Santa Rosa, CA Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)

Article IV of Chapter 17-16 governs both commercial and noncommercial sound-amplifying equipment. Section 17-16.170 limits the content to 'either music or human speech, or both,' and sets the operating window at 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily except Sundays and legal holidays; commercial amplified sound is barred entirely on Sundays and holidays, while noncommercial use on those days is allowed only from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The City Manager or a designee can waive these hour restrictions for a specific event found unlikely to cause an unreasonable disturbance to neighboring uses.

On top of the hours, subsection (C) caps the sound level at '15 decibels above the ambient base noise level' set by Section 17-16.030, and subsection (D) creates a 200-foot buffer around churches, schools, and hospitals where amplified equipment can't run at all, regardless of the decibel reading. Before any of this applies, Section 17-16.180 requires anyone other than law enforcement or a government agency to file a registration statement with the Police Department at least three days before the planned use, listing the equipment's owner, wattage, expected decibel output, and audible range; the Police Department can disapprove a registration that would create a traffic-safety hazard or that would violate Section 17-16.170. A denied or revoked registration can be appealed in writing to the City Council under Section 17-16.200.