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.
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.
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 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.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Ontario, CA
Ontario prohibits razor wire on any wall or fence citywide, and bans barbed wire and electrified fences in residential, commercial, and residential mixed-use...
Ontario, CA
Every wall, fence, and gate in Ontario is subject to Planning Director design review regardless of whether a building permit is needed. A building permit is ...
Ontario, CA
Ontario fence requirements include zoning-based heights, setbacks, sight triangles, buffer walls on industrial edges, and CBC structural standards. Pool, ret...
Ontario, CA
In Ontario residential zones, walls and fences within a front yard may not exceed 3 feet, while interior side, rear, street-side, and subdivision-perimeter w...
Ontario, CA
Ontario permits the keeping of four or fewer household pets by right in every residential and mixed-use zone (and the AG and MHP zones) in conjunction with a...
Ontario, CA
Ontario requires dogs to be leashed off-property under OMC Title 6. Maximum leash length is 6 feet, with owner control required in all public spaces except d...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in San Bernardino County.
See how other cities in San Bernardino County handle quiet hours.
See how Ontario's quiet hours rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.