Turlock, CA Noise Ordinances: Outdoor Music (2026)

Turlock does not have a separate 'outdoor music' chapter; outdoor events are handled through the exemptions and amplified-sound limits of Chapter 5-28. TMC 5-28-112(b) (Outdoor activities) provides that 'the provisions of this chapter shall not apply to occasional outdoor gatherings, public dances, shows, and sporting and entertainment events provided such events are conducted in a public park or pursuant to a permit or license issued by the City relative to the staging of such events,' but it expressly adds that 'the use of amplified music or sound shall comply with the noise limits established in TMC 5-28-108(d).' Those limits, measured at the property line of an affected sensitive receptor, are 60 dBA (A-weighted) daytime and 45 dBA nighttime, with C-weighted limits of 75 dBC day and 70 dBC night. Outside a permitted/park event, outdoor music remains subject to the general exterior limits of TMC 5-28-108(a) and the prohibition on radios/instruments creating a noise disturbance under TMC 5-28-110(a). The chapter (TMC 5-28-104) also exempts noncommercial public speaking and public assembly on public space or right-of-way. Variances for events may be obtained from the Noise Control Officer or, for broader exceptions, the Planning Commission under TMC 5-28-114. These are the City's own ordinances, controlling within incorporated Turlock rather than the county code.