Tehama County, CA Noise Ordinances: Vehicle Noise (2026)

In unincorporated Tehama County, recreational and off-road vehicle noise is covered by Chapter 17.77 (Noise Control), effective September 2, 2022, which lists off-road vehicles, along with barking dogs, gunshots and loud music, among the noise sources it addresses. The ordinance prohibits willful excessive, unnecessary or offensive noise that disturbs the peace and quiet of a neighborhood, and uses a plainly-audible-at-500-feet standard with complaints from three or more residences to establish a violation. The county's nighttime periods are 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. on weekdays and 10:30 p.m. to 8 a.m. on weekends. For vehicles operated on public streets and highways, vehicle noise is primarily controlled by California state law. The California Vehicle Code requires every motor vehicle to be equipped with an adequate muffler in good working order and prohibits muffler cutouts, bypasses and amplifying devices, and it bars modifications that amplify or increase a vehicle's exhaust noise beyond legal limits. Agricultural activities are exempt from the county noise ordinance. Because on-road vehicle exhaust noise is largely a Vehicle Code matter, complaints about a specific street vehicle are typically a law-enforcement traffic issue, while persistent off-road or yard vehicle noise is handled as a nuisance under Chapter 17.77.