Santa Barbara County, CA Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)

Santa Barbara County Code Chapter 40 (Nighttime Noise Restrictions) applies in the unincorporated area, including Montecito, Summerland, Mission Canyon, Hope Ranch, Isla Vista, Orcutt, Los Alamos, Los Olivos, Mission Hills, Vandenberg Village, Cuyama, New Cuyama, and the Santa Ynez Valley unincorporated communities. Section 40-2 ('Noises prohibited') makes it unlawful for any person to make, continue, or cause to be made or continued, any loud and unreasonable noise between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Sunday night through Friday morning, or between 12:00 midnight and 7:00 a.m. on Friday night through Sunday morning. A 'loud and unreasonable' sound is defined to include any sound that is clearly discernible at a distance of 100 feet from the property line of the property on which the sound is broadcast, or that exceeds 60 decibels measured at the edge of that property line. Typical examples enumerated in Chapter 40 include amplified music, radios, television sets, musical instruments, drums, horns, shouting, and similar devices or human-generated sound. Construction noise in residential zones, outdoor amplified events, and barking dogs are addressed by separate sections of the County Code (animal control is in Chapter 7 Article III; construction hours are regulated under the Land Use and Development Code Section 35.42). Chapter 40 is enforced by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office and may also be enforced by Code Compliance staff in Planning and Development. Inside incorporated city limits, Chapter 40 does NOT apply: City of Santa Barbara Municipal Code Chapter 9.16 sets a 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. (weekdays) / 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. (weekends) standard at the property line for residential property; the cities of Santa Maria, Lompoc, Goleta, Carpinteria, Buellton, Solvang, and Guadalupe each maintain their own noise ordinances and quiet hours.