El Cajon, CA Noise Ordinances: Vehicle Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Sec. 9.44.020
- Covers
- Horns, bells, sound systems, vehicle motors
- Named triggers
- Backfiring, motor racing, unpermitted gunfire
- Default penalty
- Misdemeanor, up to $1,000 / 6 months jail
- Infraction alternative
- $100 / $200 / $500 escalating fines
- Related nuisance path
- Abatable under Ch. 1.16 (Sec. 9.44.030)
Summary
El Cajon Municipal Code Section 9.44.020 bans emitting loud and raucous noise from any vehicle device, horn, bell or sound system. The section specifically targets unnecessary engine noise, backfiring and motor racing, unpermitted gunfire or explosives, and amplified voice or recordings that interfere with the peace of neighbors or other road users.
No person shall use, operate, or permit to be used or operated any device, horn or musical instrument, bell, or mechanical production or reproduction of sound by vehicles or aircraft so as to emit or transmit any loud and raucous noise within the city. As defined by this section, "loud and raucous noise" means any of the following: A. Any noise made by the motor of any automobile, truck, tractor, motorcycle, or aircraft of any kind not reasonably required in the operation thereof under the circumstances, and shall include but not be limited to backfiring, motor racing, and the buzzing by airplanes; B. The sound of the discharge of any gun or other explosive, except by or with the permission of the governing body having control of the highway or thoroughfare; C. The human voice or any record or recording thereof when amplified by any device, whether electrical or mechanical or otherwise; or any sound not included in the foregoing which is of such volume, intensity, or carrying power as to tend to interfere with the peace and quiet of persons upon public or private property or other users of the public highways and thoroughfares.
Full Breakdown
16. Unlike the zoning code's decibel-and-time performance standard for construction and mechanical equipment, this section targets vehicle- and device-generated noise directly, without a meter reading requirement. It defines loud and raucous noise to include unnecessary motor noise from an automobile, truck, tractor, motorcycle or aircraft, expressly naming backfiring, motor racing and airplane buzzing as examples; the discharge of a gun or other explosive near a public highway or thoroughfare without permission from the agency controlling it; and amplified human voice or recordings, or any other sound of enough volume, intensity or carrying power to interfere with the peace of people on public or private property or other users of the highways.
46, which separately makes it a misdemeanor, punishable by up to $1,000 and six months in jail, to be a knowing spectator at an illegal street race or exhibition of speed, or at preparations for one, within two hundred feet of the event.
Violations & Fines
A violation of Section 9.44.020 has no penalty of its own, so the citywide general penalty clause, Section 1.24.010, applies: up to $1,000 and six months in jail as a misdemeanor, or, if charged as an infraction, escalating fines of $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second within a year, and $500 for each additional violation. Each day the conduct continues is a separate offense, and it is also a public nuisance abatable under Chapter 1.16 per Section 9.44.030.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a loud car exhaust illegal in El Cajon?
Can I get in trouble for firing a gun near a street in El Cajon?
What's the penalty for violating El Cajon's vehicle noise ordinance?
Does blasting music from a car count as a noise violation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in El Cajon
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