Folsom, CA Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Section
- Municipal Code § 8.42.050
- Sustained limit, day
- 45 dBA (5+ min/hour)
- Sustained limit, night
- 35 dBA (5+ min/hour)
- Brief spike limit, day
- 55 dBA (<1 min/hour)
- Simple-tone reduction
- -5 dBA for tone/speech/music
- Enforcement officer
- Community development director
Summary
Folsom caps interior noise inside a receiving dwelling unit at 45 dBA daytime and 35 dBA nighttime for sustained sound, with lower thresholds for brief spikes, measured under a strict testing protocol.
8.42.050 Interior noise standards. A. It is unlawful for any person, at any location within the city, to operate or cause to be operated within a dwelling unit, any source of sound or to allow the creation of any noise which causes the noise level when measured inside a receiving dwelling unit situated in the area either within the city or adjacent to the city to exceed the noise level standards as set forth in the following table: Table 8.42.050 INTERIOR NOISE LEVEL STANDARDS, dBA -- Category 1: 5 min/hr, 45 dBA daytime (7 a.m.-10 p.m.), 35 dBA nighttime (10 p.m.-7 a.m.); Category 2: 1 min/hr, 50 dBA daytime, 40 dBA nighttime; Category 3: 0 min/hr, 55 dBA daytime, 45 dBA nighttime.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 1369, passed April 28, 2026).
Full Breakdown
050. ); a source present for 1 minute is capped at 50 dBA daytime and 40 dBA nighttime; and any occurrence at all, even under a minute, is capped at 55 dBA daytime and 45 dBA nighttime. If the ambient noise level already exceeds a category's standard, subsection B raises the applicable limit to match the ambient level, since the ordinance targets the intruding source, not background conditions the city cannot control. Subsection C cuts every standard by 5 dBA for simple tone noises, sounds that are mostly speech or music, or recurring impulsive noises, recognizing that those sounds are more disturbing at equal volume.
030: a calibrated sound level meter using the A-weighted network at slow response (fast response for impulsive sounds) must be used, with interior readings taken inside the affected dwelling at least 4 feet from the nearest wall, ceiling, or floor, with windows in their normal seasonal configuration, and the reported level is the arithmetic average of the readings taken.
Violations & Fines
The community development director or an authorized deputy serves as enforcement officer under Section 8.42.020 and investigates complaints using the calibrated-meter protocol in Section 8.42.030. A property owner cited for exceeding Table 8.42.050 may apply to the enforcement officer for a variance under Section 8.42.090, with a written decision appealable to the city council within 15 days; violations that are not resolved through a variance are handled as noise disturbances subject to the city's general administrative and criminal enforcement provisions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Folsom's nighttime interior noise limit?
Does a Folsom noise reading get reduced for music or speech?
How does the city measure interior noise for a complaint?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Folsom
California rules heatmap·Compare Folsom to another location·View the California noise ordinances overview
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How other cities in Sacramento County handle decibel limits.