Butte County Municipal Code Art. II Sound Trucks

For the purpose of this article, the following words and phrases shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them by this section:

"Sound truck" shall mean any motor vehicle, or horse-drawn vehicle, having mounted thereon, or attached thereto, any sound amplifying equipment.

"Sound amplifying equipment" shall mean any machine or device for the amplification of the human voice, music or any other sound. "Sound amplifying equipment" as used herein shall not be construed as including standard automobile radios when used and heard only by occupants of the vehicle in which installed or warning devices on authorized emergency vehicles or horns or other warning devices on other vehicles used only for traffic safety purposes.

(Ord. No. 678, § 1)

(a) Registration required. No person shall use, or cause to be used, a sound truck with its sound amplifying equipment in operation for noncommercial purposes in the unincorporated area of the county before filing a registration statement with the sheriff in writing. This registration statement shall be filed in duplicate and shall state the following:

1. Name and home address of the applicant.

2. Address of place of business of applicant.

3. License number and motor number of the sound truck to be used by applicant.

4. Name and address of person who owns the sound truck.

5. Name and address of person having direct charge of sound truck.

6. Names and addresses of all persons who will use or operate the sound truck.

7. The purpose for which the sound truck will be used.

8. A general statement as to the section or sections of the county in which the sound truck will be used.

9. The proposed hours of operation of sound truck.

10. The number of days of proposed operation of the sound truck.

11. A general description of the sound amplifying equipment which is to be used.

12. The maximum sound producing power of the sound amplifying equipment to be used in or on the sound truck. State the fol1lowing: (a) The wattage to be used. (b) The volume in decibels of the sound which will be produced. (c) The approximate maximum distance for which sound will be thrown from the sound truck.

(b) Registration statement amendment. All persons using or causing to be used, sound trucks for non-commercial purposes shall amend any registration statement filed pursuant to subsection (a) of this section within forty-eight hours after any change in the information therein furnished.

(c) Registration statement and identification. The sheriff shall return to each applicant under subsection (a) of this section, one copy of the registration statement duly certified by the sheriff as a correct copy of the application. The certified copy of the application shall be in the possession of any person operating the sound truck at all times while the sound truck's sound amplifying equipment is in operation and said copy shall be promptly displayed and shown to any law officer of the county or state upon request.

(d) Regulation for use. Noncommercial use of sound trucks in the unincorporated area of the county with sound amplifying equipment in operation shall be subject to the following regulations:

1. The only sounds permitted are music or human speech.

2. Operations are permitted for four hours each day, except on Sundays and legal holidays when no operations shall be authorized. The permitted four hours of operation shall be between the hours of 11:30 A.M., and 1:30 P.M., and between the hours of 4:30 P.M., and 6:30 P.M.

3. Sound amplifying equipment shall not be operated unless the sound truck upon which such equipment is mounted is operated at a speed of at least ten miles per hour except when said truck is stopped or impeded by traffic. Where stopped by traffic the said sound amplifying equipment shall not be operated for longer than one minute at each such stop.

4. Sound shall not be issued within one hundred yards of hospitals, schools, churches, or courthouses.

5. The human speech and music amplified shall not be profane, lewd, indecent, or slanderous.

6. The volume of sound shall be controlled so that it will not be audible for a distance in excess of one hundred feet from the sound truck and so that said volume is not unreasonably loud, raucous, jarring, disturbing or a nuisance to persons within the area of audibility.

7. No sound amplifying equipment shall be operated with an excess of fifteen watts of power in the last stage of amplification.

(Ord. No. 678, § 2)

(a) License required. No person shall operate or cause to be operated, any sound truck in the unincorporated area of the county for commercial advertising purposes with sound amplifying equipment in operation unless a license has been obtained from the sheriff. The fee for the license shall be two dollars and fifty cents.

(b) Application for license. Persons applying for the license required under subsection (a) of this section shall file with the sheriff an application in writing giving in the application the information required in the registration statement under subsection (a) of section 14-4.

(c) Issuance of license. The sheriff shall issue a license under subsection (a) of this section upon payment of the required license fee unless the application required in subsection (b) of this section reveals that the applicant would violate the regulations prescribed in subsection (d) of this section or the provisions of some other ordinance of this county.

(d) Possession and display of license. A licensee shall keep such license in his possession in the sound truck during the time the sound truck's sound amplifying equipment is in operation. The license shall be promptly displayed and shown to any law officer of the county or state upon request.

(e) Regulations for use. No person shall operate, or cause to be operated, any sound truck for commercial and advertising purposes in violation of the regulations set forth in subsection (d) of section 14-4.

(Ord. No. 678, § 3)