San Diego County, CA Noise from Specific Sources: HVAC & Mechanical Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing rule
- County Code § 36.404, general limits
- Residential daytime limit
- 50 dBA at property line
- Residential nighttime limit
- 45 dBA, 10 p.m.-7 a.m.
- HVAC exemption
- None: no time-of-day carve-out
- Enforcement
- Noise control officer / Dept. of PDS
Summary
Unincorporated San Diego County caps air conditioner, heat pump, and other mechanical equipment noise under the county's general sound level ordinance: 50 dBA daytime and 45 dBA nighttime at the property line in most residential zones.
Except as provided in section 36.409 of this chapter, it shall be unlawful for any person to cause or allow the creation of any noise, which exceeds the one-hour average sound level limits in Table 36.404, when the one-hour average sound level is measured at the property line of the property on which the noise is produced or at any location on a property that is receiving the noise.
TABLE 36.404 SOUND LEVEL LIMITS IN DECIBELS (dBA) ZONE TIME ONE-HOUR AVERAGE SOUND LEVEL LIMITS (dBA) ONE- HOUR AVERAGE ZONE TIME SOUND LEVEL LIMITS (dBA)
7 a.m.
(1) RS, RD, RR, RMH, A70, A72, S80, S81, S90, S92, RV, and RU with a to 10 50 General Plan Land Use Designation density of less than 10.9 dwelling units p.m. per acre. 10 p.m.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-141: Administrative: Current through Ord. No. 11007 (N.S.), effective 7-10-26 | Regulatory: Current through Ord. No. 11008 (N.S.), effective 7-24-26).
Full Breakdown
San Diego County's noise ordinance (County Code § 36.404) sets one-hour average sound level limits by zone, applied to any noise source, including air conditioners, heat pumps, and other mechanical equipment, measured at the property line. In the county's lowest-density residential zones (RS, RD, RR and similar), the limit is 50 dBA from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and 45 dBA from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. Unlike routine property maintenance or agricultural equipment, HVAC units get no time-of-day exemption under § 36.417(b), so a noisy condenser can violate the ordinance any hour it runs.
Violations & Fines
A violation of § 36.404 is enforced as a general county code violation: punishable as a misdemeanor (up to $1,000 fine and/or six months in jail) under § 11.116, though prosecutors have discretion to charge it as an infraction instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I run my air conditioner at night in unincorporated San Diego County?
Is HVAC noise exempt from San Diego County's noise ordinance like lawn care is?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Diego County
California rules heatmap·Compare San Diego County to another location·View the California noise from specific sources overview
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