Hanford, CA Noise Ordinances: Vehicle Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Ordinary traffic noise
- Governed by state Vehicle Code
- Jake brakes
- Banned if unreasonable
- Horn limit
- 10 consecutive seconds (§9.10.060(A)(2))
- Enforcement
- Hanford Police Department
Summary
Hanford exempts ordinary traffic noise from its local noise rules, but compression-release engine brakes, 'jake brakes', stay banned whenever they create noise that violates the city's unreasonable-noise standard.
Motor vehicles on traffic ways of the city, provided that the prohibition of Section 9.10.060(A)(2) continues to apply. Noise from vehicles on traffic ways shall be regulated in a manner provided for by the California Vehicle Code. This exemption does not include the use of compression release engine brakes (also known as "jake brakes") in a manner that creates a noise prohibited by Section 9.10.050(A)(2) and/or (A)(3).
B. Repairs of utility structures which pose a clear and immediate danger to life, health, or significant loss of property.
C. Sirens, whistles, or bells lawfully used by emergency vehicles, or other alarm systems used in case of fire, collision, civil defense, police activity, or imminent danger, provided that the prohibition contained in Section 9.10.060(A)(4) continues to apply.
D. The emission of sound for the purpose of alerting persons to the existence of an emergency or the emission of sound in the performance of emergency work.
E. Repairs or excavations of bridges, streets, highways, and other public improvements by or on behalf of the city, the state, or the federal government, between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., when public welfare and convenience renders it impractical to perform the work between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.
F.
Full Breakdown
Hanford Municipal Code § 9.10.070(A) exempts motor vehicles on the city's traffic ways from Chapter 9.10's noise rules, leaving ordinary vehicle noise to the California Vehicle Code instead. But that exemption explicitly does not cover compression-release engine brakes ('jake brakes') used in a way that creates noise prohibited by § 9.10.050(A)(2) or (A)(3): the code's general unreasonable-noise and neighborhood-disturbance standards. Separately, § 9.10.060(A)(2) caps any vehicle horn or signaling device at 10 consecutive seconds, exempting genuine danger warnings.
Violations & Fines
A violation is a misdemeanor under § 9.10.090, punishable by up to a $1,000 fine and/or six months in County Jail; each day a jake-brake or horn violation continues is treated as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can truckers use engine brakes on Hanford streets?
How long can a car horn sound in Hanford?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hanford
California rules heatmap·Compare Hanford to another location·View the California noise ordinances overview
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