Fairfield, CA Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Fairfield, CA, also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time, define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Key Facts
- Night hours
- 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
- Residential exterior night limit
- 45 dBA Leq / 65 dBA Lmax
- Residential exterior day limit
- 50 dBA Leq / 70 dBA Lmax
- Interior night limit
- 35 dBA Leq
- First offense
- infraction, fine up to $100
- Governing ordinance
- Ord. No. 2020-13
Summary
Fairfield's noise ordinance sets numeric decibel limits that tighten every night. Table 25.1401 caps residential noise at 45 dBA Leq and 65 dBA Lmax at the property line between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., down from 50/70 dBA in daytime hours, with interior limits falling from 40 to 35 dBA Leq overnight.
§ 25.1403. Noise Standards. It is unlawful for any person to create any noise at any location in the City of Fairfield that results in the exposure to other properties in the vicinity that exceeds the levels of Table 25.1401, except as otherwise provided for in this ordinance.
TABLE 25.1401 - Non-Transportation Noise Standards Exterior Noise-Level Standard (Applicable at Property Line) Interior Noise-Level Standard Land Use Noise-Level Descriptor Daytime (7 am - 10 pm) Nighttime (10 pm - 7 am) Daytime (7 am - 10 pm) Nighttime (10 pm - 7 am) Residential Leq 50 45 40 35
Lmax 70 65 60 55
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4962673; v0 updated 2026-02-17).
Full Breakdown
1401 at any property in the city. ). Interior residential standards fall from 40 dBA Leq daytime to 35 dBA Leq at night. The table's notes require every listed threshold to be lowered by an additional 5 dB for simple tone noises, or noise consisting primarily of speech or music, or recurring impulsive noise, tightening the curfew further for parties or amplified conversation. Where the existing ambient noise level already exceeds the table's thresholds, any new noise source must include mitigation reducing it back to the ambient level, so an already-noisy area does not excuse a new one. The standards do not apply to residential units tied to an industrial or commercial use, such as an on-site caretaker's unit. m.
Violations & Fines
Fairfield Municipal Code Chapter 1, Article I, § 1.7 sets the citywide penalty: a first noise violation is an infraction punishable by a fine up to $100. A second violation within one year can be charged as an infraction with a fine up to $250, or prosecuted as a misdemeanor carrying a fine up to $1,000, up to six months in county jail, or both. The City Prosecutor or Solano County District Attorney can pursue misdemeanor charges.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time do Fairfield's quiet hours start?
Who enforces Fairfield's noise curfew?
Does the noise curfew apply if my neighborhood is already loud?
Are speech and music noise held to a stricter standard?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fairfield
How Fairfield compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·California rules heatmap·Compare Fairfield to another location·View the California noise ordinances overview
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Quiet Hours in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Solano County handle quiet hours.