Chino Hills, CA Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Chino Hills, CA, also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time, define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Key Facts
- Governing section
- CHMC § 16.48.020(F)-(G), Residential Interior Sound Level Limits
- Nighttime interior cap
- 45 dBA, 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.
- Daytime interior cap
- 55 dBA, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Multi-family standard
- 3 dBA perceptible rise above ambient overnight
- Plainly-audible test
- Audible 25 feet away, 10 p.m.-7 a.m.
Summary
Chino Hills bars residential noise that intrudes on sleep between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. CHMC § 16.48.020(F) caps interior noise from a neighboring source at 45 dBA overnight, and § 16.48.020(G) treats any stereo, television, or amplified sound plainly audible 25 feet away in a residential zone during those hours as presumptive proof of a violation.
F.Residential Interior Sound Level Limits.1.Limits from Adjacent Properties. ...no noise source, including, but not limited to, fixed noise sources or sound amplifying equipment, may cause the noise level measured inside any sleeping or living room in any dwelling unit located on residential property to exceed forty-five (45) dBA between the hours of 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. or fifty-five (55) dBA between the hours of 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. ... G.Notwithstanding the foregoing, any of the following constitutes prima facie evidence of a violation of this section:1.The operation of any sound production or reproduction device, radio receiving set, musical instrument, drum, phonograph, television set, loudspeaker and sound amplifier or similar machine or device between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. in such a manner as to be plainly audible within any residential zoning district or within the residential portion of a mixed use zoning district and at a distance of twenty-five (25) feet from the building, property, or vehicle from which the offending noise is originating.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 61).
Full Breakdown
m. , measured with the receiving unit's windows and doors closed. in a manner plainly audible within a residential zoning district at a distance of twenty-five feet from the source is prima facie evidence of a violation, meaning the city does not need a decibel meter reading to establish the case. 2 covers any amplified sound audible at twenty-five feet, or that causes a person to feel accompanying vibration at that distance, regardless of time of day. 020 does not apply to this general nighttime standard once construction hours end.
Violations & Fines
Noise measured inside a neighbor's residence above 45 dBA between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., or any stereo, television, or amplified sound plainly audible 25 feet away in a residential zone during those hours, is enforceable as a violation of Section 16.48.020 without the city needing to prove actual decibel readings for the plainly-audible categories. Violations are subject to the Code's general nuisance and infraction remedies.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Chino Hills' quiet hours?
Can I get cited for loud music without the city measuring decibels?
Do the nighttime limits apply in apartments and condos?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chino Hills
How Chino Hills compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·California rules heatmap·Compare Chino Hills to another location·View the California noise ordinances overview
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Quiet Hours in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Bernardino County handle quiet hours.