El Dorado County, CA Short-Term Rentals: Noise Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- El Dorado County Code § 5.56.120
- Quiet hours
- 10:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. (§5.56.090)
- First-violation fine
- up to $1,500
- Repeat fines
- up to $3,000, then $5,000
- Suspension trigger
- 3 violations in 18 months
- Revocation trigger
- 4 violations in 18 months
Summary
El Dorado County Code Section 5.56.120 makes it unlawful for anyone at a hosted or vacation home rental to create loud, raucous, or offensive noise, and separately bans hosting any concert, gathering, wedding, or assembly of persons on the property. Code Enforcement and the Sheriff's Office enforce the rule, and violations trigger the escalating fines set out in Section 5.56.140.
A.It shall be unlawful for any person on residential property or a public way to make or continue, or cause to be made or continued, any offensive, excessive, unnecessary, or unusually loud, or raucous noise, or any noise which either annoys, disturbs, injures, or endangers the comfort, repose, health, peace, or safety of others on residential property or public ways within the County.B.It shall be unlawful to allow, permit, encourage, organize, promote, conduct, or advertise any entertainment, game, show, exhibition, activity, amusement, concert, gathering, wedding or assembly of persons. Compliance with this standard shall be in addition to compliance with all other provisions of this Code relating to nuisance, peace, and safety.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 13 Update 4).
Full Breakdown
56, adopted by Ord. No. 5209 on October 22, 2024) covers both noise and events. Subsection A bars any offensive, excessive, unnecessary, or unusually loud or raucous noise that disturbs the comfort, repose, peace, or safety of others on residential property or public ways. Subsection B goes further and makes it unlawful to allow, permit, encourage, organize, promote, conduct, or advertise any entertainment, game, show, concert, gathering, wedding, or assembly at the property at all, not just noisy ones. , and owners must print the quiet hours in every listing and rental agreement.
Visitor counts are also capped to the permitted occupancy between those same hours. 140: Code Enforcement or the Sheriff investigates, and the host or local contact has 30 minutes to abate a reported disturbance once notified. Three warnings within 24 months converts to a formal Notice of Violation, and the county can impose a fine, suspend the permit, or revoke it depending on how many violations accumulate within a rolling 12- or 18-month period.
Violations & Fines
A first violation draws a fine up to $1,500 within any 12-month period; a second up to $3,000; a third and beyond up to $5,000 under Section 5.56.140(D). Three violations in 18 months suspends the permit for six months, and a fourth in 18 months triggers revocation under Section 5.56.150. Owners may request a hearing and a hardship waiver within 15 days of notice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can guests throw a party at a vacation rental in El Dorado County?
What counts as unlawful noise at a short-term rental here?
Who enforces the noise and event rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in El Dorado County
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