Ridgecrest, CA Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)
Amplified music rules in Ridgecrest, 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
- Applies to
- Ridgecrest Commercial Specific Plan area only
- PA volume rule
- Low volume, 10 p.m.–7 a.m.
- Gas stations
- Outdoor PA systems banned outright
- Administered by
- City public services director
- Default penalty
- Misdemeanor unless declared infraction
Summary
Inside the Ridgecrest Commercial Specific Plan zone at Bowman Road and South China Lake Boulevard, outdoor public address systems must run on low volume between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., and automobile service stations there may not use outdoor PA systems at all.
The operation of any facility within the specific plan area shall comply with Environmental Standards H-1 to H-3, along with the noise standards contained in the noise element of the Ridgecrest General Plan. Outdoor public address systems, where permitted, shall be on low volume during the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 6).
Full Breakdown
Ridgecrest Municipal Code § 106-575, the zoning ordinance for the city's Commercial Specific Plan area in Kern County, ties amplified-sound use to Environmental Standards H-1 through H-3 and the noise element of the city general plan, then adds a specific hours-and-volume rule: any outdoor public address system permitted in the specific plan area must stay on low volume from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. A separate provision for automobile service stations within the same specific plan bans outdoor PA systems outright. This standard applies only within the specific plan boundary, not citywide; the general municipal code carries no separate amplified-sound ordinance.
Violations & Fines
The specific plan section itself sets no dedicated penalty; under Ridgecrest City Code § 1-93, a code violation is a misdemeanor unless an ordinance declares it an infraction, and the public services director administers specific plan compliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Ridgecrest limit amplified sound at businesses?
Is this a citywide Ridgecrest noise rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ridgecrest
California rules heatmap·Compare Ridgecrest to another location·View the California noise ordinances overview
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Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Kern County handle amplified music & outdoor sound.