Fresno County Noise Ordinance: Limits, Exemptions and Penalties

The Fresno County noise ordinance, codified at Chapter 8.40 of the county code and adopted in late 2024 under Ordinance No. 24-021, caps exterior residential noise at 50 dBA during the day and 45 dBA at night, with a tiered system that permits louder sounds for shorter periods. It applies only to noise generated in the unincorporated parts of the county, and violations can draw administrative fines starting at $250 or misdemeanor charges carrying up to six months in jail.¹

Who the Ordinance Covers

Chapter 8.40 regulates noise created on property in the unincorporated areas of Fresno County. If the sound originates inside the city limits of Fresno, Clovis, or another incorporated city, that city’s own ordinance governs instead. Compliance is measured at the affected location, which can sit in either incorporated or unincorporated territory. So a neighbor on unincorporated land whose noise reaches your home inside city limits is still subject to the county’s rules.¹

Exterior Noise Limits at Homes

The exterior standards are tiered rather than fixed. Measured at the property line of the affected residence, school, hospital, church, or public library, louder readings are allowed only for shorter cumulative stretches within any one-hour period.

Daytime, from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.:

50 dBA for up to 30 cumulative minutes per hour
55 dBA for up to 15 cumulative minutes per hour
60 dBA for up to 5 cumulative minutes per hour
65 dBA for up to 1 cumulative minute per hour
70 dBA may not be exceeded at any time

Nighttime, from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.:

45 dBA for up to 30 cumulative minutes per hour
50 dBA for up to 15 cumulative minutes per hour
55 dBA for up to 5 cumulative minutes per hour
60 dBA for up to 1 cumulative minute per hour
65 dBA may not be exceeded at any time

Each nighttime tier runs 5 dBA quieter than its daytime counterpart.¹

A detail that trips people up: every threshold drops by an additional 5 dBA when the sound involves a simple tone such as a persistent hum or whine, audible speech or music, or recurring impulsive sounds like repetitive banging. A stereo reading 48 dBA sounds safe against the 50 dBA daytime limit, but the music penalty pulls the effective cap down to 45 dBA and puts the stereo in violation.¹

Interior Noise Limits Inside a Dwelling

The county also sets separate, stricter limits measured inside a dwelling unit. These protect apartment and condo residents from sounds generated within their own building, such as a neighbor’s stereo or a shared mechanical system.

Daytime, 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.:

45 dBA for up to 5 cumulative minutes per hour
50 dBA for up to 1 cumulative minute per hour
55 dBA may not be exceeded at any time

Nighttime, 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.:

35 dBA for up to 5 cumulative minutes per hour
40 dBA for up to 1 cumulative minute per hour
45 dBA may not be exceeded at any time

The same 5 dBA penalty for tonal noise, music, and impulsive sounds applies indoors as well.¹

Exempt Activities and Allowed Hours

Several categories of noise fall outside the decibel limits entirely, reflecting the county’s agricultural economy, public safety needs, and routine property upkeep.

Construction is allowed from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on weekdays and from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
Residential property maintenance such as mowing and leaf blowing is allowed from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on weekdays and from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on weekends.
Farming operations on agricultural property are fully exempt.
Sirens, alarms, and other emergency equipment are exempt.
Activities at public parks, playgrounds, and school grounds, including athletic events and school entertainment, are exempt.
Commercial and industrial operations are exempt when kept within the levels specified in the business’s permit or license.
Public and private utility work on their own facilities is exempt.
Drilling or redrilling of petroleum, gas, injection, or water wells is exempt.
Commercial and industrial garbage collection is exempt.
Anything already regulated by state or federal noise law falls outside county jurisdiction.

The construction window is the one most residents run into. A contractor who fires up equipment at 5:30 a.m. on a Tuesday or keeps running past 9:00 p.m. loses the exemption, and the standard decibel limits apply.¹

Fines and Criminal Penalties

Most violations of Chapter 8.40 are misdemeanors, which can mean up to six months in county jail and a fine of up to $1,000. In practice the county more often issues administrative citations with escalating fines:

First violation: $250
Second violation within six months: $500
Third and subsequent violations within six months: $1,000

Fresno County Sheriff’s Office deputies are trained to use calibrated decibel meters to confirm whether sound exceeds the legal thresholds, and an administrative citation can be issued on the spot once an officer verifies a violation.¹²

A narrow set of violations, covering specific provisions on air conditioning equipment, commercial waste collection hours, electrical substations, and warning sign requirements at entertainment venues, is treated as an infraction rather than a misdemeanor. For the exterior and interior residential limits most people deal with, the misdemeanor and administrative framework applies.¹

Reporting a Noise Problem

When the noise is happening now, call Fresno County Sheriff’s Office dispatch. A deputy can respond, witness the disturbance, and take a decibel reading before it stops. This is the right route for loud parties, amplified music, and anything else that depends on being caught in the act.

For ongoing or recurring issues, the Fresno County Department of Public Health’s Environmental Health Division handles formal complaints. Before you file, pull together the address where the noise originates, the type of sound, and a log of when it happens, how long it lasts, and how often it repeats. Phone recordings can support your complaint, though enforcement decisions rely on calibrated meters operated by county staff. Environmental health inspectors may visit the site with monitoring equipment to verify whether sound levels exceed what the ordinance permits, and that documentation becomes important if the situation escalates to repeated citations or further legal action.

Contesting a Citation

If you receive an administrative citation and believe it was issued in error, you have 15 days from the date of the citation to request a hearing under Section 8.40.140(E). Missing that deadline generally waives your right to contest the fine, so note the date as soon as the citation arrives.¹

Other Legal Tools When the Ordinance Isn’t Enough

The county code isn’t your only option. California Penal Code Section 415 makes it a criminal offense to willfully disturb another person with loud and unreasonable noise, and a conviction can carry up to 90 days in county jail, a fine of up to $400, or both. Section 415 does not require a decibel reading, applies statewide (including inside incorporated cities), and turns on whether the noise was loud and unreasonable and whether the person acted willfully.³

When enforcement doesn’t resolve the problem, a private nuisance claim is a civil route. California Civil Code Section 3479 defines nuisance to include anything that interferes with the comfortable enjoyment of life or property, and a plaintiff does not need to prove the noise exceeded a specific decibel level. Courts weigh whether the interference would bother a reasonable person of ordinary sensitivity, whether the noise is frequent or continuous, and whether the person responsible acted negligently or intentionally. Even lawful activity can be actionable if its effects on neighbors are severe enough, and a court can award money damages, issue an injunction, or both.⁴

Renters have an additional avenue. Persistent noise from other tenants or from shared building systems may breach California’s implied warranty of quiet enjoyment, and a landlord who ignores documented complaints about matters within their control can face a habitability claim. Put every complaint to your landlord in writing and keep copies.

1
County of Fresno. Fresno County Ordinance Code Chapter 8.40 – Noise Control
2
Fresno County Sheriff’s Office. New Noise Ordinance in Effect in Fresno County
3
California Legislative Information. California Penal Code 415
4
California Legislative Information. California Civil Code 3479