Amplified music rules in Yolo County, CA — also called sound permit, PA system, or live music ordinances — set decibel limits, time-of-day restrictions, and when permits are required.
Amplified music in unincorporated Yolo County is controlled mainly through the Zoning Code's general 80/65 dBA property-line limits and through Site Plan Review or Use Permit conditions on small and large special-event facilities, which require a higher-level permit when the project involves 'noise generating activities after 10 p.m.'
Yolo County does not have a dedicated amplified-music chapter. The Industrial and Commercial Zone noise standards in Yolo County Code sections 10-8.416 and 10-4.421 cap any noise source (including loudspeakers) at 80 dBA Leq from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and 65 dBA Leq from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. at the property line, and 60 dBA Leq at any nearby off-site residence. For agricultural-zone special-event facilities (a major venue type in Yolo, covering winery events, ranch weddings, harvest dinners, and farm-to-fork dinners), Section 8-2.306(k) of the County Zoning Code provides that small special-event facilities may be allowed by Site Plan Review or Minor Use Permit, but 'A Minor Use Permit shall be required if the project involves noise generating activities after 10 p.m.' Large special-event facilities require a Minor Use Permit, and 'A Major Use Permit shall be required if the project involves noise generating activities after 10 p.m.' Conditions of approval on those permits typically include site-specific decibel limits, set times for amplified sound, and a requirement to face speakers away from neighboring residences. For residential-zone amplified music that disturbs neighbors, the Sheriff enforces California Penal Code section 415(2).
Operating a small or large special-event facility past 10 p.m. without the required higher-level Use Permit is a zoning violation subject to abatement, daily administrative penalties, and ultimate permit revocation. Property-line decibel exceedances are enforced by the Community Services Department under Title 8. State Penal Code section 415 violations can be charged as an infraction or misdemeanor (up to $400 / 90 days).
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