Pacifica, CA Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Pacifica, CA, also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time, define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Key Facts
- Radio/stereo curfew
- 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
- Yelling/shouting curfew
- 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
- Heavy equipment curfew
- 8:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
- Audibility test
- Plainly audible 50 feet away
- Misdemeanor fine
- Up to $1,000, 6 months jail
- Infraction fines
- $100 / $200 / $500 escalating
Summary
Pacifica's noise ordinance sets an overnight curfew on amplified sound and shouting. Playing a radio, phonograph or similar device loud enough to be heard 50 feet away between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. is prima facie evidence of a violation, and yelling, shouting or singing on public streets between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. that disturbs neighbors violates Municipal Code Chapter 10 of Title 5.
(b)Radios, phonographs, musical instruments, and similar devices. ... (2)The operation of any such set, instrument, phonograph, machine, or device between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. in such manner as to be plainly audible at a distance of fifty (50′) feet from the building, structure, or vehicle in which such device is located which shall be prima facie evidence of a violation of the provisions of this section; ... (d)Yelling, shouting, and similar noises. Yelling, shouting, hooting, whistling, or singing on the public streets, particularly between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., or at any time or place so as to annoy or disturb the quiet, comfort, or repose of persons in any office or in any dwelling, hotel, or other type of residence, or of any person in the vicinity;
Full Breakdown
02: it is unlawful to make or continue any loud, disturbing, unnecessary or unusual noise that annoys, disturbs, injures or endangers the comfort, health, repose, peace or safety of others in the City. 03 then enumerates specific noises the City treats as violations, several of which carry their own overnight hours. in a way that is plainly audible 50 feet from the building, structure or vehicle where the device sits; the Code makes that audibility itself prima facie evidence of a violation, so an officer does not need a decibel reading to cite it.
is separately listed as a violation whenever it disturbs the quiet, comfort or repose of anyone nearby. window absent a City Manager waiver. 01, ties all of these hour restrictions to a single legislative purpose: securing the public peace and quiet of Pacifica and its residents.
Violations & Fines
A violation of Chapter 10's noise provisions is prosecuted like any other Municipal Code violation under Section 1-2.01: a misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000 in fines and six months in County Jail, or, where the City Attorney elects to charge it as an infraction, escalating fines of $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second within a year and $500 for a third or later offense in the same year.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time do quiet hours start in Pacifica?
Does Pacifica require a decibel measurement to cite a noise violation?
Can construction noise happen at night in Pacifica?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pacifica
How Pacifica compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·California rules heatmap·Compare Pacifica to another location·View the California noise ordinances overview
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Quiet Hours in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Mateo County handle quiet hours.