Santa Barbara County, CA Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)

Unlike some cities that publish full daytime/nighttime decibel tables by zoning district, unincorporated Santa Barbara County sets a single, focused numeric standard in its nighttime noise ordinance. Under County Code Section 40-2 ('Noises prohibited'), a 'loud and unreasonable' sound is defined as any sound created by the prohibited amplified means that is clearly discernible at a distance of 100 feet from the property line, or that is at any level in excess of 60 decibels at the edge of the property line of the property on which the sound is broadcast. That 60 dBA / 100-foot test applies during the protected nighttime hours: 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, and midnight to 7:00 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. Because Chapter 40 is a nighttime ordinance, the County Code does not establish a general daytime decibel cap for ordinary residential or commercial activity; daytime noise is typically addressed through nuisance principles or, for new development, through project-specific noise standards drawn from the County's Noise Element. Land-use and development proposals are separately reviewed against the General Plan Noise Element's compatibility guidelines. These County standards apply only in the unincorporated area; cities in the county adopt their own decibel limits.