How Allentown Handles Noise from Specific Sources: A Practical Guide
Allentown maintains 134 local ordinances across all categories, and 3 of those deal specifically with noise from specific sources. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Allentown falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.
Car Alarm Limits
Allentown's noise ordinance bans any exterior burglar alarm or motor-vehicle burglar alarm that doesn't shut off automatically within six minutes of activation. The Department of Police enforces this rule under Chapter 400, Noise, and treats a continuously sounding car alarm as a noise disturbance subject to a violation ticket, not just an annoyance.
Key details: Cutoff limit: 6 minutes maximum for vehicle alarms. Section: § 400-3C(3)(c). Enforcing agency: Allentown Police Department. First fine: $100 violation ticket. Late fee: $25 added after 10 days unpaid.
A car alarm running past six minutes draws a $100 violation ticket from the Allentown Police Department under § 400-8. Paying within 10 days closes the matter; missing that window adds a $25 penalty for days 11 through 20, and nonpayment past 20 days converts the ticket into a citation. Each day the problem continues can count as a separate offense, and owners may appeal to the Hearing Board.
Delivery Truck Noise
City ordinance bars loading, unloading, or handling boxes, crates, containers, or building materials between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. if the noise crosses into a residential property boundary. The restriction targets delivery trucks and commercial handling near homes, though municipal and utility crews working in the public right-of-way are exempt from the curfew.
Key details: Curfew hours: 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.. Section: § 400-3C(7). Exempt: Municipal/utility right-of-way work. Fine: $100 violation ticket. Enforcer: Allentown Police Department.
Violating the loading-noise curfew is enforced the same way as other Chapter 400 prohibitions: a $100 violation ticket under § 400-8, payable within 10 days before a $25 late penalty attaches through day 20, after which nonpayment converts the ticket into a citation. Each night the noise recurs can be charged as a separate offense.
Bar & Nightclub Noise
Allentown limits sound inside any bar, nightclub, or other place of public entertainment to 90 dB(A) measured at any spot customers normally occupy, unless the venue posts a hearing-damage warning sign at each public entrance. Venues must also meet the Chapter 400 Table 1 property-line decibel limits, and the Bureau of Health and Police jointly enforce the rule.
Key details: Interior sound cap: 90 dB(A) unless warning sign posted. Section: § 400-3E(2). Also must meet: Table 1 property-line limits. Enforcers: Bureau of Health and Police. Fine: $100 per violation ticket.
A bar or nightclub exceeding 90 dB(A) indoors without the posted hearing-damage warning, or exceeding the Table 1 property-line limit, faces the standard Chapter 400 penalty track: a $100 violation ticket, a $25 penalty if unpaid after 10 days, and conversion to a citation after 20 days, with each night of noncompliance chargeable as a separate offense.
The Bottom Line
Allentown's noise from specific sources 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 Allentown is broadly strict or permissive.
These rules come from Allentown's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.