Calaveras County, CA Public Conduct: Loud Party Ordinance (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 9.02.050.E
- Weeknight cutoff
- 10:00 p.m., Sunday-Thursday
- Weekend cutoff
- Midnight, Friday-Saturday
- Trigger
- Sound violating § 9.02.030 Table 1
- Exemption
- Lawful bars and restaurants
- Repeat offense
- Infraction 1st/2nd, misdemeanor 3rd+
Summary
Calaveras County's Chapter 9.02 prohibits noise, commotion or sound from a party that breaches the Table 1 decibel standard, restricting parties to before 10:00 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and before midnight on Friday and Saturday nights, under § 9.02.050.E; bars and restaurants operating lawfully are excluded.
E.Any noise, commotion or sound resulting from a party between the hours 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Sunday through Monday and midnight and 7:00 a.m. Friday and Saturday which creates sound in violation of Section 9.02.030 of this chapter. For purposes of this section, "party" means a gathering for social or entertainment purposes at a private residence or other location but does not include sound generated by a valid commercial use such as a bar or restaurant that is in compliance with all other applicable requirements of local, state and federal laws and regulations.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 23 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
E of the Calaveras County Code specifically targets party noise. m. 030, the chapter's Table 1 decibel standard. The section defines 'party' narrowly, as a gathering for social or entertainment purposes at a private residence or other location, and expressly carves out sound generated by a valid commercial use such as a bar or restaurant that otherwise complies with local, state and federal law, so a licensed venue is judged under the general decibel table and its own permit conditions rather than under the party-noise rule.
m. 02's Specific Noise Regulations article alongside separate restrictions on vehicle sound systems, portable audio equipment and loudspeakers, and it is enforced countywide in the unincorporated area by the county sheriff acting as Noise Control Officer; Angels Camp, the county's only incorporated city, is governed by its own municipal code instead.
Violations & Fines
Enforcement follows § 9.02.070: a host's first or second party-noise conviction within a two-year period is an infraction, while a third conviction within twenty-four months of a prior one is a misdemeanor. The board sets fines under Government Code § 25132, and the noise control officer can bill the property owner or person in control for administrative enforcement costs, including investigation and monitoring time, under § 9.02.090.
Frequently Asked Questions
How late can a party run in unincorporated Calaveras County?
Does a bar or restaurant count as a 'party' under this rule?
What has to happen for a party to violate the ordinance?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Calaveras County
California rules heatmap·Compare Calaveras County to another location·View the California public conduct overview
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