Pasadena, CA Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Pasadena, CA, also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time, define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Key Facts
- Curfew hours
- 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
- Applies to
- Radios, TVs, phonographs, musical instruments
- Prima facie threshold
- More than 5 dB above ambient at property line
- Enforcing agency
- Environmental Health Division
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor, Sec. 9.36.190
Summary
Pasadena bars operating a radio, TV, phonograph or musical instrument in any residential zone between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. if it disturbs neighbors' peace, under Municipal Code Section 9.36.110. Any noise exceeding the ambient level at a property line by more than 5 decibels during those hours is treated as prima facie proof of a violation.
A.Use Restricted. It is unlawful for any person within any residential zone of the city to use or operate any radio receiving set, musical instrument, phonograph, television set or other machine or device for the producing or reproducing of sound (between the hours of 10 p.m. of one day and 7 a.m. of the following day) in such a manner as to disturb the peace, quiet and comfort of neighboring residents or any reasonable person of normal sensitiveness residing in the area.B.Prima Facie Violation. Any noise level exceeding the ambient base level at the property line of any property by more than 5 decibels is deemed to be prima facie evidence of a violation of the provisions of this section.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 79 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
110 of the Pasadena Municipal Code sets the city's device-based nighttime quiet hours. the next, if doing so disturbs the peace, quiet and comfort of neighboring residents or a reasonable person of normal sensitiveness in the area. Subsection B builds in an objective backstop: any noise level from a covered device that exceeds the ambient base level at a property line by more than 5 decibels during the restricted hours is deemed prima facie evidence of a violation, meaning the city does not have to separately prove annoyance once that decibel threshold is crossed.
050's citywide, all-hours rule against noise that exceeds the ambient level by more than 5 decibels and against any loud, unnecessary or unusual noise that disturbs a neighborhood's peace at any time of day. 190, with the city able to pursue civil abatement in addition to criminal charges.
Violations & Fines
Running a radio, television, stereo or instrument loud enough to disturb neighbors between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. is a misdemeanor under Section 9.36.190. A sound level meter reading that exceeds the ambient level at the property line by more than 5 decibels during those hours is prima facie evidence of the violation, shifting the burden to the person responsible for the noise.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hours does Pasadena's noise curfew cover?
How does the city prove a nighttime noise violation?
Does the quiet-hours rule apply outside residential zones?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pasadena
How Pasadena compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·California rules heatmap·Compare Pasadena to another location·View the California noise ordinances overview
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Quiet Hours in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle quiet hours.