Madera County, CA Noise Ordinances: Vehicle Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Prohibited
- Racing, accelerating engine, backfiring, tire screech off-street
- Horns/alarms
- Banned if they disturb peace and comfort
- Vibration limit
- Perception threshold at property line
- Enforcement
- Misdemeanor plus administrative citation
- First-offense fine
- Up to $500
- Repeat fines
- $750, then $1,000 per offense
- Governing chapter
- Chapter 9.58, Noise Regulations
Summary
Madera County makes it unlawful to cause disturbing or raucous noise off any street or highway by racing or accelerating a vehicle's engine, willfully backfiring an exhaust or muffler, or screeching tires, whether the vehicle is moving or parked. The rule sits inside the county's general noise ordinance and is enforced as a misdemeanor with administrative citations up to $1,000 per repeat violation.
C.Engines and Motor Vehicles. It shall be unlawful for any person to cause, permit or allow any disturbing or raucous noises caused off streets or highways by racing or accelerating the engine of any motor vehicle while moving or not moving, by the willful backfiring of any engine and exhaust from the engine tailpipe or muffler, or from the screeching of tires.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 52).
Full Breakdown
' Subsection E1 separately bars horns, alarms, and similar vehicle equipment used 'in such a manner as to disturb the peace, quiet and comfort of persons of normal sensitivity,' and subsection F extends the chapter to vibration, prohibiting any device that creates vibration above the perception threshold at the property line if on private land, or one hundred fifty feet away if the source is on a public right-of-way. Subsection D lists the factors code enforcement and courts weigh in deciding whether noise crosses the line: its level, whether it is usual or unusual for the area, the time of day or night, its duration, its proximity to sleeping areas, and whether it comes from agricultural, commercial or noncommercial activity, expressly noting that Madera County is a 'right-to-farm' county where agricultural noise gets extra latitude. cutoff and a fifty-foot audibility test.
Violations & Fines
A violation of Chapter 9.58, including subsection C's engine and muffler noise rule, is punishable as a misdemeanor under § 9.58.040 and may also be enforced by a superior court injunction. Every violation is deemed a public nuisance, and the property owner or event host is served an administrative citation under Chapter 8.01: up to $500 for a first offense, $750 for a second within a year, and $1,000 for each additional offense in that year, with each day, and each enforcement visit, a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is revving my car engine or racing loud pipes illegal in Madera County?
Can I get cited for a loud car stereo in Madera County?
What's the fine for a noise violation in Madera County?
Does the noise ordinance treat farm equipment differently?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Madera County
California rules heatmap·Compare Madera County to another location·View the California noise ordinances overview
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