Bernalillo County, NM Noise from Specific Sources: Low-Frequency Bass Limits (2026)

002 microbars and can be measured in octave bands centered at 63, 125, 250, 500, 1,000, 4,000 and 8,000 hertz, or with a sound-level meter using A-weighting. The 63 Hz and 125 Hz bands sit in the range where bass from subwoofers, car audio and outdoor speakers concentrates, so an inspector can document low-frequency energy separately instead of relying only on a single A-weighted number that tends to under-report bass. Once a bass reading is taken, it is judged against the general sound level table in § 30-115: 45 dB(A) at night and 55 dB(A) by day on residential property, rising to 60/65 dB(A) for commercial zones and 70/75 dB(A) industrial, measured at the property receiving the sound rather than the source.

Sound crossing from a louder land-use category onto a quieter one must meet the stricter, receiving property's limit. The county manager's code enforcement division and the sheriff's office both field these complaints, and the article's declared policy in § 30-113 directs that unnecessary, excessive and annoying noise be curbed as a matter of public health and welfare.