Quiet hours in Monterey County, CA — also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time — define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Monterey County Code Chapter 10.60 (Noise Control) governs unincorporated areas including Big Sur, Pebble Beach, Carmel Valley, and Pajaro. MCC 10.60.040 sets nighttime quiet hours from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. with reduced exterior limits. The County's Nighttime Noise Ordinance treats amplified or unreasonable sound exceeding 45 dBA at 50 feet between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. as a violation, and sound exceeding 85 dBA at 50 feet is prohibited any time.
Chapter 10.60 of the Monterey County Code was overhauled in 2014 by Ordinance No. 5288 (the Nighttime Noise Ordinance, REF140008) and applies in all unincorporated areas of the County. MCC 10.60.040 establishes reduced exterior noise level standards during the nighttime period (10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.). Within the 9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. window, any loud and unreasonable sound (including amplified music) that exceeds approximately 45 dBA measured 50 feet from the source is a violation. At any hour, sound exceeding 85 dBA at 50 feet is prohibited. Construction noise, amplified parties, and barking dogs are commonly cited. Cities such as Salinas, Monterey, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Pacific Grove, Seaside, Marina, Sand City, Soledad, Greenfield, King City, Gonzales, and Del Rey Oaks have separate municipal noise rules. The County operates a Code Compliance Noise Hotline at (831) 755-5177 staffed Friday and Saturday 12 p.m.-10 p.m.; outside those hours, dispatch goes through the Sheriff's non-emergency line at (831) 755-3700.
Violations of Chapter 10.60 are punishable under the general penalty provisions of MCC Title 1 as infractions or misdemeanors and may also be enforced through administrative citations and abatement. Cal. Penal Code section 415 (disturbing the peace) is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days in county jail or a fine of up to $400.
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