Merced County, CA Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Daytime relative limit
- 10 dBA above background (7 a.m.-10 p.m.)
- Nighttime relative limit
- 5 dBA above background (10 p.m.-7 a.m.)
- Residential Ldn cap
- 65 dBA (70 dBA nonresidential)
- Residential Lmax cap
- 75 dBA (80 dBA nonresidential)
- Penalty
- Infraction first; misdemeanor if repeated within a year
Summary
Merced County Code Section 10.60.030 sets numeric sound limits at the receiving property line: no more than 10 dBA above background by day or 5 dBA above background at night, plus flat caps of 65 dBA Ldn residential/70 dBA nonresidential and 75 dBA Lmax residential/80 dBA nonresidential.
A. No person shall cause, suffer, allow, or permit the operation of any sound source on private property in such a manner as to create a sound level that results in any of the following, when measured at or within the real property line of the receiving property: 1. Exceeds the background sound level by at least 10 dBA during daytime hours (seven a.m. to ten p.m.) and by at least five dBA during nighttime hours (ten p.m. to seven a.m.)...or 2. Exceeds 65 dBA Ldn on residential real property or 70 dBA Ldn on nonresidential real property; or 3. Exceeds 75 dBA Lmax on residential real property or 80 dBA Lmax on nonresidential real property.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4930839; v8 updated 2026-06-02).
Full Breakdown
030(A) prohibits operating any sound source on private property in a way that, measured at or within the real property line of the receiving property, exceeds any of three separate thresholds. 060. Second, an absolute day-night average cap of 65 dBA Ldn on residential property or 70 dBA Ldn on nonresidential property. Third, a peak-level cap of 75 dBA Lmax on residential property or 80 dBA Lmax on nonresidential property. Subsection (B) exempts emergency signaling devices, burglar alarms that shut off within five minutes, domestic power tools and agricultural equipment under 85 dBA operated within set daytime/weekend hours, church bells during religious observance, and properly muffled daytime construction.
Subsection (C) adds a separate low-frequency test for stereo systems: no more than a 10 dB rise in C-weighted level above ambient at 10 feet from the source or the complainant's property line. 050.
Violations & Fines
Section 10.60.070(B) makes a first violation of the numeric limits an infraction under Chapter 1.28, Section 1.28.030 ($100 first offense, up to $200 for a second within a year, up to $500 for further violations). A second or subsequent violation within one year of the first may instead be charged as a misdemeanor under Section 1.28.020, carrying up to $1,000 and/or six months in jail, with each continuing day a separate offense under Section 1.28.040.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the maximum noise level allowed at night in Merced County?
Is there a flat decibel ceiling regardless of background noise?
Are lawn mowers and farm equipment exempt from these limits?
What's the penalty for exceeding the noise limits?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Merced County
California rules heatmap·Compare Merced County to another location·View the California noise ordinances overview
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