Noise Ordinances in Reading, PA

If you live in Reading or are thinking about moving there, noise ordinances are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Reading has 8 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of noise ordinances, and some of them might surprise you.

Vehicle Noise

Reading bans excessive vehicle sound on public streets, restricts horn use and sound trucks, and separately makes it illegal to remove or disable a car's muffler under its noise ordinance.

Key details: Muffler tampering: Banned under § 387-104.I. Horn use: Only when necessary while driving. Sound trucks: Capped at vehicle sound limit. Penalty: $100-$1,000 fine, up to 30 days. Enforced by: Reading Police Department.

A violation brings a fine of $100 to $1,000 plus costs, up to 30 days in jail if unpaid, and police may seize the noise-making device or equipment.

Barking Dogs

Owning or harboring an animal or bird that barks, howls or squawks continuously for 10 minutes, or intermittently for a half hour, to another person's disturbance is a Code violation in Reading, day or night.

Key details: Continuous threshold: 10 minutes of barking. Intermittent threshold: 1/2 hour or more. Applies: Day or night, private property. Exception: Animal was teased or trespassed on.

A violation carries a fine of $100 to $1,000 plus costs; unpaid fines can mean up to 30 days in jail, and each day of violation is a separate offense.

Decibel Limits

Reading's zoning code sets a sliding decibel ceiling for any use's noise at a receiving lot line, tightest for residential districts at night.

Key details: Residential daytime cap: 62 dBA. Residential nighttime cap: 55 dBA. Nonresidential lot line cap: 70 dBA. Measurement point: receiving lot line.

Enforced under Chapter 600's zoning-violation process; a civil judgment of $100 to $500 plus court costs applies per day the violation continues.

Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound

Radios, stereos, loudspeakers and other sound-amplifying devices can't create a noise disturbance across a property line at any time, or be plainly audible across one between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., under Reading's noise code.

Key details: Daytime standard: No disturbance across property line. Nighttime standard: Plainly audible ban, 10 p.m.-7 a.m.. Street audibility: Violation at 50 ft on public street. Enforced by: Reading Police Department.

A violation carries a fine of $100 to $1,000 plus costs; unpaid fines can mean up to 30 days in jail, with each day a separate offense, and police may seize the device.

Quiet Hours

Reading bars loud yelling, shouting and similar disturbing sounds on public streets between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., part of a citywide noise curfew enforced by police under Chapter 387.

Key details: Curfew window: 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.. Enforced by: Reading Police Department. Fine range: $100 to $1,000 plus costs. Max jail: 30 days for unpaid fine.

A violation brings a fine of $100 to $1,000 plus costs; unpaid fines carry up to 30 days in jail, and each day of violation is a separate offense.

Aircraft Noise

Reading's zoning noise-control section exempts aircraft, including helicopters, lawfully operating from the city's maximum sound-level table, leaving overflight noise to the FAA and only the separate noise chapter for other sources.

Key details: Aircraft noise: Exempt from § 600-917 sound table. Repair/testing noise: Still barred if it disturbs neighbors. Enforcement: Reading Police Department. Fine range: $100 to $1,000 plus costs.

No local penalty applies to helicopter or aircraft overflight noise itself. Only ground-based aircraft repair, rebuilding, or testing that creates a noise disturbance across a residential property line can draw a Chapter 387 citation, fined $100 to $1,000 plus costs.

The rules around aircraft noise in Reading lean permissive, but that does not mean anything goes.

Construction Hours

Construction, drilling and demolition equipment can't create a noise disturbance across a residential property line in Reading between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. on weekdays and Saturdays, or at any time Sundays and holidays.

Key details: Weekday/Saturday curfew: 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.. Sundays/holidays: Construction noise barred all day. Exception: Emergency work only. Enforced by: Reading Police Department.

Violating the construction-hours limit carries a fine of $100 to $1,000 plus costs; unpaid fines can mean up to 30 days in jail, and each day of violation is a separate offense.

Leaf Blower Rules

Reading bars mechanically powered lawn and garden tools, including leaf blowers, from running outdoors in residential areas between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. if they disturb a neighbor.

Key details: Quiet hours: 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.. Covers: lawn/garden power tools. Emergency work: excepted. Zoning dBA table: exempts leaf blowers.

Enforced by the Police Department; conviction brings a fine of $100 to $1,000 plus costs, or up to 30 days in default, with each day a separate offense.

The Bottom Line

Reading's noise ordinances rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Reading is broadly strict or permissive.

This guide is based on Reading's current municipal code. Local rules can and do change, so check the individual ordinance pages for the latest details, penalties, and FAQs.