Long Beach, CA Noise from Specific Sources: Generator Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Muffling duty
- Applies at all hours, not just nighttime
- Covered equipment
- Motor, machinery, pump, etc.
- Nighttime tool ban
- 10 p.m.–7 a.m. across residential lines
- Enforcing office
- Noise Control Office
- Max penalty
- $500 fine / 180 days jail
Summary
Long Beach requires any motor, machinery or pump, including portable generators, to be sufficiently enclosed or muffled so it does not create a noise disturbance, on top of the citywide 10 p.m.–7 a.m. quiet hours for power tools.
M.Domestic power tools.1.Operating or permitting the operation of any mechanically powered saw, sander, drill, grinder, lawn or garden tool, or similar tool between ten p.m. and seven a.m. the following day so as to create a noise disturbance across a residential or commercial real property line,2.Any motor, machinery, pump, etc., shall be sufficiently enclosed or muffled and maintained so as not to create a noise disturbance,
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
200(M) covers domestic power tools and equipment. if it creates a noise disturbance across a residential or commercial property line. ' A portable or standby generator is a motor/machinery source squarely within this clause, it must be muffled and maintained regardless of time of day, not just kept quiet at night. 170. Complaints go to the Noise Control Office, which measures sound at the property line with calibrated equipment before any enforcement action.
Violations & Fines
An unmuffled or poorly maintained generator that keeps creating a documented disturbance can draw an abatement order from the Noise Control Officer; ignoring that order is a misdemeanor under § 8.80.380, carrying a fine up to $500, up to 180 days in jail, or both, with each additional day of noncompliance charged separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to muffle a portable generator in Long Beach?
Can I run a generator overnight if it's quiet?
Who enforces generator noise complaints?
What if my generator noise complaint is ignored?
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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Generator Noise in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle generator noise.