Murrieta, CA Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)
Amplified music rules in Murrieta, 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 cap
- 95 dBA at customer area
- Exception
- Posted hearing-impairment warning sign
- Measurement
- Slow-response A-weighted meter
- Pure-tone penalty
- Extra 5 dB reduction, §16.30.110
- Enforcement
- Code enforcement officer, §16.30.040
Summary
Murrieta caps amplified sound in any place of public entertainment, including bars, radios, phonographs, and musical instruments, at 95 dBA measured at any point a customer normally occupies, unless the venue posts a hearing-impairment warning sign at every public entrance under Section 16.30.130(D).
D. Places of Public Entertainment. Operating, playing, or permitting the operation or playing of a radio, television, phonograph, drum, musical instrument, sound amplifier or similar device that produces, reproduces, or amplifies sound in a place of public entertainment at a sound level greater than ninety-five (95) dBA, (read by the slow response on a sound level meter) at any point that is normally occupied by a customer is prohibited, unless conspicuous signs are located near each public entrance stating, "Warning: Sound Levels Within May Cause Hearing Impairment."
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-23: A Codification of the General Ordinances of the City of Murrieta, California through Ord. 634-26, passed 7-7-2026).
Full Breakdown
120 fixes the microphone at four to five feet above the ground and at least ten feet from the nearest reflective surface. 110 adds a further five-decibel reduction to the allowed level whenever the sound in question is a pure tone or impulsive noise, which tightens the ceiling for a venue playing music with a strong tonal component. 040 assigns the code enforcement officer responsibility for taking the sound-level measurements needed to prove a violation.
Violations & Fines
A first violation of the 95 dBA amplified-sound cap draws a written correction notice under Section 16.30.050 rather than a citation, so long as the operator fixes the noise level or posts the required warning sign within the stated deadline. An uncorrected or repeat violation is an infraction under Section 1.08.050: $100 for a first conviction, $200 for a second, $500 for a third within a year, elevating to a misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000 or six months in jail on a third conviction of the same violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a bar in Murrieta play loud amplified music?
Does the 95 dBA limit apply to live bands too?
Is the noise limit lower for certain kinds of sound?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Murrieta
California rules heatmap·Compare Murrieta to another location·View the California noise ordinances overview
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