Redwood City, CA Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)
Amplified music rules in Redwood City, 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
- Decibel threshold
- 10 dB above ambient sound
- Measurement point
- 100 feet from property line
- Permitted hours before triggering permit
- 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
- Grace period
- 5 minutes without a permit
- Deciding official
- Parks, Recreation and Community Services Director
- Penalty
- Infraction under Sec. 1.7B
Summary
Amplified music or loudspeakers at Courthouse Square events cannot run more than 10 decibels above ambient sound, measured 100 feet from the property line, for more than five minutes between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. Going over that threshold triggers a mandatory City event permit under Code Sec. 33A.41.
An event permit is required for any activity in the Courthouse Square under one (1) or more of the following circumstances:
A.The activity requires, or is reasonably likely to require, City services including but not limited to: set up and/or clean up; police or fire protection; utilities such as electricity;B.The activity includes the placement of any temporary structure, including but not limited to any sign, stage, booth, canopy, barrier, fence, table, chair, tent, or membrane structure;C.The activity includes, but is not limited to:1.Driving or placing vehicles (e.g., cars, trucks, vans) onto the Courthouse Square Special Event Area;2.Using amplified equipment, loud speaker, or other device ten (10) decibels above local ambient sound measured one hundred (100) feet from the Courthouse Square property line for more than five (5) minutes between the hours of seven o'clock (7:00) A.M. to eleven o'clock (11:00) P.M. every day per organization;
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Zoning Code: Supplement 29 | City Code: Supplement 61 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Redwood City's downtown Courthouse Square is governed by its own event-permit chapter, separate from the general block-party and special-event rules elsewhere in Chapter 33A. Sec. , per organization, requires a permit. Conduct rules layered on top of the permit system separately ban using or playing any loudspeaker or amplifier at Courthouse Square without a permit at all (Sec. 39(J)). Permit applicants must describe their sound equipment in the application (Sec. 45(A)(6)) and the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Director decides whether to grant the permit based on compatibility with the Square, avoidance of scheduling conflicts, and no unreasonable adverse impact on the surrounding area (Sec.
46). The City Manager or a designee can attach time, place, and manner conditions to any Courthouse Square permit, including conditions on sound, as long as they do not unreasonably restrict constitutionally protected expressive activity (Sec. 40).
Violations & Fines
A permittee who exceeds a sound condition, or anyone who uses amplified equipment or a loudspeaker at Courthouse Square without a permit, is in violation of Chapter 33A. The Parks, Recreation and Community Services Director can revoke the permit for a condition violation (Sec. 33A.48), and any intentional violation of the chapter or a permit's terms is an infraction punishable under Chapter 1, Article 1, Section 1.7B (Sec. 33A.52).
Frequently Asked Questions
How loud can amplified sound be at Courthouse Square before a permit is required?
Can I use a loudspeaker at Courthouse Square without any permit?
Who can revoke a Courthouse Square permit for a sound violation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Redwood City
California rules heatmap·Compare Redwood City to another location·View the California noise ordinances overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Mateo County handle amplified music & outdoor sound.