Fillmore Decibel Limits Rules (2026): What You Need to Know

Fillmore Municipal Code Chapter 9.04 establishes the city's noise control ordinance, reflecting the small agricultural town's need to balance residential quiet with the operational realities of citrus packing, rail traffic along the Fillmore & Western Railway corridor, and farming equipment use in the surrounding Santa Clara River Valley. Residential zones — which constitute the majority of Fillmore's developed area south of Highway 126 — are held to an exterior noise standard of 55 dBA during daytime hours (7 AM to 10 PM) and 45 dBA during nighttime hours (10 PM to 7 AM). These thresholds are measured at the property line of the affected receiving parcel using the A-weighting network with slow meter response.

Commercial zones, concentrated primarily along Central Avenue in the historic downtown district, are permitted up to 65 dBA at all hours. This higher threshold accommodates the city's retail, restaurant, and service-sector activity, as well as the seasonal tourism traffic associated with the Fillmore & Western Railway heritage excursion trains. Agricultural zones that border residential neighborhoods present a unique dynamic in Fillmore: while the 55/45 dBA residential standards technically apply when the receiving property is residential, active agricultural operations — including citrus grove equipment, irrigation pumps, and orchard wind machines used for frost protection during winter months — may be exempt from noise complaints under California's Right to Farm Act (Civil Code Section 3482.5) and the Ventura County Agricultural Commissioner's guidelines.

Enforcement proceeds on a complaint basis. Fillmore contracts with the Ventura County Sheriff's Department for police services, and deputies respond to after-hours noise disturbance calls. Daytime and ongoing noise issues are referred to the city's Code Enforcement Division, which may conduct formal decibel measurements for evidentiary purposes. The Ventura County Air Pollution Control District retains concurrent jurisdiction over certain stationary industrial noise sources within the city limits.