Tehama County, CA Noise from Specific Sources: Low-Frequency Bass Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Weekday quiet hours
- 10 p.m.-7 a.m.
- Weekend quiet hours
- 10:30 p.m.-8 a.m.
- Must be audible at
- 500 feet from source
- Complaints needed
- 3 households within 24 hrs
- Applies to
- Unincorporated Tehama County only
Summary
In unincorporated Tehama County, California, loud bass or music with tonal, informational, or musical/lyrical content is a specific factor code enforcement uses to prove a noise violation under §17.77.030(A)(4), on top of the general quiet-hours and 500-foot audibility standard.
There shall be no noise as described in this subsection, except as allowed in Section 17.77.040, between the hours of ten p.m. and seven a.m. Monday through Friday or between the hours of ten thirty p.m. and eight a.m. Saturday and Sunday:1.The sound level of the objectionable noise can be heard clear enough to repeat and/or recite at or beyond five hundred feet from the noise source's property line and/or fence;2.Three or more residential dwellings that are within five hundred feet of the noise sources property line and/or fence have registered a complaint with County Officials within twenty-four hrs. of the alleged noise violation;3.The noise complaint is consistent with the standards identified in subsections 17.77.030.A.1. or A.2. and exhibits a continuous, recurrent or intermittent characteristic and/or element such as short sound bursts, that include but are not limited to hammering, engine revving, screaming, yelling, dogs barking and/or gun shots;4.The noise complaint is consistent with the standards identified in subsections 17.77.030.A.1. or A.2. and includes tonal, informational, or musical/lyrical content. (Ord. No. 2123, § 1, 8-2-2022)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 23).
Full Breakdown
Under §17.77.030(A), noise is a violation during quiet hours (10 p.m.-7 a.m. weekdays, 10:30 p.m.-8 a.m. weekends) if it can be heard clearly enough to repeat from 500 feet beyond the source property's line and three nearby households complain within 24 hours. Subsection A.4 singles out complaints that involve "tonal, informational, or musical/lyrical content", covering bass-heavy music and stereo/speaker noise, as meeting the violation standard once the base audibility and complaint criteria are also met. This applies only within the unincorporated area of Tehama County; Red Bluff, Corning, and the City of Tehama each enforce their own municipal noise codes.
Violations & Fines
A confirmed violation is a misdemeanor and a declared public nuisance; the enforcing officer can cite the owner/occupant, order abatement, or refer non-compliance to the district attorney for prosecution.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Tehama County's noise ordinance specifically target loud music or bass?
What are the quiet hours in unincorporated Tehama County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tehama County
California rules heatmap·Compare Tehama County to another location·View the California noise from specific sources overview
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