Santa Barbara County, CA Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Santa Barbara 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
- Governing law
- County Code Chapter 40 (Nighttime Noise Restrictions), Sec. 40-2
- Weeknight quiet hours
- 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. (Sun-Thu)
- Weekend quiet hours
- Midnight to 7:00 a.m. (Fri & Sat)
- Applies to
- Unincorporated Santa Barbara County only
- Enforcement
- Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office
- Daytime limit
- No general daytime decibel cap in Chapter 40
Summary
Santa Barbara County Code Chapter 40 (Nighttime Noise Restrictions) bars loud, unreasonable amplified noise broadcast outdoors in the unincorporated county from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, and from midnight to 7 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.
No loud or unreasonable noise or music can be broadcast outside of any residence or building by musical instruments, drums, speakers, radios, or any other device that reproduces or broadcasts sounds [during prohibited hours: Sun-Thu 10pm-7am, Fri-Sat midnight-7am]. Any person in violation is subject to an infraction citation and a fine not to exceed $100 for a first violation.
Full Breakdown
' Section 40-2 ('Noises prohibited') makes it unlawful to make, permit, continue or cause any loud and unreasonable noise, music, percussion or other sound broadcast outside a residence or building by amplified instruments, radios, loudspeakers, sound amplifiers or similar devices during protected nighttime hours. on Friday and Saturday mornings, when later weekend activity is common. Because Chapter 40 is a nighttime ordinance, the County Code does not set a general daytime decibel cap for ordinary residential noise; daytime disturbances are usually handled as nuisances. The Sheriff's Office enforces these restrictions, and special rules apply in the dense student neighborhood of Isla Vista.
This is County code and applies only to unincorporated territory, not to incorporated cities such as Santa Barbara, Goleta, Santa Maria, Lompoc, Carpinteria, Buellton, Solvang or Guadalupe, which have their own ordinances.
Violations & Fines
Violations are enforced by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office. Loud amplified noise during the protected nighttime hours can be cited as a violation of the County Code; in Isla Vista, party-related disturbances may also trigger the festival and social host ordinances, which carry infraction or misdemeanor penalties.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the official quiet hours in unincorporated Santa Barbara County?
Does the quiet-hours rule apply inside the City of Santa Barbara?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Santa Barbara County
How Santa Barbara County compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·California rules heatmap·Compare Santa Barbara County to another location·View the California noise ordinances overview
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