Amplified music rules in Hawthorne, CA — also called sound permit, PA system, or live music ordinances — set decibel limits, time-of-day restrictions, and when permits are required.
Hawthorne prohibits operating any radio, stereo, instrument, loudspeaker, or sound amplifier so as to disturb the peace and comfort of a reasonable person in any residential or public area. Operation between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m. that is plainly audible 50 feet from the building, structure, or vehicle is prima facie evidence of a violation under Ordinance No. 2138.
The Public Nuisance Noise section of Hawthorne's re-enacted Noise Regulations chapter (Ordinance No. 2138) governs amplified sound. It makes it unlawful to use, operate, or permit to be played any sound production or reproduction device, radio, musical instrument, drums, phonograph, television set, loudspeakers, or sound amplifiers in a manner that disturbs the peace, quiet, and comfort of any reasonable person of normal sensitivity in any residential or public area. The ordinance establishes a clear nighttime bright-line test: operating any such device between 10:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. in a manner plainly audible 50 feet from the building, structure, or vehicle in which it is located is prima facie evidence of a violation. Participants in a duly licensed parade, or anyone otherwise duly authorized by the City, are exempt. For stationary sound sources, the chapter's objective one-hour average sound level limits (60 dBA daytime / 50 dBA nighttime in residential areas) also apply; for music with a fluctuating level, the peak decibel reading is treated as the noise level for the entire period of the noise. As an incorporated city, Hawthorne's own rule controls amplified-sound complaints within city limits.
Amplified-music violations are enforced under the Hawthorne Municipal Code penalties through Code Enforcement and police. The 50-foot/10 p.m.-8 a.m. audibility standard provides prima facie evidence. Repeat police responses to a continuing disturbance can be billed up to $1,500 per subsequent response.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
hawthorne-ca
Hawthorne runs a mandatory organic-waste program under California SB 1383: residents must keep food scraps, food-soiled paper, and yard/green waste out of th...
hawthorne-ca
Hawthorne does not ban artificial turf, but its Water Efficient Landscaping ordinance treats synthetic turf differently from living plants, and residential d...
hawthorne-ca
Hawthorne does not mandate native plants, but its Water Efficient Landscaping ordinance pushes new and rehabilitated landscapes toward low-water, climate-app...
hawthorne-ca
Hawthorne has no ordinance restricting rain barrels or cisterns, and the city encourages conservation. Rainwater collection is governed mainly by California ...
hawthorne-ca
Hawthorne's Water Conservation Program assigns watering days by address parity and limits landscape irrigation to before 8 a.m. and after 6 p.m., not within ...
hawthorne-ca
Hawthorne abates weeds and unsafe vegetation under its nuisance and property-maintenance rules. Dead, decayed, diseased, or hazardous trees and weeds - and o...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Los Angeles County.
See how other cities in Los Angeles County handle amplified music & events.
See how Hawthorne's amplified music & events rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.