Butte County, CA Environmental Rules: Vehicle Idling Restrictions (2026)
Key Facts
- Idling limit
- 10 minutes per hour on-site
- Applies to
- Tour buses and vans, -UA overlay
- Also required
- Adequate off-street parking, turn-around space
- Noise limit (events)
- 60 dBA at nearest property line
- Retail hours
- 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. unless permitted otherwise
Summary
In the Unique Agriculture (-UA) overlay zone that supports Butte County's farm-tour and agritourism operations, Butte County Code of Ordinances Section 24-45(D)(5) bars tour buses and vans from idling on-site for more than ten minutes per hour, requiring adequate off-street parking and turn-around space to cut noise and air quality impacts on the surrounding farmland.
5.Tour Buses and Vans. Tour buses and vans shall not idle more than ten (10) minutes per hour on-site within the -UA overlay zone, so as to minimize noise and air quality impacts to the area. Buses and tour vans shall be provided with adequate off-street parking and turn-around areas.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 61).
Full Breakdown
The -UA overlay zone can be layered onto Agriculture, Rural Residential, and Foothill Residential base zones to support small-scale and historic farming operations that host visitors, and it permits as-of-right uses such as bed and breakfasts, farm tours, farmstays, and special events like farm-trail gatherings, weddings, and educational classes. m. m. Friday, Saturday, and holidays), and noise from those events may not exceed sixty decibels measured at the nearest property line. Within that same operational standards subsection, Section 24-45(D)(5) singles out tour buses and vans, prohibiting more than ten minutes of on-site idling per hour and requiring the property to provide adequate off-street parking and turn-around areas so vehicles are not left running while waiting.
Special events are also capped by parcel size, from fifty peak attendees on parcels of one to two-and-a-half acres up to three hundred fifty attendees on parcels over twenty acres, with individual events of up to four hundred people allowed only through an Administrative Permit. Medical offices and clinics are not permitted uses within the -UA overlay at all.
Violations & Fines
Tour buses and vans that idle for more than ten minutes in any hour within the -UA overlay zone are out of compliance with Section 24-45(D)(5); the Zoning Administrator can address violations, along with related standards on event hours, attendee caps, and the sixty-decibel noise limit, through the county's normal zoning enforcement and permit-revocation process for the underlying special event or agricultural use permit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does Butte County's tour bus idling limit apply?
How long can a tour bus idle on an -UA overlay property?
What other standards apply to farm events in the -UA overlay?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Butte County
California rules heatmap·Compare Butte County to another location·View the California environmental rules overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.