Colusa County, CA Noise Ordinances: Outdoor Music (2026)

Outdoor music in unincorporated Colusa County is regulated through the amplified-sound provisions of Chapter 13 (Ord. No. 730). Section 13-11 applies the registration requirement to sound amplifying equipment used in connection with outdoor public or private events, including street dances and concerts, that are attended by more than 100 persons where the noise will be audible at the property plane (or, for a street dance or concert, at the nearest residential property). The applicant must file a registration statement with the Sheriff (Section 13-13) and meet the Section 13-16 conditions: an approved event is exempt from the Table No. 1 limits but remains subject to the absolute cap of Section 13-7; speakers must be directed toward open or unoccupied space and away from residentially occupied property; amplified sound is limited to four total hours within any 24-hour period; and exemptions last only until midnight in residential zones and 12:30 a.m. in other zones on Saturday and Sunday mornings or any pre-holiday night, otherwise until 10 p.m. After those cutoffs, all standard noise limits resume. Outdoor school athletic events and graduations held on school property are exempt from the registration requirement. These rules govern outdoor music in unincorporated communities such as Arbuckle, Maxwell, Grimes, and Stonyford.