Stanislaus County, CA Noise from Specific Sources: Generator Noise (2026)

Stanislaus County Code Section 18.04.250 defines 'quiet hours' as the period from ten p.m. until six a.m. the following day, during which amplified sound, equipment, electronics, or machinery, expressly including generators, that can be heard outside the campsite, at a level of more than fifty decibels, is prohibited. The definition sits in Chapter 18.04 of Title 18, Parks and Recreation, so it governs conduct within county-owned or operated recreation areas and campgrounds rather than private residential property generally; there is no county-wide residential generator-noise ordinance in this part of the code.

The rule is one of a set of park-specific standards in Chapter 18.06, General Recreation Area Regulations, which also separately restricts campfires to designated barbecues or fire pits (Section 18.06.130), sets park operating hours of 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. outside designated camping areas (Section 18.06.180), and lets the parks director issue additional rules to protect visitor safety (Section 18.06.005). A camper running a generator after 10 p.m. that another campsite can hear above fifty decibels is in violation regardless of intent; the fifty-decibel and time-of-night thresholds are the operative test, not a blanket ban on generators.

Because Section 18.06.190 makes violation of park rules and regulations an infraction 'unless otherwise stated in local, state, or federal law,' a quiet-hours violation defaults to an infraction rather than a misdemeanor unless another provision elsewhere in the title says otherwise.