Amplified music rules in Kern County, CA — also called sound permit, PA system, or live music ordinances — set decibel limits, time-of-day restrictions, and when permits are required.
Section 8.36.020 of the Kern County Code prohibits operating any public address system or sound equipment when the sound emanates beyond the confines of a permanent building to a degree that constitutes 'loud and raucous noise,' or when used to promote any private affair, business, or commercial enterprise.
Under Kern County Code § 8.36.020, it is unlawful to operate any public address system in any event when the sound emanating therefrom can be heard beyond the confines of any permanent building to such degree that such sound constitutes a 'loud and raucous noise.' The same section also bars operation of any public address system when the sound can be heard beyond the confines of a permanent building if such operation constitutes the promotion or advertisement of any private affair or business or commercial enterprise. 'Public address system' or 'sound equipment' is defined broadly in § 8.36.010 to mean any mechanical and/or electrical device for the reproduction, amplification or broadcasting of the human voice, music, or any other sound whatsoever — covering loudspeakers, DJ rigs, megaphones, and commercial sound trucks. The 'loud and raucous' definition (volume, intensity or carrying power interfering with the reasonable and quiet comfortable enjoyment of life or property) is what triggers enforcement; there is no decibel threshold in the chapter.
Violations are county-code offenses prosecutable as infractions or misdemeanors under Title 1 of the Kern County Code. The Sheriff's Office issues citations per § 1.12.010 using California Penal Code citation-release procedures.
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