Fresno, CA Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)
Amplified music rules in Fresno, 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
- Code Section
- Fresno Municipal Code sec. 10-105(a), 10-108
- Registration
- File with Controller 5 days before use (sec. 10-108(a))
- Permitted hours
- 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. only (sec. 10-108(f)(2))
- Volume cap
- Not more than 15 dB above ambient at any property line
- Buffer zone
- No operation within 200 ft of churches, schools, or hospitals
- Car radio exemption
- Standard auto radios heard only by occupants excluded (sec. 10-102(m))
Summary
Fresno Municipal Code section 10-105(a) treats radios, instruments, phonographs, and amplification devices as regulated noise sources, and section 10-108 requires anyone using a loudspeaker or sound amplifying equipment in a public place to file a registration statement and obtain approval. Amplified sound may operate only 7 AM-10 PM, must not exceed 15 dB above ambient at any property line, and is barred within 200 feet of churches, schools, or hospitals.
SEC. 10-108. - PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS. No person, other than personnel of law enforcement or governmental agencies, shall install, use or operate within the city a loudspeaker or sound amplifying equipment in a fixed or movable position or mounted upon any sound truck for the purposes of giving instructions, directions, talks, addresses, lectures or transmitting music to any person or assemblages of persons in or upon any street, alley, sidewalk, park or other public property without first filing a registration statement and obtaining approval thereof as set forth in this section. ... (f) Regulations. ... (1) The only sound permitted shall be either music or human speech, or both. (2) The operation of such sound amplifying equipment shall only occur between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. each day. (3) No sound emanating from such sound amplifying equipment shall exceed fifteen decibels above the ambient noise as measured at any property line. (4) ... such sound amplifying equipment shall not be operated within two hundred feet of churches, schools or hospitals.
Full Breakdown
Two sections govern amplified music in Fresno. Section 10-105(a) lists 'radios, musical instruments, phonographs, television sets, or other machines or devices used for the amplification, production, or reproduction of sound or the human voice' among the noise sources subject to the general excessive-noise prohibition. ' Operators must file with the Controller five days in advance disclosing wattage, decibel volume, audible distance, and dates/times. ' Standard car radios heard only by vehicle occupants are excluded from the definition of 'sound amplifying equipment' under section 10-102(m).
Violations & Fines
Operating without an approved registration statement, or outside the section 10-108(f) limits, is a Noise Ordinance violation enforceable as an infraction and abatable as a public nuisance under section 10-111. Infraction fines escalate to $500 for repeat violations within a year under FMC 1-304(c).
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to use a PA system at a public event in Fresno?
What hours can amplified sound be used?
Are car stereos covered?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fresno
California rules heatmap·Compare Fresno to another location·View the California noise ordinances overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Fresno County handle amplified music & outdoor sound.