10 rules for unincorporated Mariposa County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Mariposa County is entirely unincorporated and has no comprehensive noise ordinance, so there are no codified clock-based quiet hours for the county. The County's General Plan only recommends that a noise ordinance 'be considered.' Nighttime noise disturbances are instead addressed under California Penal Code Section 415 (disturbing the peace).
Unincorporated Mariposa County has no ordinance setting construction hours or a construction-noise decibel limit. The General Plan only proposes future standards to control noise at its source and to reduce construction vibration. Until adopted, construction noise is addressed under general nuisance principles and California Penal Code Section 415. Confirm permit conditions with the Mariposa County Planning Department.
Barking dogs are the one noise topic Mariposa County regulates by ordinance. County Code Chapter 6.16 makes it unlawful to keep a dog that habitually barks, howls or yelps to the great discomfort of the neighborhood. A written complaint triggers notice from the animal control officer; unresolved cases can be referred to the District Attorney to abate the nuisance.
Mariposa County Code Section 6.16.010 (Barking dog(s)--Defined; Ord. 769 Sec.1, 1990)
It shall be unlawful for any person knowingly to keep or harbor any dog which habitually barks, howls or yelps to the great discomfort of the peace and quiet of the neighborhood or in such manner as to disturb or annoy persons in the neighborhood who are of ordinary sensibilities.
Unincorporated Mariposa County has no leaf-blower ordinance, no leaf-blower hours and no decibel limit, and the county has no general noise ordinance at all. Leaf-blower noise is treated like other rural yard-equipment sounds and is only actionable if it rises to a loud, unreasonable disturbance under California Penal Code Section 415.
Mariposa County has no general noise ordinance, so there is no countywide decibel limit or cutoff for amplified music. For permitted outdoor public events, the General Plan lets the County restrict the level of amplification and the event's start, finish and duration. Off-permit amplified noise is addressed under California Penal Code Section 415.
Unincorporated Mariposa County does not regulate aircraft noise, and cannot directly do so. Aircraft operations and noise are controlled by the Federal Aviation Administration under federal law, which preempts local noise ordinances. The General Plan addresses the Mariposa-Yosemite Airport through land-use compatibility planning rather than overflight noise rules.
Mariposa County has no industrial-noise ordinance or decibel table. The General Plan notes large industrial plants and similar stationary noise sources 'do not occur' in the county. Industrial and commercial noise is instead controlled through zoning, use-permit conditions and CEQA review by the Planning Department, with project-specific acoustical studies required where excessive noise is likely.
Unincorporated Mariposa County sets no numeric decibel limits. The County has no general noise ordinance, and its General Plan uses the 55 dB(A) CNEL level only as a planning reference, not an enforceable property-line standard. The only numeric noise limits that apply come from state law, such as the 95 dBA cap on modified vehicle exhaust (VEH 27151).
Mariposa County has no general noise ordinance, so there is no fixed outdoor-music cutoff or decibel limit. For permitted outdoor public events, the General Plan lets the County impose noise-reduction conditions, including limits on amplification and on the event's start, finish and duration. Outdoor music outside a permitted event is addressed under California Penal Code Section 415.
Mariposa County has no vehicle-noise ordinance, so road noise in the unincorporated county is governed by California state law. The Vehicle Code requires an adequate muffler (VEH 27150), caps modified-exhaust noise on light vehicles at 95 dBA (VEH 27151), and bars sound systems audible 50+ feet from a moving vehicle (VEH 27007). The General Plan flags off-road vehicles.
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