Noise Ordinances in Placer County, CA (2026)
6 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Placer County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Quiet Hours
In unincorporated Placer County, Placer County Code Article 9.36 sets nighttime quiet hours from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. During nighttime, the on-site sound limit at a sensitive receptor's property line drops to 45 dB hourly Leq (70/65 dB Lmax day/night).
Placer County Quiet Hours and Nighttime Noise Limits
Some RestrictionsPlacer County Code § 9.36.060
It is unlawful for any person at any location to create any sound... that: 1. Causes the exterior sound level when measured at the property line of any affected sensitive receptor to exceed the ambient sound level by five dBA; or 2. Exceeds the sound level standards as set forth in Table 1, whichever is the greater. Daytime (7 am to 10 pm) Hourly Leq 55 dB / Lmax 70 dB; Nighttime (10 pm to 7 am...
Construction Hours
Placer County Code 9.36.030 exempts construction, alteration and repair activities from the noise standards only between 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. Monday-Friday, and 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, provided equipment has factory muffling and is well maintained.
Placer County Construction Noise Hours
Light RestrictionsPlacer County Code § 9.36.030(A)(7)
Construction (e.g., construction, alteration or repair activities) between the hours of six a.m. and eight p.m. Monday through Friday, and between the hours of eight a.m. and eight p.m. Saturday and Sunday Provided, however, that all construction equipment shall be fitted with factory installed muffling devices and that all construction equipment shall be maintained in good working order.
Barking Dogs
Animal noise is excluded from the noise ordinance (9.36.030(A)(12)) and handled instead under Placer County Code Section 6.08.020, which makes it unlawful to keep a dog that barks or howls so continuously as to disturb the neighborhood. Barking 20 minutes aggregate in one hour can support enforcement.
Placer County Barking Dog Nuisance
Some RestrictionsPlacer County Code § 9.36.030(A)(12) (cross-reference to § 6.08.020 governing excessive dog barking)
Animal noise (These noises are handled elsewhere in the code.)
Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound
Amplified music in unincorporated Placer County is regulated under Placer County Code Article 9.36. As 'simple tone' speech/music it must meet Table 1 limits reduced by 5 dB - effectively 50 dB Leq daytime and 40 dB Leq nighttime at a sensitive receptor's property line - unless an exception is granted.
Placer County Amplified Music and Sound
Some RestrictionsPlacer County Code § 9.36.060(B)
Each of the sound level standards specified in Table 1 shall be reduced by five dB for simple tone noises, consisting of speech and music. However, in no case shall the sound level standard be lower than the ambient sound level plus five dB.
Aircraft Noise
Placer County's only local aircraft-noise rule sits inside the Blue Canyon Airport regulations, Article 12.44 of the county code, and applies solely to that county-owned field near Emigrant Gap. Section 12.44.140 bars operating any aircraft, in flight or on the ground, in a way that causes unnecessary noise under applicable federal, state, or local law, and Section 12.44.110 separately bans non-essential engine run-ups between 5 p.m. and 7 a.m.
Placer County Blue Canyon Airport Noise Rules
Some RestrictionsPlacer County Code §§ 12.44.140, 12.44.110
§ 12.44.140. Noise. No person shall operate any aircraft in flight or on the ground in such a manner as to cause unnecessary noise as determined by applicable federal or state or local laws and regulations. (Prior code § 34.65) ... § 12.44.110. Maintenance. Unless otherwise authorized by the airport manager, no aircraft or vehicle maintenance (other than required to remove damaged aircraft from...
Vehicle Noise
Placer County exempts ordinary vehicle sounds from a car entering or exiting a driveway, street or right-of-way from its noise ordinance, but the carve-out stops there. Amplified stereo sound, vehicle alarms and horn-honking from that same vehicle are excluded from the exemption and remain subject to the county's general sound-level standards, enforced as infractions.
Placer County Vehicle Noise Exemption Rules
Some RestrictionsPlacer County Code § 9.36.030(A)(13)
A. Sound or noise emanating from the following sources and activities are exempt from the provisions of this title: ... 13. Any vehicle, otherwise compliant with state law, being operated upon any public highway, street or right-of-way or driveway for the purpose of exiting or entering property. This exception does not include any amplified sound emanating from the vehicle, vehicle alarms or ho...
Noise Ordinances by City in Placer County
1 cities in Placer County have their own noise ordinances rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
All Placer County ordinances
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