Glenn County, CA Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)
Amplified music rules in Glenn County, 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
- Restricted hours
- 10pm-7am (11pm Fri/Sat-7am)
- Outdoor buffer
- 25 feet, convenient-hearing standard
- Prima facie test
- Audible at 50 feet from source
- Max penalty
- $500 fine and/or 6 months jail
- Adopted
- Ord. 1322, January 24, 2023
Summary
From 10 p.m. (11 p.m. Friday and Saturday) to 7 a.m., unincorporated Glenn County bars playing radios, stereos or other audio equipment loud enough to disturb neighbors, and sound audible 50 feet from the source is automatic proof of a violation.
Between the hours of 10:00 p.m. (11:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday) and 7:00 a.m. no person shall ... Use, operate or permit to be played, any Audio Equipment in such a manner as to disturb the peace, quiet and comfort of neighboring residential inhabitants with volume louder than is necessary for convenient hearing for the persons who are in the room, vehicle, chamber, residence or building, in which such machine or device is operating or within twenty-five (25) feet of the machine or device if operated outside. The operation of any such machine or device in such a manner as to be plainly audible at a distance of fifty (50) feet from the residential building, structure or vehicle in which it is located or at a distance of fifty (50) feet from the machine or device if operated outside, shall be prima facie evidence of a violation of this chapter.
Full Breakdown
m. in a manner that disturbs the peace, quiet and comfort of neighboring residential inhabitants, measured against volume louder than necessary for convenient hearing by occupants of the room, vehicle, chamber, residence or building where the device operates, or within 25 feet of the device if it is operated outdoors. The ordinance builds in a bright-line test: sound plainly audible at 50 feet from the residential building, structure or vehicle where the equipment is located (or from the device itself, if operated outside) is treated as prima facie evidence of a violation, so deputies do not need a meter reading to cite someone.
020(B) defines 'Audio Equipment' broadly, covering radios, musical instruments, phonographs, stereos, tape players, CD players, MP3 players, televisions or any other device that produces or reproduces sound, so a live band, a home theater system and a boombox are all covered equally. 010 states the County's broader policy of prohibiting unnecessary, excessive and annoying noise from all sources subject to its police power, which frames how deputies exercise judgment outside the bright-line hours.
Violations & Fines
Under Section 10.25.050, any violation of Chapter 10.25 is chargeable as an infraction or a misdemeanor, with a maximum penalty of a $500 fine, up to six months' imprisonment, or both. There is no separate warning requirement before a citation issues once the 50-foot test is met during restricted hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time does Glenn County's amplified sound curfew start?
How do deputies prove a noise violation without a decibel meter?
Does the amplified sound rule cover live music, not just stereos?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Glenn County
California rules heatmap·Compare Glenn County to another location·View the California noise ordinances overview
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