Sonoma County, CA Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Sonoma 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
- General daytime period
- 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- General nighttime period
- 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.
- General community noise ordinance
- None adopted for unincorporated areas
- Primary enforcement
- Sheriff under CA Penal Code 415
- Standards source
- General Plan Noise Element (2008/2012)
Summary
Unincorporated Sonoma County has no comprehensive noise-control ordinance setting fixed neighborhood quiet hours. Instead the General Plan Noise Element uses daytime (7 a.m.–10 p.m.) and nighttime (10 p.m.–7 a.m.) performance standards, and the Sheriff enforces California disturbing-the-peace law against loud, unreasonable nighttime noise.
Chapter 4, Article VII — Disturbing the Peace (§§ 4-101 through 4-105). Sonoma County Sheriff's deputies may respond to complaints of disturbances of the peace; a service fee may be assessed against the offender on second and subsequent responses to the same address.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 64 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Sonoma County government has never adopted a general municipal noise ordinance with set quiet hours for the unincorporated communities such as Guerneville, Boyes Hot Springs, El Verano, Forestville and Larkfield-Wikiup. The only noise chapter in the County Code (Chapter 3, Article III) regulates aircraft at the Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport, not residential neighborhoods. and sets lower allowable exterior noise levels at night (Table NE-2). These performance standards are applied chiefly when the County reviews new projects, use permits and special events rather than as a blanket curfew on residents.
When neighbors create loud disturbances at night, enforcement falls to the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office under California Penal Code section 415 (disturbing the peace by loud and unreasonable noise). A local news legal column has noted that the Sheriff typically issues a first warning, after which repeat disturbances can be cited. Residents are encouraged to document disturbances and, if needed, pursue a private nuisance remedy.
Violations & Fines
Loud nighttime disturbances are handled by the Sheriff under Penal Code 415: a warning is typically given first, then a citation. Penal Code 415 is punishable by up to 90 days in county jail, a fine of up to $400, or both. New land uses that exceed General Plan nighttime standards can be conditioned or denied during permit review.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does unincorporated Sonoma County have set quiet hours?
Who do I call about a loud neighbor at night?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sonoma County
How Sonoma County compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·California rules heatmap·Compare Sonoma County to another location·View the California noise ordinances overview
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