San Bernardino, CA Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Sound-truck cap, city core
- 90 dB at 10 ft, § 8.57.020(C)
- Sound-truck cap, elsewhere
- 95 dB at 10 ft
- Core boundary
- Mt. Vernon/E St to Marshall/west limits
- Park amplification cap
- 95 dBA at 50 ft, § 12.80.130(A)(2)
- Unpermitted park amp cap
- 25 watts total output
- General noise standard
- Plainly-audible test, not dBA
Summary
San Bernardino's general noise code judges most noise by whether it is plainly audible at a set distance rather than a decibel meter, but licensed vending sound trucks face an actual numeric cap: 90 decibels at ten feet in the city's core and 95 decibels elsewhere.
Persons who are licensed by the city to sell goods, wares and merchandise from vehicles and whose vehicles are equipped with sound apparatus emitting music only; provided the sound of such music does not exceed 90 decibels measured at a distance of ten feet from the speaker of the apparatus in that area of the city between Mt. Vernon Avenue and "E" Street and Marshall Boulevard and the west city limits thereof and 95 decibels elsewhere in the city.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-2: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. MC-1666, passed 8-5-2026).
Full Breakdown
57, Sound Vehicles, exempts from its registration and use restrictions those "persons who are licensed by the city to sell goods, wares and merchandise from vehicles and whose vehicles are equipped with sound apparatus emitting music only," but only if that music "does not exceed 90 decibels measured at a distance of ten feet from the speaker of the apparatus in that area of the city between Mt. 020(C). 54) instead relies on a plainly-audible-at-distance test rather than a meter reading. 130(A)(2) limits amplified sound at any permitted park event to 95 decibels (dBA) at a point 50 feet in front of the center of the loudspeaker installation, and caps unpermitted park amplification at 25 watts total output.
48, Sound-Making or Sound-Amplifying Devices, bans "loud and raucous noise" from any amplifying device without setting a decibel figure, defining the violation instead by whether the sound "unreasonably interfere[s] with the peace and quiet of other persons" given the hour, place, and circumstances.
Violations & Fines
Exceeding the sound-truck decibel cap forfeits the § 8.57.020(C) exemption and exposes the operator to the general sound-vehicle penalty in § 8.57.090, punishable as an infraction under § 1.12.010 with fines from $100 to $500 for repeat offenses in a year. Amplified sound over 95 dBA in a park without a permit violates § 12.80.130 and is likewise chargeable as an infraction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does San Bernardino set a decibel limit for everyday neighborhood noise?
What decibel limit applies to a licensed food or vending truck's music?
Is there a decibel limit for amplified sound in city parks?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Bernardino
California rules heatmap·Compare San Bernardino to another location·View the California noise ordinances overview
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Decibel Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Bernardino County handle decibel limits.