What can I do about my noisy neighbors?
A noisy neighbor may create a disturbance by having a loud television, stereo, or radio. There is no formal time at which noise becomes illegal. We enforce California Penal Code section 415. This section of the penal codes provides that noise is illegal when “any person…maliciously and willfully disturbs another person by loud and unreasonable noise”.

Since no time frame is specified within this section it means that any person’s peace can be disturbed at any time of day they consider their peace to be disturbed by unreasonable noise, whether 2 a.m. or 2 p.m. The unreasonableness of the noise is an important and necessary requirement of an actual violation of Penal Code section 415.

If this is occurring, call the Irvine Police Department at 949-724-7200 to report it. You may be asked if you wish to sign a complaint. In effect, you are being asked if you will sign a citizen’s arrest for disturbance of the peace.

Under California law, a police officer’s peace cannot be disturbed. A police officer observing a social gathering and hearing loud music cannot enforce Penal Code 415 without a citizen who has reported this gathering to be disturbing their peace.

To allow us the authority to arrest the offending party we must have a victim who has identified himself or herself to us, and is willing to make the citizen’s arrest for this section. Even if you do not wish to do so, you will still be asked for your name, address and phone number, for our information only.