San Diego County, CA Noise Ordinances: Vehicle Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Code of Regulatory Ordinances § 36.414(c)(8)
- Enforcing agency
- San Diego County Sheriff
- Applies to
- Unincorporated county only
- Misdemeanor fine
- Up to $1,000, 6 months jail, or both
- Infraction fine (1st)
- Up to $100
- Arrest authority
- Warrantless per Penal Code § 836.5
Summary
In unincorporated San Diego County it is a misdemeanor to knowingly make a motor vehicle backfire, screech its tires, or run without a working muffler if the noise annoys or disturbs a person of normal sensitivity nearby. The Sheriff enforces the rule under Code of Regulatory Ordinances Section 36.414.
(a) It shall be unlawful for a person to make, continue or cause to be made or continued a disturbing, excessive or offensive noise. ... (c) The following acts, among others, are declared to be disturbing, excessive and offensive noises that violate this chapter and are unlawful: ... (8) Using or allowing the use of a motor vehicle to knowingly produce a noise that causes annoyance or discomfort to a person of normal sensitivity in the vicinity of the noise by backfiring the engine, screeching the tires, operating without a muffler, altering the muffler or any other action that causes a disturbing, excessive or offensive noise.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-141: Administrative: Current through Ord. No. 11007 (N.S.), effective 7-10-26 | Regulatory: Current through Ord. No. 11008 (N.S.), effective 7-24-26).
Full Breakdown
414 of the county's noise chapter lists specific acts that automatically count as "disturbing, excessive or offensive noise" and are therefore unlawful. Subsection (c)(8) targets vehicles directly: using or allowing the use of a motor vehicle to knowingly produce a noise that causes annoyance or discomfort to a person of normal sensitivity by backfiring the engine, screeching the tires, operating without a muffler, altering the muffler, or taking any other action that causes a disturbing, excessive or offensive noise. The base offense in subsection (a) makes it unlawful for anyone to make, continue, or cause to be made a disturbing, excessive or offensive noise at all, and subsection (b) lists the factors an officer weighs, including the noise level, whether it's usual or unusual, the time of day, its duration, and its proximity to a place where someone sleeps.
402(g) defines "disturbing, excessive or offensive noise" as any sound that endangers health or safety, or causes discomfort or annoyance to a person of normal sensitivity. Vehicle horns are separately addressed in subsection (c)(1), which prohibits unnecessary use of a horn or signaling device beyond what the Vehicle Code allows. 5 for a misdemeanor committed in an officer's presence. 417 exempts emergency work, authorized school bands or athletics, permitted public events, and any activity preempted by state or federal law from the chapter's reach. This rule applies only to the unincorporated county; incorporated cities such as San Diego, Chula Vista, and El Cajon enforce their own municipal noise codes.
Violations & Fines
A conviction under Section 36.414 is a misdemeanor under general Code Section 11.116, punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, up to six months in County Jail, or both. The County or a prosecuting agency has discretion to charge the offense instead as an infraction, which carries fines of $100 for a first violation, $200 for a second within one year, and $500 for a third or later violation of the same provision within a year. The Sheriff investigates and cites; the noise control officer, housed in the Department of Planning and Development Services, assists with any required sound measurements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get in trouble for a loud exhaust in unincorporated San Diego County?
Is this rule the same inside the City of San Diego?
What penalty applies to a vehicle noise violation?
Are there any exemptions to the vehicle noise rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Diego County
California rules heatmap·Compare San Diego County to another location·View the California noise ordinances overview
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