A noise ordinance is a municipal law that regulates the nature and level of sound that can be emitted in a given place at a given time. For example, people hosting a social event or a business doing construction work outside of certain times may be penalized for sound that violates a noise ordinance. Penalties for noise ordinances can include fines and injunctions to stop the violating activity.
Examples of noise ordinance laws include:
New York State’s Town Law §130-11, which allows municipal ordinances for “preventing unreasonably loud or disturbing noises, determined by the board to be of a character, intensity or duration as to be detrimental to the peace, welfare or good order of the people, and preventing all disorderly, noisy, riotous or tumultuous conduct within the town, disturbing the peace and quiet of the town or any meeting or assembly therein.”
Maryland’s Environmental Law §3-403 which provides that “a political subdivision may enforce the sound level limits and noise control rules and regulations adopted under this title” and authorizes municipalities to “(1) Investigate a complaint concerning noise; (2) Institute and conduct a survey and testing program concerning noise; (3) Test or make another determination of the source of a noise; and (4) Assess the degree of required abatement of the noise.”
[Last updated in July of 2023 by the Wex Definitions Team]