Santa Barbara County Municipal Code § 40-4 Special provisions (exemptions)

The purpose of this chapter is to preserve the public peace from the noise and disturbance of amplified music played out of doors after ten on weekdays and after midnight on weekends and to eliminate confrontations and breaches of the peace created by such activity.

(Ord. No. 3866, § 1)

It shall be unlawful within the unincorporated area of the County of Santa Barbara to make, assist in making, permit, continue, create, or cause to be made, any loud and unreasonable noise, music, percussion or other sound which is broadcast outside of any residence or building by means of any amplified musical instrument, drum, or similar device, or by means of any radio, loudspeaker, sound amplifier or phonograph, or by means of or employing any similar device which amplifies and produces, reproduces or broadcasts sound, during any of the following periods of time:

(a) The night and following morning of any Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday between the hours of 10:00 P.M. of such day and 7:00 A.M. the following morning; or,

(b) The morning hours after midnight of any Friday or Saturday, between twelve midnight, following such day, and 7:00 A.M. the following morning.

Within such time periods, and for the purposes of this chapter, a loud and unreasonable sound shall include any sound created by means prohibited above which is clearly discernable at a distance of one hundred feet from the property line of the property upon which it is broadcast or which is at any level of sound in excess of sixty decibels at the edge of the property line of the property upon which the sound is broadcast, as such sound would be measured on a sound measuring instrument meeting American National Standard Institute's Standard SI.4-1971 (or more recent revision thereof) for Type 1 or Type 2 sound level meters or an instrument and the associated recording and analyzing equipment which provide equivalent data.

Enforcement of a violation under this chapter shall not require the use of a sound level meter.

(Ord. No. 3866, § 1)

Any person, partnership, firm, or corporation whether as principal, agent, employee or otherwise who shall violate any provision of this chapter is guilty of an infraction, and upon conviction thereof, shall be punishable by a fine not to exceed one hundred dollars for a first violation; a fine not exceeding two hundred dollars for a second violation of the same ordinance within one year; and a fine not exceeding five hundred dollars for each additional violation of the same ordinance within one year.

(Ord. No. 3866, § 1)

The provisions of this chapter are not intended to affect and shall not apply to:

(a) Bells, chimes, carillons and similar devices while being used for religious purposes, or in conjunction with religious services, or for celebrations of public holidays; or

(b) Outdoor gatherings, public dances, shows and sporting and entertaining events, provided such gathering, dance or event is conducted on commercial or institutional premises, pursuant to applicable rules, regulations and zoning restrictions, and in compliance with all permits or licenses issued by a public agency relative to the staging of the gathering, dance or event.

(Ord. No. 3866, § 1)

If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase of this chapter is for any reason held to be unconstitutional or invalid, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this chapter. The board of supervisors hereby declares that it would have adopted this chapter and each section, subsection, sentence, clause or phrase thereof irrespective of the fact that any one or more sections, subsections, sentences, clauses or phrases be unconstitutional or invalid.

(Ord. No. 3866, § 1)