Buena Park, CA Noise Ordinances: Vehicle Noise (2026)

Vehicle noise in Buena Park is split between the city's own ordinance and California state law. The City's Section 8.28.040 reaches sound-reproducing devices 'in a vehicle': operating a radio, CD player or similar device between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. so that it is plainly audible fifty feet from the vehicle is prima facie evidence of a violation. However, the city's 2035 General Plan Noise Element confirms the Noise Ordinance 'does not regulate noise from transportation sources, such as traffic, aircraft, and railways' - those are preempted by or left to state and federal law. For moving-vehicle noise, the controlling rules are statewide. California Vehicle Code Section 27150 requires every motor vehicle to have an adequate muffler in constant operation to prevent excessive or unusual noise and prohibits exhaust cutouts or bypasses; modified exhaust may not exceed 95 dBA under the related test standard. California Vehicle Code Section 27007 prohibits operating a vehicle sound-amplification system that can be heard 50 or more feet away while the vehicle is on a highway (with limited exceptions). These statewide rules are enforced by the Buena Park Police Department and the CHP. So a loud-exhaust or boom-car complaint generally proceeds under the Vehicle Code, while a parked-vehicle stereo blasting late at night can fall under the city's Section 8.28.040.