Chino Hills, CA Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)
Amplified music rules in Chino Hills, 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
- Nighttime cutoff
- 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
- Audibility test
- plainly audible at 25 feet
- Zones covered
- residential and mixed-use residential
- Open space amplified sound
- special event permit required
- Park amplified sound
- Community Services Director permit
- Enforcing section
- CHMC § 16.48.020(G)
Summary
Chino Hills treats amplified sound as a prima facie noise violation when it is plainly audible in a residential zone at night. Municipal Code Section 16.48.020(G)(1) makes it a violation to run a radio, stereo, loudspeaker, musical instrument, or similar amplified device between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. if it is plainly audible twenty-five feet from the source in or near a residential district.
G.Notwithstanding the foregoing, any of the following constitutes prima facie evidence of a violation of this section:1.The operation of any sound production or reproduction device, radio receiving set, musical instrument, drum, phonograph, television set, loudspeaker and sound amplifier or similar machine or device between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. in such a manner as to be plainly audible within any residential zoning district or within the residential portion of a mixed use zoning district and at a distance of twenty-five (25) feet from the building, property, or vehicle from which the offending noise is originating.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 61).
Full Breakdown
020(G) singles out sound equipment for a bright-line nighttime test that does not require a decibel meter. is prima facie evidence of a code violation if it is plainly audible, meaning audible to an unaided ear, at a distance of twenty-five feet from the building, property, or vehicle where it originates, and within, or bordering, a residential zoning district or the residential portion of a mixed-use district. is enough to shift the burden to the operator. Outside the noise chapter, the Municipal Code separately restricts amplified sound on city-owned open space and in city parks.
210 bars installing or operating a loudspeaker or sound amplifying equipment in City-Owned Open Space unless a special event permit authorizes it, and exempts only City, law enforcement, fire district, and animal control personnel performing official duties. 240 similarly makes it unlawful to run a loudspeaker or sound amplifying equipment in a City park for talks, addresses, or music without either a Community Services Director permit or authorization from law enforcement or park and recreation personnel; the Director weighs permit requests against free-speech rights, potential for disorder, and conflicts with other scheduled park uses. , or moves into City open space or park land without a permit.
Violations & Fines
A first amplified-sound violation is charged as an infraction under Chapter 1.36, punishable by a fine of up to one hundred dollars, rising to two hundred dollars for a second violation and five hundred dollars for a third within a year; a fourth violation in that period is prosecutable as a misdemeanor. Operating a loudspeaker in city open space or a park without the required permit is a separate violation of Section 12.32.210 or 12.40.240.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get cited for loud music without a decibel meter reading?
Do I need a permit to use a PA system or speakers at a park event?
Is amplified sound allowed on City-Owned Open Space trails?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chino Hills
California rules heatmap·Compare Chino Hills to another location·View the California noise ordinances overview
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Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Bernardino County handle amplified music & outdoor sound.