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

Amador County is wine country, and its noise ordinance is written with outdoor music and events in mind. Chapter 9.44, the public nuisance noise ordinance, expressly applies to residential uses, short-term rentals, wineries, tasting rooms, and event locations. Among the prima facie examples of disturbing noise it lists are singing, playing a musical instrument, and emitting or transmitting any loud music or noise from an amplifying device. Such noise becomes a prima facie violation when it is plainly audible from a neighboring property between ten p.m. and seven a.m. Outside that window, outdoor music can still be cited if it is disturbing, excessive, or offensive. There is no decibel limit; the county weighs the noise level, ambient noise, proximity to homes, zoning, time, and duration. Importantly, the property owner can be held responsible for violations on their property regardless of their relationship to the person causing the noise, which directly affects winery, tasting-room, and event-venue operators in areas like the Shenandoah Valley as well as short-term-rental hosts. The 2024 amendments (Ord. 1850) reinforced the focus on short-term rentals and event noise. Venues hosting outdoor concerts, weddings, or DJ sets should plan to wind down amplified outdoor music before the 10 p.m. nighttime threshold and keep it inaudible at the property line.