Cathedral City, CA Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)

Section 11.96.030(A)(6) of the Cathedral City Municipal Code makes it unlawful to produce, suffer or allow noise or sounds above the dB(A) levels in its table. The table does not single out music, so a speaker, a DJ rig or a live band in Cathedral City is tested against the same numbers as any other source. Exterior noise is measured at the lot line of the lot where the sound is coming from. If the measurement location sits on the boundary between two noise zones, the lower standard applies. Interior noise is measured at least four feet from the wall, floor, or ceiling nearest the source, with all windows, doors and other openings to the exterior closed. When the ambient level already exceeds the table, no one can produce sound above the ambient level.

The printed limits are residential exterior 65 (7 a.m. to 10 p.m.) and 50 (10 p.m. to 7 a.m.), residential interior 50 and 40 for the same two periods, and commercial and industrial exterior 85 and 55. Noises caused by motor vehicles or trains are exempt from the table, so a car stereo is handled under § 11.96.040 instead.

The police department and the code compliance division jointly administer the chapter under § 11.96.080. An enforcement officer can hand the responsible person a written notice demanding immediate abatement. That notice warns that a second violation of the same provision within a seventy-two-hour period can bring a criminal citation, a notice of public nuisance, criminal and civil penalties, and confiscation of the equipment. A peace officer who finds the second violation inside that window is empowered to confiscate and impound as evidence any or all of the components amplifying or transmitting the sound. An owner who wants the gear back files a written request with the police department within seven calendar days of the confiscation.

Two carve-outs matter for events. Section 11.96.030(G) says the section does not apply to noise from a city operated or sponsored special event, or other events held on public property where the operator has obtained all necessary permits and approvals. Section 11.96.060(C) also exempts outdoor gatherings, public dances, shows and sporting and entertainment events provided the city authorizes them.