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

Tulare Municipal Code § 6.40.071 (Amplified sound noise standards) provides: 'It is unlawful for any person at any location within the city to create any amplified sound on property owned, leased, occupied or otherwise controlled by such person which causes the noise level, when measured at the property line of any affected area, to exceed the decibel level of 70 during the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m.' Sound or noise from sound amplification equipment used at city parks/facilities is measured at a point not greater than 100 feet from the source and may not exceed 85 dB. The full Chapter 6.40 contains additional standards for nighttime hours (10 p.m. to 6 a.m.), construction noise, and general unreasonable noise; the Code is enforced by the Tulare Police Department. Because Tulare has no STR-specific ordinance, there are no separately enumerated 'quiet hours' for guests — the same 6 a.m./10 p.m. switch that applies to a homeowner's backyard party applies to a vacation rental. The County's rejected draft STR ordinance had proposed a quieter 10 p.m.–7 a.m. window with administrative-citation enforcement; that proposal did not pass. As a practical matter, hosts should embed the 10 p.m. amplified-sound cutoff into their house rules and platform listings to align with § 6.40.071.