Hawthorne, CA Noise Ordinances: Outdoor Music (2026)

Hawthorne's re-enacted Noise Regulations chapter (Ordinance No. 2138) has a dedicated rule for sound devices in public spaces. Operating any radio, phonograph, television set, or other sound production/reproduction device in any public park, public parking lot, or street adjacent to such a park, without prior written approval of the City Manager, is prohibited when it emits sound exceeding the limits in the public-space table at any point 10 feet or more from the source. Those limits are 65 decibels from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and 55 decibels from 7:01 p.m. to 6:59 a.m. This is separate from, and stricter at night than, the device standard for private property. For outdoor music on private property (backyard parties, patios), the chapter's general one-hour-average limits apply: 60 dBA daytime and 50 dBA at night in residential areas, with the nighttime 50-foot audibility rule (10 p.m.-8 a.m.) treated as prima facie evidence of a violation. Because Hawthorne is incorporated, these city rules govern outdoor music in its parks and on private property within city limits.