Inglewood, CA Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)
Amplified music rules in Inglewood, 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
- Permit required
- registration under Sec. 5-50
- Covers
- fixed, movable, vehicle-mounted speakers
- Exempt
- police and government personnel
- Related home-audio rule
- Sec. 5-34, 50-ft audibility
- Adopted
- Ord. 88-29, 9-13-88
Summary
Inglewood requires a registration statement approved under Section 5-50 before anyone besides police or government staff can operate a loudspeaker or sound-amplifying equipment on a street, sidewalk, park, or public property, per Municipal Code Section 5-35. The rule catches fixed and vehicle-mounted PA systems used for talks, addresses, or transmitting music to a crowd.
It shall be unlawful for any person, other than personnel of law enforcement or government agencies, to install, use, or operate within the City a loudspeaker or sound amplifying equipment in a fixed or movable position or mounted upon any vehicle for the purposes of giving instructions, directions, talks, addresses, lectures, or transmitting music to any persons or assemblages of persons in or upon any street, alley, sidewalk, park, or public property, unless a registration statement has been filed and approved pursuant to the provisions of Section 5-50 of this Article.
Full Breakdown
Section 5-35, part of the noise Article adopted by Ordinance 88-29 in 1988, targets publicly amplified sound rather than private home stereo use. It is unlawful for anyone other than law enforcement or government personnel to install, use, or operate a loudspeaker or sound-amplifying equipment, whether in a fixed position, a movable position, or mounted on a vehicle, for giving instructions, directions, talks, addresses, or lectures, or for transmitting music to persons or assemblages of persons in or upon a street, alley, sidewalk, park, or other public property.
Operating any such equipment for those purposes is prohibited unless a registration statement has first been filed and approved under Section 5-50 of the same Article, making the permit process a prerequisite rather than an after-the-fact defense. A related provision, Section 5-34, separately regulates private amplified sound, making it unlawful to play a radio, television, stereo, jukebox or similar device when it is audible fifty feet or more from its source or audible inside another residence, so a homeowner's speaker and a promoter's street-corner PA system are policed by two different sections of the same Article.
Violations & Fines
Operating a loudspeaker or amplified sound system on a street, sidewalk, park, or public property without an approved Section 5-50 registration statement is a violation of Section 5-35, enforced by the Inglewood Police Department, which can order the equipment shut down on the spot. A separate citation applies under the general noise-nuisance provisions of this Article, and repeat unregistered use of the same equipment at public gatherings can lead to denial of future registration requests.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to use a PA system on an Inglewood street?
Does this rule cover music trucks or vehicle-mounted speakers?
Is home stereo noise covered by the same rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Inglewood
California rules heatmap·Compare Inglewood to another location·View the California noise ordinances overview
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Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle amplified music & outdoor sound.