rule count from the property line or the house itself?
What penalty applies for violating the loading and unloading curfew?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Los Angeles
California rules heatmap·Compare Los Angeles to another location·View the California noise from specific sources overview
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Delivery Truck Noise in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle delivery truck noise.