Del Norte County, CA Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)

Del Norte County's noise regulations for residential property in the unincorporated area set time-based limits rather than a flat 'quiet hours' curfew. Under the county's noise ordinance (proposed for Title 7, Chapter 7 of the County Code by County Counsel and the Board of Supervisors in October 2022), the exterior residential noise standard is 55 dB(A) during daytime hours of 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and drops to 50 dB(A) from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. The interior standard inside another dwelling is 55 dB(A) daytime and 45 dB(A) overnight. If the offending noise is pure speech, music, impact noise, or simple-tone noise, each limit is reduced another 5 dB(A). Separately, Del Norte County Code Chapter 7.08 (Nuisance) treats anything offensive to the senses or interfering with the comfortable enjoyment of life or property as a public nuisance, which is the long-standing basis for late-night noise complaints. Code Enforcement and the Sheriff handle complaints in unincorporated communities such as Smith River, Gasquet, Klamath, Fort Dick, and Hiouchi. Crescent City, the county's only incorporated city, sets its own rules.