Temecula regulates outdoor music through the noise ordinance and conditional use permits for venues. Old Town Temecula's saloons and restaurants are the city's main outdoor music corridor, with permitted patios and outdoor stages under negotiated sound and curfew conditions. Wineries adjacent to the city follow Riverside County's wine country ordinance, which limits outdoor amplified music duration and decibels.
Outdoor music in Temecula is permitted under three frameworks: (1) general residential use subject to Chapter 8.32 noise standards (65 dBA day / 50 dBA night at neighbor's property line); (2) commercial venues operating under Conditional Use Permits with explicit sound limits, equipment placement, and curfews; and (3) special events with Temporary Use Permits granting time-limited exceptions. Old Town venues — Public House, The Stampede (now closed), various Front Street restaurants — typically have CUPs allowing outdoor amplified music ending 10 PM Sunday-Thursday and 11 PM Friday-Saturday with sound capped at 75-85 dBA at the speaker plus property-line compliance. Acoustic music receives more lenient treatment than amplified. Wedding venues, banquet halls, and adjacent wine country operations (governed by Riverside County's WC zone ordinance for properties outside city limits) limit outdoor amplified music to set durations per event with hard cutoffs. The city Planning Commission has discretion to add or modify CUP conditions for chronic violators. Residential outdoor music — concerts in backyards, pool parties — falls under general nuisance standards, with police non-emergency (951) 696-3000 the fastest response channel.
Specific penalty amounts for this ordinance are not published in a publicly accessible fine schedule. Contact Temecula code enforcement directly for current fines, enforcement procedures, and hearing options.
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Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Riverside County.
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