Ontario, CA Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Ontario, CA, also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time, define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Key Facts
- Code Section
- OMC 5-29.04 (exterior) and 5-29.07 (loud/disturbing)
- Nighttime window
- 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
- Single-family night limit
- 45 dBA Leq (Noise Zone I)
- Daytime single-family limit
- 65 dBA Leq
Summary
Ontario does not use a single curfew but enforces lower nighttime exterior noise limits between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. (45 dBA in single-family zones), plus a general loud-and-disturbing-noise prohibition that applies at any hour after a cease-and-desist request.
(b) It is unlawful for any person at any location within the incorporated area of the City to create noise, or to allow the creation of any noise on property owned, leased, occupied or otherwise controlled by such person, which noise causes the noise level, when measured at any location on any other property, to exceed either of the following: (1) The noise standard for the applicable zone for any fifteen-minute (15) period; and (2) A maximum instantaneous (single instance) noise level equal to the value of the noise standard plus twenty (20) dBA for any period of time (measured using A-weighted slow response).
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-32: Current through Ordinance 3338, passed 7-21-2026).
Full Breakdown
Ontario Municipal Code Chapter 29 (Noise), section 5-29.04, sets time-keyed exterior noise standards by zone. During the daytime window of 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. the allowable equivalent noise level (Leq over any 15-minute period) is 65 dBA in single-family residential (Noise Zone I) and commercial (Zone III) areas and 70 dBA in mixed-use and industrial zones; during the nighttime window of 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. the limit drops to 45 dBA in single-family residential, 50 dBA in multi-family/mobile home parks (Zone II), and 60 dBA in commercial. Separately, section 5-29.07 makes it unlawful at any hour to make loud, excessive, impulsive or intrusive noise that disturbs the peace or quiet of an area after a Police or Code Enforcement Officer has first requested the person cease and desist. Interior nighttime limits under section 5-29.05 are 40 dBA from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. in residential units.
Violations & Fines
Violations of Chapter 29 are infractions punishable by a fine under OMC section 1-2.01, with each day a separate offense (section 5-29.17); administrative citation fines under OMC section 1-5.04 and public-nuisance abatement (injunction or lien) are also available.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Ontario have a hard noise curfew?
How is the noise limit measured?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ontario
How Ontario compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·California rules heatmap·Compare Ontario 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.