Unincorporated Bexar County sets no dBA limits since Texas counties lack zoning power. San Antonio Chapter 21 uses ~63 dBA daytime and ~56 dBA nighttime at residential property lines.
Texas counties operate under Local Government Code Chapter 240, which gives counties narrow nuisance authority and does not permit the kind of numeric decibel limits common in home-rule cities. As a result, unincorporated Bexar County has no dBA ceiling, no measurement protocol, and no county officer equipped with a Type 1 sound level meter. Enforcement reverts to the qualitative unreasonable-noise standard in TX Penal Code 42.01. Within the City of San Antonio, Chapter 21 Article II sets numeric limits measured at the property line of the receiving property: approximately 63 dBA daytime (7 AM to 10 PM) and 56 dBA nighttime in residential districts, with higher limits in commercial and industrial zones (70 to 75 dBA). Motor vehicle noise is regulated by TX Transportation Code 547.604 and must not exceed levels that the vehicle produced when sold; aftermarket mufflers must not amplify sound. Motorcycles with modified exhaust are a common complaint and are regulated by state law rather than city dBA limits. Residents can document suspected violations with a calibrated sound meter app; however, evidence must be a Type 1 or Type 2 certified meter to hold up in court. Several industrial permits issued by TCEQ include facility-specific dBA limits at the fenceline, and those are enforced by TCEQ rather than by the county.
TX Penal Code 42.01 violation is a Class C misdemeanor, up to $500. A second offense within 24 hours at the same location may be Class B, up to $2,000. San Antonio Chapter 21 violations are municipal offenses up to $500 per day. Motor vehicle noise under TX Transp Code 547 is a Class C traffic offense, up to $200.
See how Bexar County's decibel limits rules stack up against other locations.
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