Quiet hours in West Sacramento, CA — also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time — define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Yolo County does not impose a single countywide curfew on all noise. Instead, the Yolo County Zoning Code uses a noise standard (Sec. 10-8.416, formerly Sec. 10-4.421) that caps community noise equivalent (CNEL) at 60 dBA at any existing residence or noise-sensitive land use, and applies a tighter 65 dBA Leq nighttime construction limit from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. Activities producing noise after 10:00 p.m. typically require a Major Use Permit. Each city in Yolo County (Davis, Woodland, West Sacramento, Winters) sets its own quiet-hours ordinance.
In unincorporated Yolo County the operative noise rule is the General Noise Standard in the Zoning Code (Sec. 10-8.416, with the parallel cross-referenced section 10-4.421 in the older zoning text). The standard requires that noise from a regulated use not exceed a community noise equivalent level (CNEL) of 60 dBA measured at any existing residence or other noise-sensitive land use. The Zoning Code applies a complementary construction standard: 80 dBA Leq at the property boundaries of the project site, and 60 dBA Leq at nearby off-site residences, between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.; and 65 dBA Leq at the property boundary from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. A discretionary Major Use Permit is required for any project that generates noise after 10:00 p.m. Yolo County Animal Services investigates barking and noise complaints involving animals (handled separately under Sec. 6-1.401). Residents in incorporated cities are subject to the city's own noise code rather than the county standard.
Exceeding the General Noise Standard is a zoning violation enforced by Yolo County Code Enforcement (Planning Division). Typical sequence is a Notice of Violation, an order to abate, and administrative civil penalties under Yolo County Code Title 1. Permit conditions can be modified or revoked. Persistent disturbances may also be cited as a public nuisance.
Yolo County, CA
Yolo County enforces abandoned-vehicle rules through California Vehicle Code Sections 22523 (prohibition on abandoning), 22651 (impound authority), and 22658...
Yolo County, CA
Yolo County regulates the parking and storage of recreational vehicles, boats, and trailers on residential property under the Zoning Code, principally Sec. 8...
Yolo County, CA
Yolo County is in the heart of California's almond, sunflower, and seed-crop belt and is a major beekeeping county. State law (California Food & Agricultural...
Yolo County, CA
Yolo County allows chickens and other small livestock on residential parcels subject to lot-size and setback rules in Zoning Code Article 8-2.3 (Tables of Ag...
Yolo County, CA
Yolo County Code Sec. 6-1.401.1 requires that any dog off its owner's private property be restrained by a leash no longer than 8 feet. Limited exceptions cov...
Yolo County, CA
All open burning in Yolo County is regulated by the Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District (YSAQMD). Rural yard burning is allowed only on YSAQMD-declar...
See how West Sacramento's quiet hours rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.