Shasta County, CA Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Events (2026)

The County of Shasta (California) does not have a separate amplified-sound permit ordinance the way many cities do. Amplified music on private property is regulated under the General Plan Noise Element (Section 5.11), which sets exterior noise performance standards for non-transportation sources - 55 dB hourly Leq during the day (7 a.m.-10 p.m.) and 50 dB at night (10 p.m.-7 a.m.) at the property line of a noise-sensitive use. Importantly for music, those limits are lowered by 5 dB for noises consisting primarily of speech or music, for simple tone noises, or for recurring impulsive noises, reflecting how intrusive amplified content is - so amplified music is effectively held to 50 dB daytime and 45 dB at night at a receiving residence. For everyday loud-music complaints, the County directs residents to the Shasta County Sheriff's Office non-emergency line (530-245-6540), enforced under California Penal Code Section 415, which prohibits maliciously and willfully disturbing others with loud and unreasonable noise. Persistent amplified-music nuisances can also be abated under County Code Chapter 8.28. Larger organized events may require land-use approval, and any conditions of approval can further limit amplified sound.