Pasadena, CA Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Daytime interior limit
- 60 dBA, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., multifamily units
- Nighttime interior limit
- 50 dBA, 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., multifamily units
- Citywide property-line standard
- No more than 5 dB above ambient level
- Enforcing agency
- City of Pasadena Environmental Health Division
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor under Section 9.36.190
Summary
Pasadena caps interior noise in multifamily units at 60 dBA from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and 50 dBA from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. under Municipal Code Section 9.36.060. Citywide, Section 9.36.050 separately bars any noise that exceeds the ambient level at a property line by more than 5 decibels, with violations enforced as misdemeanors.
It is unlawful for any person to produce, suffer or allow to be produced on any multifamily residential property, sounds at a level in excess of those enumerated in Table No. 1 when measured inside any dwelling unit on the same property or twenty (20) feet from the outside of the dwelling unit in which the noise source or sources may be located. TABLE NO. 1—Interior Noise Standard Time Interval Interior Noise Standards (dBA) 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. 60 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. 50
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 79 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 9.36 of the Pasadena Municipal Code sets the city's core decibel standards. Section 9.36.060's Table No. 1 fixes an interior noise standard for multifamily residential property: sound measured inside any dwelling unit, or twenty feet outside the unit housing the noise source, cannot exceed 60 dBA between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., or 50 dBA between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Separately, Section 9.36.050 makes it unlawful for any noise source anywhere in the city to exceed the ambient noise level at a property line by more than 5 decibels, and independently bars any loud, unnecessary or unusual noise that disturbs the peace of a neighborhood, judged against twelve factors including proximity to sleeping areas, time of day, and whether the source is commercial.
Section 9.36.040 defines how ambient level is measured, an average over a 15-minute period, and sets adjustments for the nature of the offending sound: a steady tone or repeated impulsive noise adds 5 dB to the measurement, while noise lasting 5 to 15 minutes per hour subtracts 5 dB, 1 to 5 minutes subtracts 10 dB, and under a minute per hour subtracts 20 dB, with these reductions applying only during the 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. daytime window. The environmental health division holds primary enforcement responsibility under Section 9.36.180.
Any violation of Chapter 9.36 is a misdemeanor and a public nuisance under Section 9.36.190, and the city may pursue a civil abatement action in addition to criminal prosecution.
Violations & Fines
Exceeding the property-line or interior decibel limits is a misdemeanor under Section 9.36.190, prosecutable independently of any civil nuisance abatement the city pursues. Officers and environmental health investigators use a calibrated sound level meter with A-weighting to confirm a reading exceeds the ambient level by more than 5 decibels, or exceeds the 60/50 dBA interior thresholds, before citing the responsible party.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Pasadena's decibel limit for apartment noise at night?
Does Pasadena have a general property-line noise limit?
Who enforces Pasadena's noise decibel standards?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pasadena
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