Montebello, CA Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)
Amplified music rules in Montebello, 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
- Sound truck hours
- 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. only
- Buffer zone
- 200 feet from churches, schools, hospitals
- Governing sections
- Municipal Code §§ 9.08.030, 9.08.050(C)
- Car radio exemption
- Standard radios heard only inside vehicle
- Permitted-event exemption
- Outdoor entertainment under an issued permit
Summary
In the City of Montebello, Municipal Code Section 9.08.050(C) confines sound-truck amplified equipment to the hours between 10:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. and bars its use within 200 feet of churches, schools, hospitals, or city or county buildings at any time. Section 9.08.030 defines 'sound amplifying equipment' broadly but exempts ordinary car radios heard only inside the vehicle.
"Sound amplifying equipment" means any machine or device for the amplification of the human voice, music, or any other sound. "Sound amplifying equipment" shall not include standard automobile radios when used and heard only by the occupants of the vehicle in which the automobile radio is installed. ... C.Sound Trucks, Etc. The use of sound amplifying equipment on a sound truck between the hours of nine p.m. and ten a.m. each day, and the use of said equipment within two hundred feet of churches, schools, hospitals, or city or county buildings;
Full Breakdown
Section 9.08.050(C), within Chapter 9.08's list of loud or raucous noises, restricts sound trucks: any vehicle carrying sound amplifying equipment may not run that equipment between 9:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m., and may never run it within 200 feet of a church, school, hospital, or city or county building regardless of the hour. Section 9.08.030 defines 'sound amplifying equipment' as any machine or device for amplifying the human voice, music or any other sound, but the definition carves out standard automobile radios when heard only by the vehicle's own occupants, and it also excludes emergency-vehicle warning devices and traffic-safety horns.
A 'sound truck' is defined as any motor vehicle or other vehicle, moving or stationary, with such equipment mounted or attached. Amplified sound used for occasional outdoor entertainment, including outdoor dancing, live or recorded music, and show, sporting or entertainment events, is exempted from Chapter 9.08 under Section 9.08.040(A), but only when the event is conducted under the terms of a permit issued for it, so a block party or concert without the required permit gets no exemption. Section 9.08.060 sets the penalty for a Section 9.08.050(C) violation the same as any other noise offense: a misdemeanor or an infraction at the prosecuting authority's discretion, with each incident a separate offense and a service fee for repeated calls to the same address within 24 hours.
Violations & Fines
Running sound-amplifying equipment on a sound truck outside the 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. window, or within 200 feet of a church, school, hospital or government building at any hour, violates Section 9.08.050(C) and is a misdemeanor or infraction under Section 9.08.060(A). Repeated complaints to the same location within 24 hours can trigger a police service fee, and chronic violations may be abated as a nuisance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a sound truck advertise with amplified sound at night in Montebello?
Does a normal car radio count as 'sound amplifying equipment' under Montebello's code?
Is amplified music allowed at an outdoor festival in Montebello?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Montebello
California rules heatmap·Compare Montebello to another location·View the California noise ordinances overview
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