Colusa County, CA Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Noise limit
- 60 dB at property line
- Applies where neighbor is
- non-ag, non-industrial
- Zone coverage
- F-A, E-A, U-C, U-T, A-T
- Exceeding limit requires
- Minor Use Permit
- Max misdemeanor fine
- $5,000
Summary
In unincorporated Colusa County's agricultural zones, Zoning Code Section 44-2.20.20(B)(a) caps noise from permitted and administratively-permitted uses at 60 decibels measured at the property line of any adjacent parcel that is not agricultural or industrial. The same 60 dB ceiling applies to energy production overlay projects sited in agricultural zones under Section 44-4's performance standards.
B. Performance Standards. The following performance standards apply to permitted uses and uses allowed with an administrative permit in the agricultural zones as required in Table 44-2.20-2. Projects that cannot meet the following performance standards shall be elevated to a Minor Use Permit. a. Maximum noise levels. Maximum noise levels shall meet the requirements of General Plan Table N-1. Further, maximum noise levels shall not exceed 60 dB at the property line of adjacent uses that are not in an agricultural or industrial zone.
Full Breakdown
20-2. Subsection (B)(a) ties the noise limit to two benchmarks: the standard must meet the requirements of General Plan Table N-1, and it independently shall not exceed 60 dB at the property line of adjacent uses that are not in an agricultural or industrial zone. That second, hard 60 dB ceiling only protects neighboring residential, commercial or other non-agricultural, non-industrial parcels; noise measured against another farm or an industrial neighbor is not capped by this clause. The same 60 dB property-line limit is repeated for a very different use in Section 44-4's Energy Production (EP) overlay performance standards, where it governs commercial solar, wind, geothermal, cogeneration and other power-generation facilities sited within the agricultural zones.
20's opening paragraph, any project in the agricultural zones that cannot meet the performance standards, including the noise limit, is not automatically denied: it is elevated to a Minor Use Permit, which brings in discretionary Community Development Department review and public notice rather than over-the-counter approval. The Zoning Code does not give a daytime/nighttime split for this particular limit; it is a flat 60 dB ceiling regardless of hour.
Violations & Fines
A project that cannot meet the 60 dB limit is not automatically illegal, but Section 44-2.20.20(B) requires it to be elevated to a discretionary Minor Use Permit before the Community Development Department will approve it. Once approved, exceeding the permitted noise level is a Zoning Code violation: Section 44-1.130.030 makes it a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $5,000 fine or six months in jail, and Section 44-1.130.040 separately declares the noncompliant use a public nuisance subject to abatement.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the noise limit for farm operations in unincorporated Colusa County?
Does the 60 dB limit apply between two neighboring farms?
What if a project can't meet the 60 dB standard?
Is this the same 60 dB limit that applies to solar and wind farms?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Colusa County
California rules heatmap·Compare Colusa County to another location·View the California noise ordinances overview
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