Santa Barbara County, CA Noise Ordinances: Vehicle Noise (2026)

Sec. 24-29 makes it unlawful for anyone to willfully drive a motor vehicle, as defined in the Vehicle Code, onto unimproved real property in the unincorporated area of Santa Barbara County, whether that land is publicly owned or belongs to someone else, without the express permission of the owner, the owner's agent, or whoever lawfully occupies it. "Unimproved" is defined in Sec. 24-29(b) as land with no structures occupied by the owner, the owner's agent, or anyone with lawful possession or permission. The board of supervisors' findings in Sec.

24-28 explain why: passenger cars, vans, trucks, dune buggies, motorcycles, and off-road vehicles driven on unimproved land near homes create substantial nuisances for nearby residents, including large amounts of dust and excessive exhaust noise, and endanger people, sensitive habitats, watersheds, and coastal environments in the county's dry, chaparral-heavy terrain. The board found that state trespass and misdemeanor laws alone had not stopped the problem. Three exceptions apply under Sec. 24-29(c) and (d): land where a conditional use permit or the zoning ordinance directly authorizes motorcycle, off-road, or motor vehicle racing use; motor vehicles used for agricultural purposes or by a government agency; and vehicles simply crossing unimproved land to get from one designated roadway or trail to another.

The rule sits apart from the county's general noise ordinance in Chapter 40 and instead targets the specific nuisance of off-road driving near residential development.