Lodi, CA Public Conduct: Loud Party Ordinance (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- LMC § 9.24.020
- No meter required
- Enforceable without a decibel reading
- Who is liable
- Anyone making or permitting the noise
- Maximum fine
- $250 infraction, § 9.24.060
- Enforced by
- Police or community development director
- Factors considered
- 11 factors incl. time, duration, zoning
Summary
Lodi bans loud, unnecessary, or unusual noise that unreasonably disturbs a neighborhood's peace or annoys a person of normal sensitivity under Municipal Code Section 9.24.020, and lets police cite a loud party without measuring decibels. Anyone who 'permits or causes' the noise, not just the person making it, is liable.
The following special noise restrictions are established without regard to their sound level impact and may be enforced without the prerequisite of a sound level measurement.A.General Noise Regulations. Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, and in addition thereto, it is unlawful for any persons to wilfully make or continue or permit or cause to be made or continued, any loud, unnecessary or unusual noise which unreasonably disturbs the peace and quiet of any neighborhood or which causes discomfort or annoyance to any reasonable person of normal noise sensitivity.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 68).
Full Breakdown
24's noise regulations by declaring that the special restrictions in that section can be 'enforced without the prerequisite of a sound level measurement,' meaning an officer responding to a loud house party does not need a sound meter reading to write a citation. The general rule bars anyone from wilfully making, continuing, permitting, or causing any loud, unnecessary, or unusual noise that unreasonably disturbs the peace and quiet of a neighborhood or causes discomfort or annoyance to a reasonable person of normal noise sensitivity, so a homeowner who 'permits' guests to run a loud party is liable even if they are not the one making the noise.
Subsection B lists eleven factors used to judge whether a given noise crosses that line: volume, intensity, whether the noise is usual for the area and hour, whether it is natural or unnatural, background noise levels, proximity to residential sleeping areas, the zoning and density of the area, the time of day or night, duration, and whether the source is commercial or noncommercial. treated as prima facie evidence of a violation. 010, is exempt from the general noise rule.
Violations & Fines
A violation of Chapter 9.24, including a loud party that disturbs the neighborhood under Section 9.24.020, is an infraction punishable by a fine of up to two hundred fifty dollars under Section 9.24.060. Any peace officer, or the director of community development or a designee, can enforce the chapter under Section 9.24.070, and each instance is evaluated using the eleven statutory factors rather than a fixed decibel test.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Lodi need to measure decibels to cite a loud house party?
Can the host of a party be cited even if a guest is making the noise?
What's the maximum fine for a noise violation in Lodi?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lodi
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Loud Party Ordinance in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Joaquin County handle loud party ordinance.