Porterville, CA Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Porterville, CA, also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time, define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Key Facts
- Nighttime hours
- 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
- Nighttime Leq limit
- 45 dBA
- Nighttime peak limit
- 65 dBA (LMAX)
- Daytime limit
- 50 dBA Leq / 70 dBA LMAX
- Enforcing agency
- Porterville Police Department
- Max penalty
- $1,000 fine / 6 months jail
Summary
Porterville caps exterior noise reaching any residence, school, hospital, church or public library at 45 dBA hourly average and 65 dBA peak between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., five decibels tighter than the 50/70 dBA daytime standard, with violations treated as a public nuisance.
18-90.4: EXTERIOR NOISE STANDARDS: A. It is unlawful for any person at any location within the incorporated areas of the city to create any noise, or to allow the creation of any noise, on property owned, leased, occupied or otherwise controlled by such person which causes the exterior noise level when measured at any affected residence, school, hospital, church or public library to exceed the noise level standards as set forth in the following table: EXTERIOR NOISE LEVEL STANDARDS, dBA Category Daytime Nighttime 7:00 A.M. To 10:00 P.M. 10:00 P.M. To 7:00 A.M. Hourly Leq 50 45 Maximum sound level (LMAX) 70 65
Full Breakdown
Municipal Code section 18-90.4 sets exterior noise level standards measured at the nearest affected residence, school, hospital, church or public library. During the day, 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., the hourly Leq ceiling is 50 dBA and the maximum instantaneous level (LMAX) is 70 dBA. At night, 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., those limits drop to 45 dBA Leq and 65 dBA LMAX. If the ambient noise level without the source already exceeds the applicable standard, the standard is adjusted up to match ambient; conversely, each standard is reduced by 5 dB for pure-tone noise, speech, music or recurring impulsive sounds under section 18-90.4(C).
Section 18-90.3(B) separately declares any excessively, unnecessarily, unnaturally or unusually loud noise from a radio, stereo, television or similar device a public nuisance, and treats a sound level more than 5 dB over ambient, measured at the property line, as prima facie evidence of a violation. Measurements must be taken with an ANSI S1.4-compliant sound level meter, calibrated against NIST reference levels immediately before use. Interior residential noise gets its own, stricter table under section 18-90.5: a 45 dBA nighttime LMAX cap measured inside the affected dwelling.
Enforcement rests with the Porterville Police Department, which can also curtail amplified sound at city parks and facilities exceeding 75 dBA at 100 feet under section 18-90.3(C).
Violations & Fines
A noise violation is a misdemeanor under the code's general penalty section 1-9, punishable by a fine up to $1,000 and/or up to six months in jail, unless the city attorney agrees to charge it as an infraction instead; each day a violation continues counts as a separate offense. A complainant must have standing, and proof of noncompliance with the decibel table, or a sound level more than 5 dB above ambient at the property line, is prima facie evidence supporting a citation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Porterville's nighttime quiet hours?
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Porterville
How Porterville compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·California rules heatmap·Compare Porterville to another location·View the California noise ordinances overview
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Quiet Hours in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Tulare County handle quiet hours.