Pleasanton, CA Noise Ordinances: Vehicle Noise (2026)

Vehicle noise in Pleasanton is addressed through both the city's noise regulations and state law. Under Chapter 9.04 of the Municipal Code, vehicle horns and similar warning devices may be used only when a situation endangering life, health or property is imminent, prohibiting their use to summon attention, signal arrival or vent frustration. Beyond horns, noise from vehicles, stereos and idling equipment is governed by the same property-line limits that apply to other sources: 60 dBA outside residential property and 70 dBA outside commercial property, with the 70 dBA daytime exemption window of 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays and holidays. For vehicles operated on public streets, much of the technical regulation of exhaust and muffler noise comes from the California Vehicle Code, which requires every motor vehicle to be equipped with an adequate muffler and prohibits modified or cutout exhaust systems that amplify noise; these provisions are enforced by police as part of traffic enforcement. The combination means a driver can face a city noise infraction for an excessively loud sound system at a residence and a separate Vehicle Code citation for a modified exhaust on the road. Residents bothered by chronic vehicle noise from a property can report it as a noise complaint, while moving-vehicle and exhaust problems are typically a police matter.