Yolo County, CA Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Yolo 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
- Day exterior cap (6 a.m.-6 p.m.)
- 80 dBA Leq at property line
- Night exterior cap (6 p.m.-6 a.m.)
- 65 dBA Leq at property line
- Off-site residence receiver cap
- 60 dBA Leq
- CNEL cap at residences
- 60 dBA (24-hr average)
- State fallback
- Cal. Penal Code section 415
- Sheriff non-emergency
- (530) 666-8282
Summary
Yolo County does not set a single residential quiet-hours window in its County Code. Instead, the Zoning Code (Title 8) enforces decibel-based noise limits at the property line, with a stricter nighttime cap from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., and California Penal Code section 415 applies to loud and unreasonable noise at any hour.
Any person who maliciously and willfully disturbs another person by loud and unreasonable noise is guilty of disturbing the peace, punishable by imprisonment in the county jail for not more than 90 days, a fine of not more than four hundred dollars ($400), or both.
Full Breakdown
Unincorporated Yolo County uses a decibel-based system rather than a clock-based quiet-hours window. Yolo County Code section 10-8.416 (Industrial Zones) and section 10-4.421 (Commercial Zones) set general noise standards: 'From 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., noise levels shall not exceed an average noise level equivalent (Leq) of eighty (80) decibels (dBA) measured at the property boundaries of the site' and 'From 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., noise levels shall not exceed an average noise level equivalent (Leq) of sixty-five (65) decibels (dBA) measured at the property boundaries of the site.' These same sections require that noise reaching off-site residences not exceed 60 dBA Leq, and that at no time may community noise equivalent level (CNEL) exceed 60 dBA at any existing residence or noise-sensitive land use.
For residential-on-residential disturbances that do not fit the industrial/commercial framework, the Sheriff enforces California Penal Code section 415(2), which prohibits any person who 'maliciously and willfully disturbs another person by loud and unreasonable noise.' Yolo County is rural and agricultural; the Right-to-Farm provisions of the County Code and California Civil Code section 3482.5 protect ordinary farming operations from nuisance claims.
Violations & Fines
Penal Code section 415 violations are charged as either an infraction (fine up to $250) or a misdemeanor (up to 90 days in county jail and/or a fine up to $400). Zoning Code noise violations at the property boundary are enforced by the Community Services Department's Code Enforcement unit through administrative citations, abatement orders, and permit revocation for use-permitted activities.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does unincorporated Yolo County have set quiet hours like 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.?
Do Davis or Woodland noise rules apply in the unincorporated area?
Sources & Official References
- [1]Yolo County Code Sec. 10-8.416 - Noise: General standard (American Legal Publishing)
- [2]Yolo County Code Sec. 10-4.421 - Noise: General standard (American Legal Publishing)
- [3]California Penal Code section 415 - Disturbing the Peace (leginfo.legislature.ca.gov)
- [4]Yolo County Code Enforcement - Community Services Department
Other rules in Yolo County
California rules heatmap·Compare Yolo County to another location·View the California noise ordinances overview
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