Chino, CA Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Zone I daytime sustained limit
- 55 dBA (7am-10pm, 30 min/hr)
- Zone I nighttime sustained limit
- 50 dBA (10pm-7am, 30 min/hr)
- Absolute daytime ceiling
- 75 dBA (Lmax, any duration)
- Absolute nighttime ceiling
- 70 dBA (Lmax, any duration)
- Speech/music/tone reduction
- 5 dBA lower limit applies
- Construction noise exception
- 65 dBA + allowance, hours set by § 15.44.030
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor, fine or up to 6 months jail
Summary
Chino Municipal Code §§ 9.40.030 and 9.40.040 split the city into three noise zones and set numeric decibel caps at residential property lines: 55 dBA daytime / 50 dBA nighttime for sustained noise, rising to a hard 75 dBA daytime / 70 dBA nighttime ceiling for any noise at all. Enforcement runs through the Community Development Department under Chapter 9.40, a misdemeanor chapter adopted by Ordinance 95-10.
9.40.030 - Designated noise zones. The properties hereinafter described are assigned to the following noise zones: Noise Zone I: All single-, double- and multiple-family residential properties. Noise Zone II: All commercial properties. Noise Zone III: All manufacturing or industrial properties. 9.40.040 - Exterior noise standards. ... Higher noise levels are permitted during the day (seven a.m. to ten p.m.) than the night (ten p.m. to seven a.m.). 30 min/hr L50 55 dBA 50 dBA; 15 min/hr L25 60 dBA 55 dBA; 5 min/hr L8.3 65 dBA 60 dBA; 1 min/hr L1.7 70 dBA 65 dBA; Any period of time Lmax 75 dBA 70 dBA.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 38).
Full Breakdown
030 assigns every parcel in the city to one of three noise zones: Zone I is all single-, double- and multiple-family residential property; Zone II is all commercial property; and Zone III is all manufacturing or industrial property. 7) for more than 1 minute; and a hard ceiling of 75 dBA daytime / 70 dBA nighttime (Lmax) that may not be exceeded for any period at all. Each of those limits is reduced by 5 dBA for impulse noise, simple-tone noise, or noise consisting of speech or music, unless the ambient noise level already exceeds the resulting standard, in which case ambient becomes the new floor. 050. m. 060. 030. 160, shifting the practical burden onto the noise source's operator once a measurement is taken.
Violations & Fines
Violating Chapter 9.40's noise standards is a misdemeanor under § 9.40.170, punishable by a fine set by city council resolution or up to six months in jail, or both, with each day of continuing violation a separate offense. The city may also seek a civil injunction under § 9.40.180 and record abatement costs as a lien against the property, and the Community Development Director must give written notice specifying a correction deadline before an initial violation is prosecuted, per § 9.40.190.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the loudest noise allowed at a Chino residential property line at night?
Are construction sites in Chino held to the same decibel limits as everyone else?
Does playing loud music reduce Chino's allowable noise limit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chino
California rules heatmap·Compare Chino to another location·View the California noise ordinances overview
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