10 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 2 cities in Monterey County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Unincorporated Monterey County regulates noise under County Code Chapter 10.60. Section 10.60.040 governs nighttime noise, prohibiting any loud and unreasonable sound and adopting exterior standards of 45 Leq dBA and 65 dBA maximum, measured at the property line. A 2019 amendment added a 'plainly audible' standard. HCD and the Sheriff enforce.
Monterey County Code § 10.60.040(A)-(B)
It is prohibited within the unincorporated area of the County of Monterey to make, assist in making, allow, continue, create, or cause to be made, any loud and unreasonable sound any day of the week from 10:00 P.M. to 7:00 A.M. the following morning. Table 1: Nighttime hourly equivalent sound level (Leq dBA) 45; Maximum level, dBA 65.
Monterey County Code Chapter 10.60 sets no fixed daytime construction curfew. Construction equipment is subject to the device limit in Sec. 10.60.030 (any time of day) and to the Sec. 10.60.040 nighttime standards. Construction-hour limits are usually imposed as project Conditions of Approval and on grading permits under County Code Chapter 16.08.
Monterey County Code § 10.60.030
At any time of the day, it is prohibited within the unincorporated area of the County of Monterey to operate ... any machine, mechanism, device, or contrivance which produces a noise level exceeding eighty-five (85) dBA measured fifty (50) feet therefrom. The prohibition in this Section shall not apply to aircraft nor to any such machine ... that is operated in excess of two thousand five hundr...
Chapter 10.60 of the Monterey County Code has no dedicated barking-dog section, so persistent animal noise is addressed through the Sec. 10.60.040 nighttime prohibition and animal-control authority. Loud, long-continued barking that is plainly audible or exceeds the nighttime property-line standards can support a complaint; daytime animal noise is treated as a public nuisance.
Monterey County Code § 8.36.010
It shall be unlawful for any person to keep, maintain, or permit on any lot or parcel of land, any dogs, cats, household pets, or any other animal which by any sound or cry shall disturb the peace and comfort of any neighborhood.
Unincorporated Monterey County has no stand-alone leaf-blower ordinance. Leaf blowers and other powered garden equipment are governed by the general device limit in County Code Sec. 10.60.030 (any time of day, measured 50 feet away) and by the Sec. 10.60.040 nighttime standards. There is no fixed daytime curfew on garden equipment in Chapter 10.60.
Amplified music is the County's top noise complaint, especially at large parties in North Monterey County. Under County Code Sec. 10.60.040, nighttime amplified sound that is loud and unreasonable, plainly audible at 50 feet, or above 45 Leq / 65 dBA is prohibited. Large events also require HCD special-event permits.
Monterey County Code § 10.60.030
At any time of the day, it is prohibited within the unincorporated area of the County of Monterey to operate, assist in operating, allow, or cause to be operated, any machine, mechanism, device, or contrivance which produces a noise level exceeding eighty-five (85) dBA measured fifty (50) feet therefrom.
Aircraft noise is not controlled by the Monterey County noise ordinance: County Code Sec. 10.60.030 expressly states its prohibition 'shall not apply to aircraft.' Aircraft operations are regulated by the FAA, with voluntary noise-abatement programs run by the Monterey Peninsula Airport District at Monterey Regional Airport, including preferred runways and a voluntary overnight non-operation period.
Monterey County Code § 10.60.030
The prohibition in this Section shall not apply to aircraft nor to any such machine, mechanism, device or contrivance that is operated in excess of two thousand five hundred (2,500) feet from any occupied dwelling unit.
Industrial and stationary equipment in unincorporated Monterey County is controlled by County Code Sec. 10.60.030, which prohibits any machine producing noise above the code's cap measured 50 feet away at any time, with a carve-out for equipment more than 2,500 feet from any dwelling. Nighttime operation faces the Sec. 10.60.040 standards.
Monterey County Code Chapter 10.60 uses two decibel frameworks. Sec. 10.60.030 caps noise-producing devices at a level measured 50 feet away at any time of day (originally 85 dBA; a 2024 amendment reduced the maximum). Sec. 10.60.040 sets nighttime exterior standards of 45 Leq dBA (hourly equivalent) and 65 dBA maximum, measured at the property line.
Outdoor music in unincorporated Monterey County is regulated under County Code Sec. 10.60.040, which prohibits loud and unreasonable sound during the nighttime period and caps noise at 45 Leq / 65 dBA at the property line. Section 10.60.040(C) provides a narrow exemption for outdoor gatherings, dances, shows, and entertainment events on commercial or institutional premises that hold the required permits.
Monterey County Code Chapter 10.60 does not contain a dedicated motor-vehicle noise section; on-road vehicle noise is primarily controlled by the California Vehicle Code, enforced by the Sheriff and CHP. A loud vehicle, generator, or off-road machine operating off the roadway can still fall under the Sec. 10.60.030 device limit and the Sec. 10.60.040 nighttime standards.
2 cities in Monterey County have their own noise ordinances rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
See every category we cover for Monterey County — parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.
Monterey County Ordinance Hub →