Mariposa County, CA Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)

Mariposa County does not establish any enforceable decibel (dBA) limit for properties in the unincorporated county. There is no general noise ordinance and no daytime/nighttime decibel table in the county code. The General Plan Noise Element (Chapter 15) references 55 dB(A) CNEL, but only as a planning benchmark for land-use compatibility, observing that 'the rural lifestyle found in Mariposa County results in a noise environment which is typically well below 55 dB(A) CNEL' and that noise-sensitive uses such as hospitals, schools and rest homes 'would lie outside of any 55 dB(A) CNEL contour.' That figure characterizes the ambient environment and informs project review; it is not a code-enforceable limit against a neighbor. Implementation Measure 15.1a(1) shows the County had only recommended that 'a noise ordinance should be considered to define the standards for the County,' confirming no decibel standard was yet adopted. The numeric noise limits that do apply in the county come from state law for specific sources, most notably the California Vehicle Code's 95 dBA cap on modified exhaust for light vehicles (VEH 27151). For most residential, event and animal noise, complaints are judged qualitatively under the barking-dog ordinance (Chapter 6.16) or California Penal Code Section 415, not against a sound-meter reading.