Maywood Municipal Code Ch. 20 Sound Trucks

For the purposes of this chapter, unless otherwise apparent from the context, certain words and phrases used in this chapter are defined as follows:

(a) "Person" shall mean and include any person, firm, corporation, association, club, partnership, society, or any other form of association or organization.

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

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

(§ 1, Ord. 536)

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 with the City Clerk in writing. Such registration statement shall be filed in duplicate and shall state the following:

(a) The name and home address of the applicant;

(b) The address of the place of business of the applicant;

(c) The license number and motor number of the sound truck to be used by the applicant;

(d) The name and address of the person who owns the sound truck;

(e) The name and address of the person having direct charge of the sound truck;

(f) The 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 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 amplifying equipment which is to be used; and

(l) The maximum sound producing power of the sound amplifying equipment to be used in or on the sound truck, setting forth the following:

(1) The wattage to be used;

(2) The volume in decibels of the sound which will be produced; and

(3) The approximate maximum distance for which the sound will be thrown from the sound truck.

(§ 2, Ord. 536)

All persons using, or causing to be used, sound trucks for noncommercial purposes shall amend any registration statement filed pursuant to Section 5-20.02 of this chapter within forty-eight (48) hours after any change in the information therein furnished.

(§ 2, Ord. 536)

Upon approval by the City Council, the City Clerk shall return to each applicant under Section 5-20.02 of this chapter one (1) copy of such registration statement duly certified by the City Clerk as a correct copy of such application. Such 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 amplifying equipment is in operation, and such copy shall be promptly displayed and shown to any police officer of the City upon request.

(§ 2, Ord. 536, as amended by § 3, Ord. 03-492, eff. May 22, 2003)

The noncommercial use in the City of sound trucks with sound amplifying equipment in operation shall be subject to the following regulations:

(a) The only sound permitted shall be music or human speech.

(b) Operations shall be permitted only between the hours of 11:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. on Monday through Saturday and between the hours of 1:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. on Sunday.

(c) 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 (10) miles per hour except when such truck is stopped or impeded by traffic. Where stopped by traffic such sound amplifying equipment shall not be operated for longer than one (1) minute at each such stop.

(d) Sound shall not be issued within 100 yards of hospitals or churches or within 100 yards of a school when such school is in session.

(e) No sound truck with its amplifying device in operation shall be operated on any portions of Slauson Avenue and Atlantic Avenue within the City.

(f) The human speech and music amplified shall not profane, lewd, indecent, or slanderous.

(g) The volume of sound shall be controlled so that it will not audible for a distance in excess of 100 yards from the sound truck and so that such volume is not unreasonably loud, raucous, jarring, disturbing, or a nuisance to persons within the area of audibility.

(h) No sound amplifying equipment shall be operated with an excess of fifteen (15) watts of power in the last stage of amplification. Sound amplification equipment that is capable of operating in excess of the authorized fifteen (15) watts by manual control, remote control or other device or means, shall not be authorized without special authorization by the City Council.

(i) Not more than one (1) sound truck shall be operated in any single block in the City at one time. In the event two (2) sound trucks are in single block at the time, the truck at the rear of the other shall not emit sound.

(§ 2, Ord. 536, as amended by § 4, Ord. 03-492, eff. May 22, 2003)

No person shall operate, or cause to be operated, any sound truck in the City for commercial advertising purposes with sound amplifying equipment in operation unless a license has been obtained from the City Clerk. The fee for such license shall be the fee set forth in Article 2 of Chapter 1 of Title 3 of this Code.

(§ 3, Ord. 536)

Persons applying for the license required by Section 5-20.06 of this chapter shall file with the City Clerk an application in writing, setting forth in such application the information required for the registration statement by Section 5-20.02 of this chapter.

(§ 3, Ord. 536)

Upon approval by the City Council, the City Clerk shall issue the license required by Section 5-20.06 of this chapter upon payment of the required license fee unless the application required by Section 5-20.07 of this chapter reveals that the applicant would violate the regulations prescribed by Section 5-20.10 of this chapter or provisions of some other law of the City.

(§ 3, Ord. 536, as amended by § 5, Ord. 03-492, eff. May 22, 2003)

The 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 police officer of the City upon request.

(§ 3, Ord. 536)

No person shall operate, or cause to be operated, any sound truck for commercial sound advertising purposes in violation of the regulations set forth in Section 5-20.05 of this chapter.

(§ 3, Ord. 536)

The provisions of Sections 5-20.02 through 5-20.05 shall apply to sound trucks used in connection with political campaigns.

(§ 4, Ord. 536)