Los Angeles, CA Noise from Specific Sources: Generator Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Nighttime curfew
- 10 p.m.-7 a.m. equipment ban
- 24-hour ambient ceiling
- no more than 5 dB above ambient
- Curfew zone
- residential zone or within 500 ft
- Gas leaf blower rule
- banned within 500 ft anytime, up to $100 fine
- Emergency exception
- emergency work under § 111.01(d) exempt
Summary
Los Angeles bars running a generator or other machinery between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. within a residential zone or within 500 feet of one under LAMC § 112.04(a), and layers a citywide, round-the-clock ambient-noise-plus-five-decibel ceiling under § 112.04(b), with narrow carve-outs for emergency work, aircraft, and state-regulated vehicles.
(a) Between the hours of 10:00 p.m and. 7:00 a.m. of the following day, no person shall operate any lawn mower, backpack blower, lawn edger, riding tractor, or any other machinery, equipment, or other mechanical or electrical device, or any hand tool which creates a loud, raucous or impulsive sound, within any residential zone or within 500 feet of a residence. (b) ... no person shall operate or cause to be operated any machinery, equipment, tools, or other mechanical or electrical device, or engage in any other activity in such manner as to create any noise which would cause the noise level on the premises of any other occupied property, or, if a condominium, apartment house, duplex, or attached business, within any adjoining unit, to exceed the ambient noise level by more than five (5) decibels.
Full Breakdown
04, titled "Powered Equipment Intended for Repetitive Use in Residential Areas and Other Machinery, Equipment, and Devices," is the provision that reaches a portable generator run outdoors even though the text never names generators specifically, it sweeps in "any other machinery, equipment, or other mechanical or electrical device" alongside named tools like lawn mowers and backpack blowers. m and. of the following day" if it creates "a loud, raucous or impulsive sound" inside a residential zone or within 500 feet of a residence. 01(d), aircraft, tow tractors, aircraft auxiliary power units, trains, and motor vehicles regulated under state or federal rules, no one may run "any machinery, equipment, tools, or other mechanical or electrical device" in a way that pushes the noise level on a neighboring occupied property, or an adjoining condo, apartment, or duplex unit, "more than five (5) decibels" above the ambient noise level, at any hour, not just at night.
00(m). Complaints about generator noise are field-tested against the ambient-plus-5dB standard rather than a flat decibel cap, so enforcement typically follows a resident complaint and a field reading by police or code enforcement.
Violations & Fines
Operating a generator that raises noise on a neighboring occupied property, or an adjoining condo or apartment unit, more than five decibels above the ambient level violates § 112.04(b) at any hour. Running one that creates loud, raucous or impulsive sound in a residential zone, or within 500 feet of one, between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. violates § 112.04(a). Both are enforceable as Municipal Code infractions or misdemeanors, with fines under the general penalty schedule in § 11.00.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I run a portable generator overnight in my LA backyard?
Is there a decibel limit on generators during the day?
Does the generator noise rule apply only inside residential zones?
What happens if I'm cited for generator noise in LA?
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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Generator Noise in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle generator noise.