Paramount, CA Noise Ordinances: Vehicle Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Section
- Paramount Municipal Code § 9.04.430
- Places covered
- Vacant lot, parking lot, vacant property, acreage
- Harm tested
- Noise, dust, smoke or fumes disturbing peace or quiet
- Chapter 9.12 penalty
- Fine up to $500.00 or six months County Jail, or both
- Sound vehicle distance rule
- Not within 300 feet of hospital, school or church
- Sound vehicle hours barred
- 4:30 p.m. to 9:00 a.m., and all Sundays
Summary
In the City of Paramount, California, Municipal Code § 9.04.430 bars operating any motor vehicle, including a motorcycle, trail bike, dune buggy, scooter, go-cart or jeep, on a vacant lot, parking lot, vacant property or acreage so as to disturb the peace of a neighborhood or person by noise, dust, smoke or fumes. Sound vehicles face separate hour limits in Chapter 12.48.
A. A person shall not operate any motor vehicle including any motorcycle, trail bike, dune buggy, motor scooter, gocart or jeep, or the motor thereof, on any vacant lot, parking lot, vacant property or acreage so as to disturb the peace or quiet of any neighborhood or person by noise, dust, smoke or fumes caused by such motor vehicle. B. The provisions of subsection A do not apply to any act prohibited by Section 372 of the Penal Code of the State, or prohibited or expressly permitted by any statute of the State.
Full Breakdown
Section 9.04.430 of the Paramount Municipal Code, under the Disorderly Conduct article, is the City of Paramount's vehicle noise rule. It lists the vehicles it reaches: any motor vehicle including any motorcycle, trail bike, dune buggy, motor scooter, gocart or jeep, or the motor thereof. It lists the places: any vacant lot, parking lot, vacant property or acreage. The offense is operating the vehicle so as to disturb the peace or quiet of any neighborhood or person by noise, dust, smoke or fumes. Subsection B steps aside for any act prohibited by Section 372 of the Penal Code of the State, or prohibited or expressly permitted by any statute of the State.
Section 9.04.450 says acts prohibited by the article are unlawful and a misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment or by fine or penalty or both as provided by law.
The Noise chapter, 9.12, adds to this. Section 9.12.060(B)(1) applies the chapter's limits to sound trucks or vehicles, whether mobile or stationary, and to sound equipment used for producing or amplifying music. Section 9.12.020 defines sound amplifying equipment to include motor vehicles and motor vehicle equipment, and defines a sound truck as any motor vehicle having mounted on it any sound amplifying equipment. The limits themselves are in § 9.12.040: in R1 and R2 zones, 62 decibels by day and 57 decibels from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. Section 9.12.060(B)(1)(a) requires a registration statement and City Manager approval before anyone operates a loudspeaker or sound amplifying equipment to transmit sound to an assemblage of persons.
Chapter 12.48 regulates sound vehicles used for advertising or calling attention. Section 12.48.030 bars operating the sound device within 300 feet of any hospital, school, church or other place of religious worship, on any public highway between 4:30 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. of the following day, and on any public highway on any Sunday. Section 12.48.050 bars parking a sound vehicle with the device in operation on a public highway at any time.
This page quotes the vehicle-operation section only. None of the sections cited here sets a muffler or engine-brake standard.
Violations & Fines
A violation of § 9.04.430 is a misdemeanor under § 9.04.450. A violation of Chapter 9.12 is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not exceeding $500.00 or County Jail for a period not exceeding six months, or both, and each day is a separate offense under § 9.12.070(B). Under § 9.12.070(C) a vehicle or machine operated in violation of that chapter is declared a public nuisance and can be abated summarily by a restraining order or injunction. The Director of Ordinance Enforcement enforces Chapter 9.12 under § 9.12.080.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I ride a dirt bike or trail bike in a parking lot in the City of Paramount?
Are loud car stereos covered by Paramount's noise code?
When can an advertising sound vehicle operate in Paramount?
What is the penalty for vehicle noise?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Paramount
California rules heatmap·Compare Paramount to another location·View the California noise ordinances overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Vehicle Noise in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Los Angeles County handle vehicle noise.