Westminster, CA Noise from Specific Sources: Generator Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing definition
- Westminster Code § 8.28.020
- Category
- 'Fixed noise source' expressly names generators
- Applicable standard
- Exterior noise limits, § 8.28.040
- Zone 1 daytime limit
- 55 dB(A)
- Emergency exemption
- Utility/safety emergency generators exempt
Summary
Westminster's noise ordinance names generators as a 'fixed noise source' alongside compressors, pumps and industrial machinery, subjecting them to the citywide exterior noise standards, though emergency generators used to restore utility service or protect public safety are exempt.
"Fixed noise source" means a stationary device which creates sounds while fixed or motionless, including, but not limited to, industrial and commercial machinery and equipment, pumps, fans, compressors, generators, air conditioners and refrigeration equipment. ... "Emergency machinery, vehicle or work" means any machinery, vehicle or work used, employed or performed in an effort to protect, provide or restore safe conditions in the community or for the citizenry, or work by private or public utilities when restoring utility service.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4982734; v10 updated 2026-06-10).
Full Breakdown
28 'Noise Control,' defines a 'fixed noise source' as a stationary device that creates sound while fixed or motionless, and lists generators by name alongside industrial and commercial machinery and equipment, pumps, fans, compressors, air conditioners and refrigeration equipment. 040, which set a base residential exterior limit of 55 dB(A) in Noise Zone 1 (most of the city) and 60 dB(A) daytime dropping to 55 dB(A) at night in Noise Zone 2 (the city's R2 through R5 multi-family districts), with tighter cumulative-time limits for louder spikes above the base standard.
020 as machinery used to protect, provide or restore safe conditions for the community, or work by utilities restoring service, meaning a backup generator running during a genuine power outage or safety emergency falls outside the chapter, while a generator run routinely for convenience does not.
Violations & Fines
There is no chapter-specific fine for Chapter 8.28, so violations are enforced under the citywide penalty at Section 1.12.010: a misdemeanor (up to $1,000 fine, up to six months in jail) or, at the city attorney's discretion, an infraction ($100 first offense, $200 second offense within a year, $500 each further offense), plus the noise-nuisance declaration in Section 8.28.010(B) that lets the city pursue abatement as a public nuisance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a home backup generator covered by Westminster's noise code?
Is there an exception for a generator used during a power outage?
What noise level applies to a generator on residential property?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Westminster
California rules heatmap·Compare Westminster to another location·View the California noise from specific sources overview
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Generator Noise in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Orange County handle generator noise.