Gilroy, CA Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Residential equipment cap
- 60 dBA Ldn or 70 dBA L10 at property line
- Commercial/industrial cap
- 70 dBA (L10) at residential property line
- Commercial hours
- limited to 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Measurement method
- sound level meter, slow response, A-weighted scale
- Exemptions
- emergency response, permitted special events, city activities
Summary
In the City of Gilroy, the zoning ordinance sets numeric outdoor noise ceilings under City Code § 30.41.31(b): residential mechanical equipment is capped at 60 dBA (Ldn) or 70 dBA (L10) at the property line, and commercial or industrial noise reaching a residential property line is capped at 70 dBA (L10).
Maximum Outdoor Noise Levels. (1) Residential Noise Impacting Residential Properties. Fixed-source outdoor mechanical equipment installed after July 1, 2007 (e.g., pool, spa, air conditioning or similar equipment) is limited to a maximum of sixty (60) dBA Ldn measured at the property line or seventy (70) dBA (L10) measured at the property line. (2) Commercial and Industrial Noise Impacting Residentially Zoned Properties. Noise emanating from properties that are zoned for uses other than residential is limited to a maximum of 70 dBA (L10) measured at the residential property line. Such noise is limited to the hours of 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., and prohibited between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.
Full Breakdown
Section 30.41.31 opens by declaring it unlawful to generate noise within city limits that exceeds the limits established in the section, then sets two zone-based numeric ceilings. Subsection (b)(1) caps fixed-source outdoor mechanical equipment installed after July 1, 2007, on a residential lot, such as a pool pump, spa, or air conditioner, at 60 dBA (Ldn) or 70 dBA (L10) measured at the property line. Subsection (b)(2) caps noise from any non-residentially zoned property reaching a residential property line at 70 dBA (L10), and limits that noise to the hours of 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Subsection (a) defines the measurement terms: "dBA" is the A-weighted amplitude scale on a sound level meter, "L10" is the level exceeded no more than ten percent (10%) of the time, and a "sound level meter" is the instrument used to take the reading at slow response. Subsection (c) exempts four categories from these limits: emergency personnel, equipment, vehicles, alarms, or sirens; refuse and recycling collection vehicles operating between 5:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.; special events under an approved permit; and city-approved activities on public property.
The article's statement of intent in § 30.41.10 ties the standard to protecting resident health, safety, and welfare from objectionable land uses, and the section was last amended by Ordinance No. 2019-08, § 23, on October 7, 2019.
Violations & Fines
The opening sentence of § 30.41.31 makes it unlawful to generate noise that exceeds the limits set in the section, and Gilroy's general noise nuisance provision in § 30.41.20 lets the planning director require written neighbor consent before approving any project that risks creating an objectionable noise nuisance. Measurement uses a sound level meter at slow response, comparing readings against the 60/70 dBA Ldn and L10 thresholds; readings above the applicable ceiling support a nuisance abatement or code enforcement action against the property generating the noise.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Gilroy's outdoor noise limit for a residential neighbor's equipment?
Are there different noise limits for commercial or industrial properties near homes?
Does anything get exempted from Gilroy's outdoor noise limits?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Gilroy
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