The Pasadena noise ordinance, found in Chapter 9.36 of the Municipal Code, makes it unlawful to produce any sound that exceeds the existing background noise at a property line by more than five decibels. That five-decibel rule is the backbone of enforcement, but the code layers on separate standards for apartments, construction, leaf blowers, commercial deliveries, and animals, each with its own hours and limits.
The Five-Decibel Rule
Section 9.36.050 sets the general standard. Rather than fixing a single decibel cap citywide, the code measures the ambient noise at the property line and then asks whether the complained-about sound pushes more than five decibels above that baseline. “Property line” means the boundary between private property (or an event) and the public right-of-way.
Section 9.36.040 governs how officers take the reading. All measurements use A-weighted sound level meters. The character of the sound matters: a steady audible tone or repeated impulsive noise adds five decibels to the reading, making those sounds easier to cite. Short-duration noise gets a reduction instead. Sound lasting five to fifteen minutes per hour drops five decibels, one to five minutes drops ten, and under one minute drops twenty. Those duration discounts apply only during the day, defined as 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., no discounts apply and enforcement is stricter.1City of Pasadena. Appendix E Noise Modeling Data
Noise Between Apartments and Condos
If you share walls with neighbors, Section 9.36.060 gives you a second standard to lean on. Interior noise traveling between units is capped at 60 decibels from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and 50 decibels from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.2City of Pasadena. Ordinance Fact Sheet – Pasadena Municipal Code Chapter 9.36 Readings are taken either inside the affected unit or twenty feet from the outside of the unit producing the noise.
This matters because the general property-line rule often won’t help in a shared building: the property line may be the building’s exterior wall, not the wall between your bedroom and your neighbor’s living room. The interior standard gives you a direct enforcement path for a loud stereo, television, or gathering next door. The nighttime cap of 50 decibels is roughly the volume of a quiet conversation, so there isn’t much room to make noise after 10:00 p.m. before crossing the line.
Construction Hours
Section 9.36.070 restricts noisy construction equipment, including pile drivers, forklifts, cement mixers, and pneumatic hammers, to specific windows when the work is in or within 500 feet of a residential district:3City of Pasadena. Construction and Delivery Hours
- Monday through Friday: 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
- Saturday: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Sundays and listed holidays: prohibited
The same hours apply to any construction or repair work on buildings and structures that would cause discomfort to a reasonable person nearby. Prohibited holidays include New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Lincoln’s Birthday, Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, the day after Thanksgiving, and Christmas. A commercial project across the street from homes still has to follow residential-area hours because of the 500-foot buffer.
Leaf Blowers
Pasadena regulates leaf blowers more tightly than most other noise sources. Chapter 9.37 limits all leaf blower use within or within 500 feet of a residential area to these hours:4City of Pasadena. Ordinance No. 7389 – Leaf Blowing Machines
- Monday through Friday: 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
- Saturday: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Sunday: banned entirely
On top of the hours, no leaf blower may exceed 65 decibels when measured from 50 feet away.5City of Pasadena. Pasadena Municipal Code – Chapter 9.37 Leaf-Blowing Machines Many gas-powered blowers exceed that threshold easily. The code defines “person” broadly, so both the operator and the property owner who hired them can be held responsible.
Commercial Deliveries Near Homes
Early-morning dumpster pickups and truck deliveries at commercial properties are regulated too. Under Section 17.40.070, loading, unloading, and trash pickup at commercial sites within 300 feet of a residential zoning district are limited to:3City of Pasadena. Construction and Delivery Hours
- Monday through Friday: 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
- Saturday: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Sunday: prohibited
The rule covers commercial, general commercial, limited commercial, commercial office, and industrial general zoning districts, along with commercial districts inside specific plan areas.
Barking Dogs and Animal Noise
Animal noise follows a completely different track. Pasadena Humane, not the police, handles these complaints, and officers cannot take legal action against a noisy pet unless it has first been formally declared a public nuisance.6Pasadena Humane. Animal Noise Complaints
That declaration requires a petition signed by at least three neighbors who are directly affected, each living at a separate address and at least 18 years old. Every signer has to keep a seven-day log of dates and times they hear the animal, and every signer must be willing to attend a hearing and testify. Pasadena Humane posts the complaint form on its website and can be reached at 626-792-7151.7Pasadena Humane. Animal Noise Complaint Form Anonymous complaints are not accepted. The system is built for chronic problems, not for one bad night.
What the Ordinance Does Not Cover
Section 9.36.170 exempts several categories. Emergency and public-agency work is the broadest: construction, maintenance, or repair by public agencies or their contractors responding to emergencies or protecting public safety is not subject to the noise limits. That covers things like restoring electrical service, repairing water mains or gas lines, unplugging sewers, removing downed wires, and street sweeping.1City of Pasadena. Appendix E Noise Modeling Data
The City Manager can also issue permits allowing special events to exceed normal limits, up to the ceilings set in the Noise Element of the General Plan. The General Manager of the Rose Bowl holds the same authority for events licensed by the Rose Bowl Operating Company, and each permit sets its own hour limits and decibel ceiling.8City of Pasadena. Agenda Report – City Council
How to Report a Noise Violation
For a loud party, construction outside permitted hours, or an amplified sound system happening right now, the Pasadena Police Department handles the initial response, and the non-emergency police line is usually the fastest route. The Planning and Community Development Department handles longer-term enforcement, especially for ongoing issues at commercial properties or construction sites. Animal noise goes through Pasadena Humane under the separate process described above.
Penalties
Enforcement escalates. When officers respond, the first step is typically a warning so the responsible party can fix the problem voluntarily. If the noise continues, the city can issue administrative citations, with amounts set by city council resolution and increasing with repeat offenses.
For serious or persistent violations, the city can prosecute the offense as a misdemeanor under California law, carrying a fine of up to $1,000 and up to six months in county jail.1City of Pasadena. Appendix E Noise Modeling Data Jail time for a noise case is rare in practice and reserved for extreme noncompliance. Most situations resolve long before that point.
The ordinance isn’t the only option. Under California’s implied warranty of quiet enjoyment, a landlord who knows about a tenant creating chronic noise and does nothing may face separate civil liability from affected tenants. The city’s rules set the municipal penalties; they do not limit a neighbor’s ability to bring a private nuisance claim in court.