San Benito County, CA Noise from Specific Sources: Low-Frequency Bass Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Night hours
- 10:00 p.m.–7:00 a.m. prohibited
- Audibility limit
- beyond 100 feet from equipment
- Governing test
- "plainly audible sound" includes bass
- Applies to
- unincorporated county only
Summary
In unincorporated San Benito County, repetitive bass sounds count as "plainly audible" under the noise code, so audio equipment producing bass that carries past 100 feet triggers the same limits as any other loud sound.
PLAINLY AUDIBLE SOUND. Any sound for which the information content is unambiguously communicated to the listener, such as, but not limited to, understandable speech, comprehension of whether a voice is raised or normal, repetitive bass sounds, or comprehension of musical rhythms, without the aid of any listening device. ... No person shall operate any audio equipment ... between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. such that the sound generated: ... Is plainly audible to the human ear at a distance greater than 100 feet from the equipment.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2025 S-28: current through Ordinance 1078).
Full Breakdown
San Benito County Code Section 19.39.010 defines "plainly audible sound" to include "repetitive bass sounds" as an example of unambiguously communicated noise. That definition feeds Section 19.39.040(A)-(B), which bars operating audio equipment between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. if the sound creates a disturbance, carries beyond 100 feet, or is audible inside another dwelling; daytime operation faces the same disturbance and 100-foot limits without the nighttime ban. There is no separate low-frequency or subwoofer standard here, thumping bass is regulated through this plainly-audible test, applied county-wide in the unincorporated area outside Hollister and San Juan Bautista.
Violations & Fines
A first infraction draws up to a $100 fine, $200 for a second within a year, and $500 after that; the county can also charge a misdemeanor carrying up to $1,000 and six months in jail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does San Benito County have a specific bass or subwoofer noise law?
Does this rule apply inside Hollister or San Juan Bautista?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Benito County
California rules heatmap·Compare San Benito County to another location·View the California noise from specific sources overview
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