Tehama County Noise Ordinance

Tehama County Noise Ordinance  —  A noise ordinance was approved by the Tehama County Board of Supervisors for unincorporated areas and has gone into effect.

Under the ordinance, it is unlawful for any person to willfully make or continue or cause to be made or continued any excessive, unnecessary or offensive noise levels that disturb the peace and quiet of any neighborhood or that cause discomfort or annoyance to any reasonable person of normal sensitivity residing in the area.

Further, the ordinance includes rules regarding sound levels of obnoxious noise that can be repeated or recited at a distance of 500 feet or more from the source and complaints from three or more houses.

Excessive noise cannot be created from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. weekdays or between 10:30 p.m and 8 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

There are expectations involving activities at parks, public playgrounds, school grounds or fairgrounds, emergency construction and repairs for vehicles and equipment and other likewise activities.

Those found guilty of violating the ordinance by an enforcement officer will be issued a citation and asked to stop the noise. Failure to comply may result in a misdemeanor charge, and the matter may by referred to the district attorney for prosecution.

In April, the supervisors requested an ordinance framework similar to Butte County’s. They instructed the planning department to create a noise control ordinance that did not rely on measuring devices as an enforcement tool.

Supervisors passed the ordinance Aug. 2.