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

Chico Municipal Code § 19.44.020, Table 4-6 (commercial/office zoning) note (5), mirrored for residential-adjacent uses at § 19.42.020, Table 4-2, requires a discretionary use permit, not just a zoning clearance, for any business within 300 feet of a residential district that allows amplified music or operates between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. That's on top of Chico's general noise ordinance: Chapter 9.38 exempts amplified sound at special events only if no mechanical or amplifying equipment is used at all, and a public-property special event that does use amplifying equipment needs a separate public works director permit under § 9.38.080. Within the Civic Center specifically, amplified sound is barred outright without prior written city manager approval under § 9.43.100.