Bexar County, TX Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Bexar County, TX, also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time, define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Key Facts
- Authority
- Very limited (no zoning)
- State Law
- TX Penal Code §42.01
- Threshold
- 85 dB after warning
- Enforcement
- Bexar County Sheriff
Summary
Bexar County has NO noise ordinance. Texas counties lack the police power to enact one. Unincorporated noise complaints fall back to Texas Penal Code §42.01(a)(5) disorderly conduct, which requires noise over 85 dB after a peace-officer warning. The Bexar County Sheriff handles calls; Code Compliance does not enforce sound.
Sec. 42.01. DISORDERLY CONDUCT. (a) A person commits an offense if he intentionally or knowingly: ... (5) makes unreasonable noise in a public place other than a sport shooting range ... or in or near a private residence that he has no right to occupy ... (c) For purposes of this section: ... (2) a noise is presumed to be unreasonable if the noise exceeds a decibel level of 85 after the person making the noise receives notice from a magistrate or peace officer that the noise is a public nuisance.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
Bexar County has no noise ordinance and no quiet hours, not by choice, but because Texas counties lack the police power to enact them. In the unincorporated areas, the only noise enforcement is the state's disorderly conduct statute, Texas Penal Code §42.01(a)(5), which requires noise exceeding 85 decibels after a peace officer has issued a warning. That's a high bar compared with any city ordinance. The Bexar County Sheriff handles noise calls; county Code Compliance does not enforce sound. Inside San Antonio or other cities, municipal noise ordinances apply instead.
Violations & Fines
There is no county noise violation as such. Noise in unincorporated Bexar County is enforceable only as disorderly conduct under Texas Penal Code §42.01, noise over 85 dB after a peace-officer warning, a misdemeanor handled by the Sheriff.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the quiet hours in Bexar County?
What happens if I violate the noise ordinance in Bexar County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bexar County
How Bexar County compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·Texas rules heatmap·Compare Bexar County to another location·View the Texas noise ordinances overview
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