Alpine County, CA Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)

Alpine County is California's least-populous county and has no incorporated cities, so the County's own zoning noise standard (Alpine County Code Section 18.68.090, adopted by Ord. 689 in 2009) governs everywhere, including Markleeville, Woodfords, Bear Valley, Kirkwood, Mesa Vista, Alpine Village and Paynesville. Rather than fixing a single quiet-hours window, the County limits sound measured beyond a parcel's boundaries to an Leq(15) ceiling that varies by zone. The code does build in time-based windows through its exemptions: usual residential activities (home and property maintenance, cutting personal firewood, vehicle repair, children at play, private social events, and lawful use of ATVs, snowmobiles or motor bikes) are exempt only when they occur between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. Outside that window, those activities must stay within the decibel limits. The ordinance is written to work alongside California Penal Code Sections 370 (public nuisance) and 415 (disturbing the peace), and the code expressly states that even an exempt or compliant activity may still be a public nuisance or disturbing the peace under those state sections. Investigations may be conducted by the community development director, building official, environmental specialist, public health officer or county sheriff.