Daly City Municipal Code § 9.22.020 requires a written permit from the Chief of Police BEFORE operating any loudspeaker or sound amplifier that projects sound outside a building or outdoors anywhere in the city. The permit must state the permittee, authorized purpose, time/place, and termination date. Operating outdoor amplification without this permit is a prosecutable offense.
Section 9.22.020 is unusually strict by California standards: it prohibits ANY person from maintaining, operating, conducting, or permitting any loudspeaker or sound amplifier 'in such manner as to cause any sound to be projected outside of any building or out-of-doors in any part of the city, without first procuring from the chief of police a permit authorizing the same.' The permit application must specify (A) name and address of the permittee, (B) the authorized purpose, (C) the time and place the loudspeaker or amplifier may be used, and (D) a termination date. This requirement applies to backyard parties with amplified DJs, restaurant patio music, retail sidewalk speakers, food-truck calls, political/religious rallies, and outdoor weddings. After 10:00 p.m., even permitted amplified sound becomes subject to the § 9.22.030 nighttime audibility rule (no noise across the property line). Chapter 9.23 imposes additional $1,500-$53,000 civil fines for loud or unruly gatherings where alcohol is served to underage persons.
Violation of § 9.22.020 is a misdemeanor under Daly City Code general penalty. Combined with the § 9.23.030 loud-gathering civil fine, a single non-permitted outdoor amplified party with underage drinking can result in a $1,500 first-offense civil fine plus cost recovery for police response.
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