10 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 2 cities in Santa Barbara County, California.
Verified from official government sources
Santa Barbara County Code Chapter 40 (Nighttime Noise Restrictions) bars loud, unreasonable amplified noise broadcast outdoors in the unincorporated county from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, and from midnight to 7 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Santa Barbara County Code, Ch. 40 (Nighttime Noise Restrictions), Sec. 40-2
No loud or unreasonable noise or music can be broadcast outside of any residence or building by musical instruments, drums, speakers, radios, or any other device that reproduces or broadcasts sounds [during prohibited hours: Sun-Thu 10pm-7am, Fri-Sat midnight-7am]. Any person in violation is subject to an infraction citation and a fine not to exceed $100 for a first violation.
The County's clearest codified time limit on construction-type work is the Grading Code: County Code Sec. 14-22 bars permitted grading work between 7:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. unless the Director authorizes night work in writing. Nighttime amplified noise is separately limited by Chapter 40.
Santa Barbara County's Chapter 40 noise restrictions target amplified nighttime noise and do not set a specific barking-dog decibel or timing standard. Persistent barking is generally handled as a public nuisance through County Animal Services and the Sheriff's Office.
Unincorporated Santa Barbara County has no ordinance banning or restricting gas-powered leaf blowers. The well-known leaf-blower ban (a 1997 ordinance) applies inside the City of Santa Barbara only. In unincorporated areas, leaf-blower use is allowed, subject to general nighttime noise limits.
County Code Sec. 40-2 prohibits loud, unreasonable amplified music broadcast outdoors at night in the unincorporated county. Loud and unreasonable sound is defined as clearly discernible 100 feet from the property line or exceeding 60 decibels at the property line. Isla Vista has added festival restrictions.
Santa Barbara County Code Sec. 40-2 (Noises prohibited)
No loud or unreasonable noise or music can be broadcast outside of any residence or building by musical instruments, drums, speakers, radios, or any other device that reproduces or broadcasts sounds.
Aircraft noise in unincorporated Santa Barbara County is governed by federal law, not a county ordinance. The FAA controls aircraft in flight and flight paths, so the County cannot impose mandatory in-flight noise limits. The County uses noise-overlay zoning in its General Plan to guide land use near airports.
Santa Barbara County has no standalone industrial-noise decibel ordinance in the nighttime noise chapter. Industrial and commercial noise is controlled mainly through land-use permits, the General Plan Noise Element compatibility standards, and project conditions of approval, plus the Chapter 40 nighttime amplified-noise limit.
Santa Barbara County's only numeric noise threshold in the nighttime ordinance is in Sec. 40-2: sound is 'loud and unreasonable' if it exceeds 60 decibels at the edge of the property line, or is clearly discernible 100 feet from the property line, during protected nighttime hours.
In Isla Vista, County Code Sec. 6-70 defines 'outdoor festivals' and Sec. 6-70.01-.02 prohibit large amplified gatherings. Outdoor festivals over 250 attendees on Isla Vista residential property are prohibited at all times, and ticketed or alcohol-selling events are misdemeanors.
Santa Barbara County does not have its own vehicle-noise ordinance for unincorporated roads; vehicle exhaust and amplified car-sound noise are governed by the California Vehicle Code. Vehicle Code 27007 bars car stereos audible 50+ feet away, and 27150/27151 require adequate mufflers and cap modified exhaust at 95 decibels.
2 cities in Santa Barbara County have their own noise ordinances rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
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