Tracy, CA Noise from Specific Sources: HVAC & Mechanical Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Residential zone limit
- 55 dB at property line
- Commercial zone limit
- 65 dB at property line
- Industrial/Ag/AMO limit
- 75 dB at property line
- Enforcing official
- Community Development Director
- Max civil penalty
- $1,000 per violation per day
- Variance path
- Planning Commission hearing, Sec. 4.12.790
Summary
Air conditioners, condensers, heat pumps, and other permanent mechanical equipment in Tracy fall under the city's noise control ordinance, which caps the one-hour average sound level measured at the property line: 55 decibels in residential zones, 65 in commercial zones, and 75 in industrial and agricultural zones. HVAC equipment gets no time-of-day or minor-maintenance exemption.
Except for exempted activities and sounds as provided in this chapter or exempted properties as referenced in Section 4.12.800, it shall be unlawful for any person to cause or allow the creation of any noise to the extent that the one-hour average sound level, at any point on or beyond the boundaries of the property in the applicable Base District Zone on which the sound is produced exceeds the applicable limits set forth below: Base District Zone Sound Level Limits (Decibels) 1. Residential Districts: 55 ... 2. Commercial Districts: 65 ... 3. Industrial Districts: 75 4. A (Agricultural) 75 5. AMO Aggregate Mineral 75 Overlay Zone
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 69).
Full Breakdown
750: 55 dB for Residential Estate, Low Density, Medium Density, High Density and Mobile Home zones; 65 dB for Medical Office, Professional Office, Community Shopping, Neighborhood Shopping, Central Business District, General Highway and Highway Service commercial zones; and 75 dB for Light and Heavy Industrial, Agricultural, and the Aggregate Mineral Overlay zones. 770 applies the arithmetic mean of the two zones' limits. A running AC condenser, heat pump, or rooftop mechanical unit is measured against these limits at any point on or beyond the property boundary.
m. Permanent mechanical equipment like HVAC condensers is not on either exemption list, so it must comply with the zone limit at all hours. 750 decibel limit creates a rebuttable presumption of no violation. 790.
Violations & Fines
A noise violation under Chapter 4.12 is a criminal infraction or misdemeanor under Section 1.16.020, prosecutable by the City Attorney or District Attorney with discretion to charge it as an infraction. The City may instead pursue civil enforcement under Section 1.16.060(b), which authorizes a court to assess a civil penalty of up to $1,000 per violation for each day the noise continues. The City can also issue an administrative citation under Chapter 1.28, with the fine amount set by a Council-adopted fee schedule and due within 30 days; a cited owner may request a hearing to contest the citation within that same 30-day window.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Tracy regulate noise from home air conditioners?
What decibel limit applies to a commercial rooftop AC unit in Tracy?
Can a business get an exception for loud mechanical equipment?
What happens if a neighbor's HVAC unit is measured over the limit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tracy
California rules heatmap·Compare Tracy to another location·View the California noise from specific sources overview
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