Quiet hours in Tulare County, CA — also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time — define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Unincorporated Tulare County has no stand-alone quiet-hours ordinance with set decibel limits or numeric night-time cutoffs. Noise is regulated through the County General Plan Noise Element and case-by-case nuisance enforcement under Cal. Civil Code section 3479 and Penal Code section 415 (disturbing the peace).
Section 4 (Noise Element) of the Tulare County General Plan Policy Summary establishes that noise-sensitive land uses (homes, schools, hospitals) should be limited to a 60 dB Ldn (or CNEL) exterior standard and a 45 dB Ldn interior standard, but the County has not adopted a separate stand-alone noise ordinance with numeric quiet-hours in the Ordinance Code. Residential noise complaints in the unincorporated county are handled by the Tulare County Sheriff under California Penal Code section 415 (disturbing the peace) and by Code Compliance under Part 4, Chapter 7 of the Ordinance Code when the noise involves animals. Incorporated cities including Visalia, Tulare, Porterville, Dinuba, Lindsay, Exeter, Farmersville, and Woodlake set their own noise ordinances and quiet-hour windows; check the city directly if the address is inside a city limit. For Sheriff dispatch on a noise call, contact (559) 733-6218.
A persistent noise nuisance can be cited under Penal Code section 415 as an infraction or misdemeanor (up to $400 or 90 days for disturbing the peace). The County may also abate ongoing noise nuisances under Civil Code section 3479.
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See how Tulare County's quiet hours rules stack up against other locations.
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