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Imperial County, CA Public Conduct: Loud Party Ordinance (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Prima facie standard
audible 50 ft, 10pm-7am
Covers
stereos, TVs, amplifiers
Also covers
horns and barking animals
Governing code
§ 90703.02

Summary

Imperial County treats a stereo, TV or amplifier audible 50 feet away between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. as prima facie evidence of a public nuisance noise violation.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Imperial County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

The use, operation, or permitting to be played, used or operated, any sound production or reproduction device, radio receiving set, musical instrument, drum phonograph, television set, loud speakers and sound amplifiers or other machine or device for the producing or reproducing of sound in such a manner as to disturb the peace, quiet, and comfort of any reasonable person of normal sensitivity in any residential or public area is prohibited. This provision shall not apply to any participant in a duly-licensed parade, or to any person who has been otherwise duly authorized by Imperial County to engage in such conduct.2.Prime Facie Violations. The operation of any such device between the hours of ten p.m. and seven a.m. in such a manner as to be plainly audible at a distance of fifty (50) feet from the building, structure, or vehicle in which it is located, shall be prima facie evidence of a violation of this section.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 62 - 9-25).

Full Breakdown

County Code § 90703.02(B) makes it unlawful to operate a radio, television, phonograph, loudspeaker, or similar sound device so as to disturb the peace, quiet, and comfort of a reasonable person in a residential or public area. Running such a device between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. so it is plainly audible 50 feet from the source is prima facie evidence of a violation: the standard used to cite a loud house party. The same section also reaches unnecessary horn use and barking animals disturbing two or more neighboring households.

Violations & Fines

A device audible at 50 feet between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., or any sound disturbing a reasonable neighbor's peace, violates § 90703.02 and is cited as a public nuisance noise offense.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the county have a specific "loud party" ordinance?
Not by that name. Imperial County enforces loud parties under its general nuisance-noise rule, § 90703.02, which sets a 50-foot, nighttime audibility standard as prima facie evidence of a violation.
Is the host personally liable, or just whoever is making noise?
The code doesn't single out hosts by name; it applies to "any person" who makes, continues, or causes the disturbing noise, which in practice reaches whoever controls the party.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Imperial County

All Imperial County rules

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