Beaumont, CA Noise from Specific Sources: Generator Noise (2026)

Beaumont Municipal Code § 8.32.200 is the City Council's rule for engines that run in one place. It sits in Chapter 8.32, the public nuisance chapter, and it treats any stationary internal combustion engine operated within 300 feet of any private residence, rooming house or lodging house as a public nuisance. There are two ways to stay legal. The operator can first obtain the consent of all persons residing within that 300-foot distance, or the operator can muffle the exhaust and noise so that no excessive soot, smoke or noise is emitted, in which case consent is unnecessary. The section ends with its one exemption: it does not apply to the use of generators during public emergencies. That sentence also shows how the City reads the rule, since a generator running in place is the kind of engine the section is aimed at.

Chapter 9.02, the noise control chapter, adds a second layer. Section 9.02.100(C) exempts emergency generators from that chapter, along with utility and street repairs, garbage services, emergency response warning noises and fire alarm systems. Outside that exemption, § 9.02.110(G) makes it unlawful to operate any pump, compressor, fan or internal combustion engine in a way that pushes the noise level at the property line of the property where it runs more than five dB(A) above the base ambient noise level. Section 9.02.110(H)(1) separately requires the exhaust of any stationary internal combustion engine to pass through a muffler or other device that effectively prevents loud or explosive noises. A generator that powers construction work also falls under § 9.02.110(F), which bars construction-related noise above the chapter's limits outside 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

An operator who cannot meet the chapter's limits can apply to the City Manager or designee for an exception permit under § 9.02.120. The applicant has to show that a diligent investigation of noise abatement techniques found immediate compliance impractical or unreasonable. The permit runs for as short a period as possible, never longer than six months, and is renewable on a showing of good cause.