Mendocino County's Chapter 8.100 noise ordinance (Ordinance 4558, adopted April 7, 2026) sets explicit nighttime decibel limits for unincorporated areas: 60 decibels for continuous noise and 75 decibels for intermittent noise, measured from an adjacent residential property line between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.
For the first time, unincorporated Mendocino County has numeric noise limits. Under Chapter 8.100, sound from sources such as radios, amplifiers, musical devices and machinery may not exceed 60 decibels for continuous noise or 75 decibels for intermittent noise, measured from an adjacent residential property line, during the nighttime period of 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. These limits apply across the unincorporated areas and are enforced by the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office. The ordinance was adopted as Ordinance No. 4558 on April 7, 2026, after years in which the county had no countywide noise standard at all. An important practical caveat raised during adoption is that the Sheriff's Office reported lacking the sound-level meters (about $500 to $800 each) needed to prove a precise decibel reading in court, so initial enforcement may emphasize the warning-and-infraction process rather than exact metered measurements. The cities of Ukiah, Fort Bragg, Willits and Point Arena have their own separate standards within their limits.
Sheriff's Office enforcement; warning on first response, infraction on repeat response, and potential public-nuisance designation after more than three citations at a property within 90 days. Metered enforcement is limited by the lack of county decibel meters.
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