Redondo Beach, CA Noise Ordinances: Vehicle Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Vehicle stereo rule
- Audible outside vehicle = unlawful
- Horns/warning devices
- Excluded from the ban
- Pandemoniac vehicle
- Tire-friction noise from accelerating
- Exemption
- Designated raceway or dragstrip
- Muffler defects
- Governed by Veh. Code §§ 27150-27151
Summary
Redondo Beach bans motor vehicle amplified sound audible to anyone outside the vehicle and separately outlaws "pandemoniac" vehicles operated to create tire-friction noise by accelerating.
§ 4-24.515. Pandemoniac vehicles: Defined: Prohibited: Exemptions. (a) Defined. For the purposes of this section, "pandemoniac motor vehicle" shall mean a motor vehicle of any appearance, performance, or capability, designed, constructed, or operated in such a manner as to create audible noise related to tire friction by accelerating such vehicle. (b) Prohibited. It is unlawful for any person to operate a pandemoniac motor vehicle on any street or in any other place within the City. (c) Exemption. This section shall not apply to an area expressly designated by ordinance or resolution as a "raceway" or "dragstrip."
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4889554; v14 updated 2026-05-12).
Full Breakdown
514 makes it unlawful for a motor vehicle operator to permit transmission of amplified sound that is clearly audible to anyone other than the vehicle's occupants; the section expressly excludes horns and other legal warning devices from the definition of amplified sound. 515 separately targets what the Code calls a "pandemoniac motor vehicle," defined as a vehicle of any appearance, performance or capability designed, constructed or operated to create audible noise related to tire friction by accelerating the vehicle, essentially peel-outs and burnouts. 508 states those violations are regulated by Sections 27150 and 27151 of the California Vehicle Code rather than by the local noise chapter. , effective October 15, 1987.
Violations & Fines
Violating either the vehicle amplified-sound rule or the pandemoniac vehicle ban is a misdemeanor under the Code's general penalty provision, punishable by a fine up to $1,000, imprisonment up to six months, or both; the Noise Control Officer may also pursue abatement or notice-of-violation procedures first.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get cited for a loud car stereo in Redondo Beach?
What is a "pandemoniac vehicle" under Redondo Beach law?
Does Redondo Beach's noise chapter cover a car with a loud exhaust?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Redondo Beach
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