Quiet hours in San Rafael, CA — also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time — define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
San Rafael's noise ordinance is Chapter 8.13 of the Municipal Code. General noise-limit violations are enforced under Section 8.13.050. For residential power equipment and construction, work by homeowners is allowed only 8:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. Mon-Fri and 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. Sat/Sun/holidays, and cannot exceed 90 dBA at the property line.
Chapter 8.13 of the San Rafael Municipal Code establishes citywide noise standards. Section 8.13.050 prohibits exceeding district-specific daytime and nighttime decibel limits at the property line. Residential nighttime quiet hours are typically 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. Construction and residential power-equipment activity is more tightly controlled: contractor construction generally runs 7 a.m.-7 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturdays, with no Sunday or holiday work allowed without a special permit. Owner-occupant power equipment (lawn mowers, leaf blowers, power tools) is restricted to 8 a.m.-8 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m.-6 p.m. weekends, and cannot exceed 90 dBA at any property boundary. Code Compliance handles complaints and the police dispatch (415-485-3000) takes after-hours calls.
Noise violations are infractions for first and second offense, escalating to misdemeanors for repeats under Section 8.13.080. The 2023 bail schedule lists Sec. 8.13.050 violations among enforced offenses.
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See how San Rafael's quiet hours rules stack up against other locations.
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