Bishop, CA Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Bishop, CA, also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time, define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Key Facts
- Code chapter
- BMC Chapter 8.12
- Construction window
- 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Night audibility test
- 50 ft, 10 p.m.-8 a.m.
- Standard
- Loud, unnecessary or unusual
- State backstop
- Penal Code 415
Summary
Bishop bans any loud, unnecessary or unusual noise that injures the health, peace or safety of others. Construction is expressly allowed only between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m., so nighttime is the city's protected quiet window.
It is unlawful for any person to make or continue... within the limits of the city any loud, unnecessary or unusual noise, which injures or endangers the health, peace or safety of others; provided, however, that this chapter will not... prohibit any of the activities incidental to construction or repairing being conducted after the hour of 7:00 a.m. or before the hour of 10:00 p.m.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 4).
Full Breakdown
Bishop Municipal Code Chapter 8.12 (Noise Control) makes it unlawful to make or continue any loud, unnecessary or unusual noise injuring the health, peace or safety of others. The code does not set clock-based curfews for all noise, but it fixes 7 a.m.-10 p.m. as the window for construction and repair, and treats sound plainly audible 50 feet away between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m. as prima facie unlawful. Yelling, radios and similar disturbances between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m. that disturb residents' repose are specifically prohibited. California Penal Code 415 backs this up by criminalizing maliciously disturbing another's peace with loud, unreasonable noise.
Violations & Fines
Enforced as a Municipal Code misdemeanor/infraction abatable nuisance; police respond to disturbances. Penal Code 415 disturbing-the-peace is a separate criminal offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Bishop have a fixed quiet-hours curfew?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bishop
How Bishop compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·California rules heatmap·Compare Bishop to another location·View the California noise ordinances overview
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