San Diego Noise Ordinance: Limits, Quiet Hours & How to File a Complaint

How San Diego decides what counts as too loud

San Diego regulates the one-hour average sound level rather than an instantaneous peak, measured at or beyond the property line.

Noise limits in San Diego

What's specific to San Diego

• The one-hour-average structure means a single loud moment is less likely to establish a violation than sustained noise — log a full hour where you can.
• This is exactly the kind of measurement a timed logging session is built for.

What San Diego residents most often report

• Construction, measured as a 75 dB average across the 12 hours from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM.
• Commercial HVAC and refrigeration running overnight, which the hourly-average standard captures well.
• Short-term rental and beach-area party noise.

How to measure it in San Diego

San Diego regulates a one-hour average, not a peak, so a single loud moment rarely establishes a violation. Run a continuous measurement for a full hour where you can and record the average rather than the maximum. Measure at or beyond your property line, and compare against 55 dB during the day or 45 dB between 10:00 PM and 7:00 AM.

Record levels with the free online decibel meter, and log the date, start time and duration with each reading. A phone microphone is accurate to roughly ±2 dB and is not a calibrated instrument — enough to establish a pattern, not enough for an enforcement hearing.

Penalties in San Diego

Administrative citations; continued violations escalate through Code Enforcement.

How to file a noise complaint in San Diego

Use the Get It Done app for ongoing sources; SDPD non-emergency 619-531-2000 for active disturbances.

Get It Done app / police non-emergency →

Noise ordinances in other metros

See all US metro noise ordinances or read how many decibels is too loud.