El Cajon Municipal Code Ch. 5.94 Sound Trucks

"Sound truck"

means any motor vehicle, or any other vehicle regardless of motive power, whether in motion or stationary, having mounted thereon or attached thereto, any sound amplifying equipment.

"Sound-amplifying equipment,"

as used herein, means 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. 3790 § 1, 1984)

No person shall use or cause to be used a sound truck with its sound-amplifying equipment in operation for noncommercial purposes in the city before filing a registration statement or obtaining a license. The registration statement shall be filed in duplicate and shall state the following:

A. Name and home address of the applicant;

B. Address of place of business of applicant;

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

D. Name and address of person who owns the sound truck;

E. Name and address of person having direct charge of sound truck;

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

G. The purpose for which the sound truck will be used;

H. A general statement as to the section or sections of the city in which the sound truck will be used;

I. The proposed hours of operation of the sound truck;

J. The number of days of proposed operation of the sound truck;

K. A general description of the sound amplifier and of each accessory unit to be used with it.

(Ord. 3790 § 1, 1984)

Use of sound trucks in the city with sound amplifying equipment in operation shall be subject to the following regulations:

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

B. Operations are permitted between the hours of eight a.m. and nine p.m. or after nine p.m. during public events and affairs of interest to the general public.

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

D. The volume of sound shall be controlled so that said volume is not unreasonably loud, raucous, jarring, disturbing, or a nuisance to persons within the area of audibility and so that the volume of sound shall not exceed a sound level of sixty-five decibels (on the "A" scale) at a distance of fifty feet from the sound amplifying equipment as measured by a sound level meter which meets Standard No. 5.14 of the U.S.A. Standards Institute.

E. No sound-amplifying equipment shall be operated unless the axis of the center of any sound-reproducing equipment used shall be parallel to the direction of travel of the sound truck; provided, however, that any sound reproducing equipment may be so placed upon said sound truck as to not vary more than fifteen degrees either side of the axis of the center of the direction of travel.

F. No sound truck with its amplifying device in operation shall be driven on the same street past the same point more than twice in a period of one hour.

(Ord. 3790 § 1, 1984)

A. It is unlawful for any person to operate or cause to be operated any sound truck in the city for commercial advertising purposes with sound-amplifying equipment in operation unless an application has been made and a license has been obtained from the license tax collector.

B. In the event said sound truck is found to be in violation of any regulatory provision contained in Section 5.94.030, said violation shall be cause for revocation of such license.

C. The license tax or permit fee set forth in Section 5.08.040 shall be paid.

(Ord. 3790 § 1, 1984)