Madera County, CA Noise from Specific Sources: Car Alarm Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Shutoff deadline
- 15 minutes after activation
- Covers
- vehicle and building alarms
- Applies to
- unincorporated Madera County
- First-offense fine
- up to $500
Summary
Unincorporated Madera County requires every motor vehicle burglar alarm to auto-shutoff within fifteen minutes, and bars owners from letting an audible alarm run longer than that.
Any building or motor vehicle burglar alarm shall have an automatic shutoff of the audible alarm which shall terminate its operation within fifteen minutes of the time it is activated. An owner of a building or of a motor vehicle shall be prohibited from operating a burglar alarm therein which has an audible alarm for more than fifteen minutes of the time it is activated.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 52).
Full Breakdown
Madera County Code § 9.58.030 requires any motor vehicle (or building) burglar alarm to have an automatic shutoff that terminates the audible alarm within fifteen minutes of activation. The section separately prohibits an owner from operating an alarm whose audible signal runs past that fifteen-minute mark. It sits in the county's general noise chapter and applies only within unincorporated Madera County: the cities of Madera and Chowchilla enforce their own alarm ordinances.
Violations & Fines
A violation is a misdemeanor enforceable by administrative citation, with penalties up to $500 for a first offense and up to $1,000 for repeat violations within a year, per § 9.58.040.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can a car alarm legally sound in Madera County?
Does this rule apply inside the city of Madera?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Madera County
California rules heatmap·Compare Madera County to another location·View the California noise from specific sources overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.