Modoc County, CA Short-Term Rentals: Noise Rules (2026)

Modoc County has not enacted a vacation-rental ordinance, so it imposes no STR-specific quiet hours, decibel limits, or rental-permit conditions tied to noise in the unincorporated area. Noise complaints involving short-term rentals are handled the same way as for any rural property: through general nuisance enforcement and the standards built into the Title 18 Zoning Ordinance, which requires that a use not be detrimental to the health, safety, peace, comfort, and general welfare of persons in the vicinity - the same findings the Planning Commission must make before issuing a Use Permit under Chapter 18.128. If a short-term rental were to require a discretionary Use Permit, the Commission could impose noise-related conditions. The Modoc County Sheriff's Office is the practical first responder for disturbance and loud-party complaints under general law. Given the county's very low population density and large parcel sizes, neighbor-to-neighbor noise conflicts are far less common than in tourist-heavy coastal or mountain counties, and the county has not seen the regulatory pressure that drives dedicated STR noise ordinances elsewhere.