Santa Cruz County, CA Data Centers & Crypto Mining: Data Center Noise Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Daytime Limit
- 75 dBA at property line
- Nighttime Limit
- 60 dBA at property line
- Night Hours
- 10 p.m.–8 a.m.
- Governing Code
- County Code Ch. 8.30
- Enforcement
- Complaint-based; warning first
Summary
Santa Cruz County's noise ordinance (County Code Chapter 8.30) caps sound at the source property line: 75 dBA daytime (8 a.m.–10 p.m.) and 60 dBA at night (10 p.m.–8 a.m.). Data-center cooling and generators must meet these limits, reinforced through CEQA permit conditions.
In excess of 75 decibels at the edge of the property line of the property from which the sound is broadcast, as registered on a sound measuring instrument meeting the American National Standard Institute's Standard S1.4-1971.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 5004302; v11 updated 2026-05-19; through 05-19-2026).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 8.30 of the County Code governs offensive noise on unincorporated land. Section 8.30.010 automatically deems noise offensive when it exceeds 75 decibels at the property line from which the sound is broadcast between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m., or 60 decibels between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m., measured with an ANSI Type 1 or 2 sound level meter. Steady cooling-tower and chiller noise and periodic generator testing at a data center must stay under these figures. Because a data center needs a discretionary use permit, the county also imposes General Plan Noise Element standards and project-specific noise conditions through CEQA review, enforcing them as conditions of approval.
Violations & Fines
Cooling or generator noise exceeding 75 dBA daytime or 60 dBA at night at the source property line violates Chapter 8.30. Enforcement is complaint-based, starting with a warning; a repeat within 48 hours of a citation is a misdemeanor.
Frequently Asked Questions
How loud can a data center be in unincorporated Santa Cruz County?
How are cooling and generator noise limits enforced?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Santa Cruz County
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