Fontana, CA Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)
Amplified music rules in Fontana, 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
- Amplified sound standard
- Loud/excessive noise heard 50+ ft, disturbs neighbors
- Sound truck hours
- 11:30am-1:30pm and 4:30-6:30pm only
- Max amplifier power
- 15 watts, final amplification stage
- Audibility limit
- Not audible beyond 100 feet from truck
- Buffer zone
- 100 yards from hospitals, schools, churches, courts
- Registration
- Filed with license collector before operating
- Penalty
- Infraction ($500) or misdemeanor ($1,000/6 months)
Summary
Fontana bans sound amplifying equipment, from stereos to loudspeakers, that creates loud, excessive or intrusive noise heard 50 feet beyond the property line and disturbs an ordinary person's peace. Personal-use radios played entirely inside a building or car stereos heard only by vehicle occupants are exempt. Mobile sound trucks need a city registration and strict hourly and volume caps.
(2)Sound amplifying equipment. The use or operation of any radio receiving set, musical instrument, phonograph, loudspeaker, sound amplifier or any other machine or device in a manner that creates loud, excessive, impulsive or intrusive noise that annoys or disturbs a person of ordinary sensibilities. Such sound amplifying equipment shall not be construed to include electronic devices, including, but not limited to, radios, tape players, tape recorders, compact disc players, MP3 players, electric keyboards, music synthesizers, record players or televisions, which are designed and operated for personal use, or used entirely within a building and are not designed or used to convey the human voice, music or any other sound to an audience outside such building, or which are used in vehicles and heard only by occupants of the vehicle in which installed.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 64 | Zoning and Development Code: Supplement 17).
Full Breakdown
Fontana's noise article treats any sound amplifying device, radios, phonographs, loudspeakers, PA systems and similar equipment, as unlawful when it creates loud, excessive, impulsive or intrusive noise audible 50 feet or more from the property line and disturbing to a person of ordinary sensibilities (Sec. 18-63(a)-(b)). Sec. 18-61 defines 'sound amplifying equipment' to exclude personal-use devices played entirely inside a building and car stereos heard only by the vehicle's own occupants, so an indoor stereo or a car radio with the windows up generally falls outside the rule.
Mobile sound trucks are regulated more tightly under Sec. 18-64: before operating one for noncommercial purposes, the operator must file a duplicate written registration with the license collector listing the owner, operator, vehicle, purpose and proposed hours, and must carry the certified copy for display to police. , with no operation at all on Sundays or legal holidays. The truck must keep moving at 10 mph or faster except when stopped by traffic, and may not run sound for more than one minute at a stop.
Sound may not be issued within 100 yards of a hospital, school, church or courthouse, must not be audible beyond 100 feet from the truck, and the amplifier's final stage is capped at 15 watts. A downtown zone bounded by Randall Avenue, Juniper Avenue, Foothill Boulevard and Mango Avenue is off-limits entirely. Commercial advertising by sound truck additionally requires a free license under Sec. 18-65, following the same Sec. 18-64(d) limits.
Violations & Fines
Violating the noise article is an infraction or misdemeanor under Sec. 18-62(b) and Sec. 1-7: up to $500 for an infraction, or a $1,000 fine plus up to six months in jail for a misdemeanor, at the city attorney's discretion. The city may also issue a separate administrative fine under Sec. 2-442 in addition to any criminal penalty.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I play loud music in my backyard in Fontana?
Do I need a permit to drive a sound truck advertising my business?
Is a car stereo exempt from Fontana's noise law?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fontana
California rules heatmap·Compare Fontana 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.