Ventura County's nighttime noise ordinance uses an audibility-at-50-feet test rather than a decibel number. Numeric dBA limits come from the General Plan's noise-compatibility standards for discretionary projects: stationary sources are capped at 55 dBA Leq (day), 50 dBA (evening) and 45 dBA (night) at the nearest sensitive receptor.
Ventura County does not impose a single residential decibel cap that applies to everyone at all times. The enforceable nighttime rule (Ordinance No. 4124, Sec. 6299-1) is keyed to whether noise is audible to the human ear 50 feet away between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m., not to a meter reading. Numeric limits appear instead in the County's General Plan, which the County applies when reviewing discretionary development. Under Hazards and Safety Element Policy HAZ-9.2, new noise generators located near a noise-sensitive use must keep ongoing outdoor noise at the exterior wall of the receptor's building at or below 55 dBA Leq (one hour) from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., 50 dBA Leq from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., and 45 dBA Leq from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., or the ambient level plus 3 dBA, whichever is greater. For new noise-sensitive uses near highways, truck routes or heavy industry, indoor levels must not exceed CNEL 45 and outdoor levels must not exceed CNEL 60 or 65 dBA Leq in any hour. These standards govern projects, not casual everyday noise.
The General Plan decibel standards are applied as conditions of discretionary approvals and verified through acoustical analysis required by Policy HAZ-9.4; a project exceeding the limits must add noise-control measures or be denied. Everyday nighttime disturbances are instead cited under the audibility-based Article 11 ordinance.
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