San Benito County, CA Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in San Benito County, CA, also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time, define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Key Facts
- Curfew hours
- 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
- Audio equipment daytime cap
- Audible beyond 100 ft
- Amplified sound/live music
- Barred 10 p.m.-7 a.m.
- Daytime amplified cap
- Audible beyond 200 ft
Summary
In unincorporated San Benito County, audio equipment and live music or sound-amplifying equipment are barred from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. if audible more than 100 to 200 feet away or inside a neighboring dwelling.
(A) Audio equipment. No person shall operate any audio equipment, whether portable or not, between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. such that the sound generated: (1) Creates a noise disturbance; (2) Is plainly audible to the human ear at a distance greater than 100 feet from the equipment; or, (3) Is plainly audible to the human ear inside an inhabited dwelling other than a dwelling in which the equipment may be located.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2025 S-28: current through Ordinance 1078).
Full Breakdown
The county's noise ordinance layers a nighttime curfew onto its general decibel limits. Audio equipment of any kind cannot run between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. if it creates a noise disturbance, carries more than 100 feet, or is plainly audible inside another inhabited dwelling; even in daytime hours it can't be plainly audible past 100 feet. Sound-amplifying equipment and live music are barred outright from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., and during the day are capped at audibility beyond 200 feet. Each is enforced as a separate violation from the general sound pressure level standard.
Violations & Fines
Each special sound source violation (audio equipment, amplified sound, live music) is charged separately from the underlying sound-pressure-level violation under the county's noise ordinance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I play amplified music or have a band at night in unincorporated San Benito County?
Is a portable speaker treated differently from a live band?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Benito County
How San Benito County compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·California rules heatmap·Compare San Benito County to another location·View the California noise ordinances overview
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