Berkeley, CA Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Interior night limit
- 40 dBA, 10 p.m.-7 a.m.
- Interior day limit
- 45 dBA, 7 a.m.-10 p.m.
- Governing table
- Table 13.40-2, BMC 13.40.060
- Exceedance cap
- +10 dBA never allowed, any duration
- Enforcing agency
- Environmental Health Division
Summary
Berkeley caps noise crossing into a neighboring multi-family unit at 40 dBA overnight and 45 dBA during the day under BMC 13.40.060, measured with graduated exceedance rules that scale allowed decibel overages against how long the sound lasts.
Maximum Permissible Dwelling Interior Sound Levels. The interior noise standards for multi-family residential dwellings as presented in Table 13.40-2 shall apply, unless otherwise specifically indicated in other codes, within all such dwellings with windows in their normal seasonal configuration... All: 10:00 p.m. - 7:00 a.m.: 40 [dBA]; 7:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.: 45 [dBA]... No person shall operate or cause to be operated within a multi-family dwelling unit any source of sound or allow the creation of any noise which causes the sound level when measured inside a neighboring dwelling unit to exceed: (a) The noise standard as specified in Table 13.40-2 for a cumulative period of more than 5 minutes in any hour.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 8031-NS, passed July 28, 2026).
Full Breakdown
, measured inside a neighboring unit with windows in their normal seasonal configuration. 2 layers on a graduated exceedance test: a source cannot push the sound above the table standard for more than five cumulative minutes in any hour, above the standard plus 5 dBA for more than one minute in any hour, or above the standard plus 10 dBA for any period at all. 3 applies the same three-tier test to the ambient level instead, so a unit in an already-noisy building is judged against its real baseline rather than the flat table number. nighttime period.
Violations & Fines
A violation of the interior noise standard is enforced under the same procedure as other Chapter 13.40 offenses: a noise control officer investigates after a citizen complaint, issues a warning, and a citation follows only if the violation persists or recurs within eight hours, per 13.40.030(C). Violations are charged as a misdemeanor or infraction at the City's discretion and are punishable under BMC Chapter 1.20; the underlying conduct is also declared a public nuisance abatable under BMC 11.40.010 through 11.44.030.
Frequently Asked Questions
How loud can a Berkeley neighbor be at night?
Is a brief loud noise from a neighbor automatically a violation?
Do Berkeley's decibel limits differ for outdoor noise?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Berkeley
California rules heatmap·Compare Berkeley to another location·View the California noise ordinances overview
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Decibel Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Alameda County handle decibel limits.