Sacramento, CA Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Sacramento, CA, also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time, define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Key Facts
- Quiet hours
- 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.
- Covers
- Yelling/shouting/singing and powered tools
- Test
- Disturbs quiet, comfort or repose: no dBA reading
- Before citation
- Oral cease notice required first
- Civil penalty
- $250-$25,000 per day
Summary
Yelling, shouting or singing on Sacramento's streets between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. is specifically declared unlawful noise if it disturbs nearby residents, and running a power saw, planer or other powered tool in that same overnight window is banned outright if it disturbs a neighbor's peace. Both sit in the city's list of noises unlawful without any decibel test.
C. Yelling and Shouting. Yelling, shouting, hooting, whistling, singing or blowing of horns on the public streets, particularly between the hours of ten p.m. and seven 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, motel, apartment or other type of residence, or of any persons in the vicinity. ... E. Tools. The use or operation between the hours of ten p.m. and seven a.m. of any power saw, power planer, or other powered tool or appliance or saw or hammer, or other tool, so as to disturb the quiet, comfort, or repose of persons in any dwelling, hotel, motel, apartment, or other type of residence, or of any person in the vicinity.
Full Breakdown
quiet period for several specific categories of noise. or at any time or place so as to annoy or disturb the quiet, comfort, or repose of persons' in any office, dwelling, hotel, motel or apartment, or of anyone nearby. is unlawful if it disturbs the 'quiet, comfort, or repose' of residents or people in the vicinity. 070, these provisions do not require a decibel reading, the test is whether the noise disturbs a person's peace, comfort or repose during the overnight window. 190 also applies around the clock and lists 'proximity of the noise to residential sleeping facilities' and 'time of day or night' as factors, reinforcing that nighttime noise gets closer scrutiny.
Violations & Fines
Before a citation or arrest for a § 8.68.200 violation, the city manager or designee must first give the person an oral notice to cease the noise under § 8.68.280(A)(2); continuing afterward is a misdemeanor. Violations are declared a public nuisance and can draw civil penalties of $250 to $25,000 per day under § 8.68.280(C).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a set 'quiet hours' curfew in Sacramento?
Can I run a power tool in my garage at midnight?
Does the city need a sound meter reading to cite someone for late-night noise?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sacramento
How Sacramento compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·California rules heatmap·Compare Sacramento to another location·View the California noise ordinances overview
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Quiet Hours in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Sacramento County handle quiet hours.