Modesto, CA Noise Ordinances: Vehicle Noise (2026)

Stanislaus County regulates vehicle-related noise in its unincorporated areas under Section 10.46.060 of the Noise Control Ordinance (Chapter 10.46). Subsection (A), Motor Vehicle Sound Systems, provides that no person shall operate a motor vehicle sound system, whether affixed to the vehicle or not, between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. such that it is audible to the human ear inside any inhabited dwelling; at all other times the system may not be audible more than 50 feet from the vehicle. The ordinance references California Vehicle Code Section 27007, the statewide rule limiting amplified sound from a vehicle audible at 50 feet. Subsection (G), Vehicle Alarms, requires that an audible vehicle burglar alarm be capable of shutting itself off within 15 minutes of activation, and authorizes the Sheriff's Department to disconnect a non-compliant alarm; it references California Vehicle Code Section 22651.5. Note that the noise ordinance does not regulate engine, exhaust, or muffler noise from passing vehicles - those are governed by the California Vehicle Code (for example, Sections 27150-27151 on adequate mufflers and excessive exhaust noise), which the County cannot supersede. The Sheriff's Department enforces the local provisions (Section 10.46.100).