Ventura Outdoor Music Rules Rules (2026): What You Need to Know

Outdoor and amplified music in Ventura is regulated primarily under Municipal Code Chapter 10.650, which sets the exterior noise limits that all sound sources — including live bands, DJ equipment, portable speakers, and venue sound systems — must not exceed. For residential properties, the daytime limit (7:00 AM to 10:00 PM) is 65 dBA at the property line, and the nighttime limit (10:00 PM to 7:00 AM) is 55 dBA. In practice, amplified music carrying beyond a residence's property line after 10:00 PM is likely to exceed the nighttime threshold and attract both neighbor complaints and police response. Private parties and gatherings with outdoor amplified sound should plan to reduce or cease amplification by 10:00 PM.

Commercial venues hosting outdoor entertainment — including restaurants and bars on the downtown Main Street corridor, the Ventura Harbor Village, and venues near the Ventura Pier and Promenade — are subject to the commercial zone noise thresholds under Chapter 10.650 and may also be required to obtain a Special Event Permit or to comply with entertainment-specific conditions in their conditional use permit (CUP). The city's Planning Division may impose operational conditions on approved commercial entertainment uses, including maximum amplified sound decibel levels measured at specified receptor locations, curfews for amplified outdoor music, and requirements for acoustic barriers or directional speaker orientation. Venues in proximity to residential neighborhoods along the downtown corridors are especially likely to have CUP conditions addressing outdoor amplified entertainment.

For large public events on Ventura's beaches, at Promenade Park, at the Marina Park, or in other public spaces, a Special Event Permit is required from the city's Community Partnerships & Recreation Department. Special event permits typically include specific conditions governing amplified sound hours, maximum sound levels, and speaker orientation. The city's proximity to residential uses along the beachfront and in the Pierpont neighborhood means sound management is a standard component of special event approvals. Repeat violators of amplified sound conditions may face permit suspension or denial of future permits.