Camarillo, CA Noise from Specific Sources: HVAC & Mechanical Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Nighttime residential limit
- 45 dBA, 9 p.m.-7 a.m.
- Daytime residential limit
- 55 dBA, 7 a.m.-9 p.m.
- Governing section
- Municipal Code Sec. 10.34.110(D)
- Pure-tone correction
- minus 5 dBA (Sec. 10.34.060)
- Variance fee
- $25, capped at 60 days
- First-offense penalty
- misdemeanor, up to $1,000 fine
Summary
Camarillo prohibits air conditioners, fans, pumps and other mechanical equipment from creating noise that violates the city's noise standards under Municipal Code Sec. 10.34.110(D). For residential properties those standards cap exterior sound at 45 dBA between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. and 55 dBA during the day under Sec. 10.34.040. The community development director enforces the rule and can order abatement.
D.Machinery, Equipment, Fans and Air-Conditioning. It is unlawful for any person to operate any machinery, equipment, pump, fan, air-conditioning apparatus, or similar mechanical device so as to create any noise which violates the provisions of Sections 10.34.040, 10.34.050, or 10.34.060.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 27 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
110(D) of the noise chapter makes it unlawful for any person to operate machinery, equipment, a pump, fan or air-conditioning apparatus so it creates noise that violates the exterior standards in Sec. 040, the interior standards in Sec. 050, or the pure-tone correction in Sec. 060. , and a rooftop AC condenser or pool pump that pushes ambient sound five dBA over those limits for more than 20 minutes in an hour is also a violation under the graduated Standard No. 1/2/3 test in Sec.
040(B). If the compressor emits a pure tone or impulsive whine, Sec. 060 shaves five decibels off the allowable level before comparing it to the standard, making tonal HVAC hums easier to cite than broadband noise. Measurements are taken under Sec. 070 with the microphone four to five feet above ground and at least ten feet from a reflective wall or fence. A property owner cited under this chapter can apply to the director for a variance under Sec. 140 for a fee of twenty-five dollars, capped at sixty days, while working out a fix such as relocating or baffling the unit.
Violations & Fines
A first HVAC noise citation is treated as a misdemeanor under Sec. 1.12.060, punishable by up to a $1,000 fine and six months in jail, unless the city attorney or a code enforcement officer reduces it to an infraction under Sec. 1.12.070, which carries escalating fines of $100, $200 and $500 for repeat violations of the same section within a year. The director may instead issue an abatement order giving the owner a reasonable window to quiet the equipment, and a persistently noisy unit can be declared a public nuisance subject to injunction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I be cited for a noisy air conditioner in Camarillo?
What time can HVAC equipment run loudly in Camarillo?
How does Camarillo measure equipment noise complaints?
Can I get a variance for an existing noisy air conditioner?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Camarillo
California rules heatmap·Compare Camarillo to another location·View the California noise from specific sources overview
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