Pico Rivera, CA Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)

Section 18.21.020(E) of the Pico Rivera Municipal Code applies Table 18.21.020.B, the Maximum Allowable Environmental Noise Standards, to non-residential uses citywide. The table sets an exterior noise ceiling measured at the property line in Ldn/CNEL decibels that varies by the noise-sensitive land use nearby: residential uses (low density, multi-family and mixed-use) and transient lodging such as motels and hotels are held to 65 dB exterior and 45 dB interior; schools, libraries, churches, hospitals and medical facilities, nursing homes and museums are held to 70 dB exterior; theaters, auditoriums, playgrounds and parks are also capped at 70 dB; golf courses, riding stables and water recreation uses get 75 dB; office, business, commercial and professional uses are capped at 70 dB; and industrial, manufacturing and utility uses are allowed up to 75 dB.

Section 18.21.020(F) requires non-residential uses to mitigate noise down to a maximum of 75 dB measured from the property line of the source, through strategies such as increased building setbacks, orienting loading docks and outdoor work areas away from sensitive uses, clustering noise-tolerant structures like parking garages between the source and the receptor, and installing double-glazed or double-paned windows facing a major noise source. The Zoning Administrator, under Section 18.21.020(G), can require a noise study from a qualified consultant for developments with major noise sources near sensitive uses, and any noise that violates these standards is treated as a public nuisance under Section 18.21.020(H), cross-referencing Section 8.16.010 of the Health and Safety title.