Bexar County, TX Noise Ordinances: Industrial Noise (2026)

Unincorporated Bexar County hosts quarries (limestone operations along Loop 1604), ready-mix concrete plants, industrial parks near JBSA-Lackland and on the south side, warehousing off I-35 and I-10, and oil-and-gas support yards in the western county. With no county zoning authority under TX Local Government Code Ch. 240, noise controls come from three other sources. First, Texas Administrative Code Title 30 Section 101.4 (TCEQ nuisance rule) prohibits any air contaminant or noise from a regulated facility that interferes with the normal use and enjoyment of property; TCEQ Region 13 in San Antonio investigates complaints and can require abatement. Second, TX Penal Code 42.01 disorderly conduct applies when noise is unreasonable near a residence. Third, OSHA 29 CFR 1910.95 requires hearing conservation inside the facility but does not limit off-site noise. The Texas Railroad Commission has separate noise-related jurisdiction over oil-and-gas operations under 16 TAC Ch. 3. Quarry blasting is regulated by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (explosives) and by the US Mine Safety and Health Administration for worker safety, but community impact noise falls to TCEQ and 42.01. Property owners near a newly-proposed industrial facility should review TCEQ permit applications during the public comment window, which is the most effective time to seek noise-mitigation conditions.