Riverside County, CA Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)
Amplified music rules in Riverside County, CA, also called sound permit, PA system, or live music ordinances, set decibel limits, time-of-day restrictions, and when permits are required.
Key Facts
- Quiet hours
- 10 p.m. to 8 a.m., no exceptions
- Daytime audibility limit
- Not audible beyond 200 feet
- Citation
- Riverside County Code § 9.52.060(D)
- First-offense fine
- $500 minimum, rises to $1,000
- Enforcement
- Sheriff and code enforcement
Summary
Live music and amplified sound outdoors in unincorporated Riverside County must stop between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m., and at other times can't carry beyond 200 feet from the source.
D. Sound-Amplifying Equipment and Live Music. No person shall install, use or operate sound-amplifying equipment, or perform, or allow to be performed, live music unless such activities comply with the following requirements... 1. Sound-amplifying equipment or live music is prohibited between the hours of ten p.m. and eight a.m. 2. Sound emanating from sound-amplifying equipment or live music at any other time shall not be audible to the human ear at a distance greater than two hundred (200) feet from the equipment or music.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 84 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Riverside County Code § 9.52.060(D) bans sound-amplifying equipment and live music in the unincorporated county between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m. outright. During permitted hours, the sound can't be audible to the human ear more than 200 feet from the speakers or performers. These rules stack on top of the general Table 1 decibel limits in Section 9.52.040 and any land use permit conditions. The sheriff and code enforcement handle violations under Section 9.52.100: a $500 minimum fine for a first offense in 180 days, $750 for a second, and $1,000 or up to six months in jail for a third. Operators can apply for a single-event or continuous-events exception through the planning director.
Violations & Fines
First violation in 180 days: $500 minimum fine (infraction). Second: $750. Third or more: $1,000 minimum fine or up to six months in county jail, charged as a misdemeanor; each day counts separately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I play live music outdoors after 10 p.m. in unincorporated Riverside County?
How far can amplified music carry during the day in unincorporated Riverside County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Riverside County
California rules heatmap·Compare Riverside County to another location·View the California noise ordinances overview
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