Noise Ordinances in Boston, MA (2026)
5 verified noise ordinances for Boston, Massachusetts, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Construction Hours
Construction, demolition, alteration or excavation work in Boston is limited to 7:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. on weekdays unless the Inspectional Services Commissioner issues an Off Hours Permit, under City Code § 16-26.4; violators face a $300 daily fine. Even during the permitted window, construction-device noise at a residential lot line may not exceed 50 dBa between 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. under § 16-26.5.
Boston Construction Noise Hours
Some RestrictionsBoston Code of Ordinances § 16-26.4
16-26.4: No erection, demolition, alteration or repair of any building and excavation in regard thereto, except between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., on weekdays or except in the interest of public safety or welfare, upon the issuance of and pursuant to an Off Hours Permit from the Commissioner, Inspectional Services Department... Any person violating this Section hereof shall be punish...
Barking Dogs
Boston regulates barking dogs under its general noise ordinance and state nuisance law. Persistent barking exceeding decibel thresholds can result in fines and animal control intervention.
Boston Barking Dog Regulations
Some RestrictionsMass. Gen. Laws ch. 140, Sec. 157 (Nuisance or Dangerous Dogs — Barking Alone Not Grounds; Remedial Action for Nuisance Dog)
Any person may file a complaint in writing to the hearing authority that a dog owned or kept in the city or town is a nuisance dog or a dangerous dog; provided, however, that no dog shall be deemed dangerous: (i) solely based upon growling or barking or solely growling and barking; (ii) based upon the breed of the dog... If the hearing authority deems a dog a nuisance dog, the hearing authority...
Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound
Playing a band, orchestra or amplified performance in a Boston residential area that exceeds 50 dBa (11 p.m.–7 a.m.) or 70 dBa (other hours) at the lot line is "disturbing the peace" under City Code § 16-26.6(A), unless the performer holds a valid city license or permit, which exempts the performance entirely from the ordinance's noise limits.
Boston Outdoor Live Music Noise Cap
Some RestrictionsBoston Code of Ordinances § 16-26.6(A)
(A) It shall be unlawful for any person or persons in a residential area within the city to disturb the peace by causing or allowing to be made any unreasonable or excessive noise, including, but not limited to, such noise resulting from...the playing of any band or orchestra, or from the use of any device to amplify the aforesaid noise, or from the making of excessive outcries, exclamations or...
Decibel Limits
Boston caps ambient noise at 50 dBa between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. and 70 dBa the rest of the day under City Code § 16-26.1(B). Absent a meter reading, any sound plainly audible 300 feet from its source, or 100 feet for a radio, stereo or loudspeaker, is legally presumed unreasonable and enforceable citywide.
Boston Noise Decibel Limits
Some RestrictionsBoston Code of Ordinances § 16-26.1
(A) No person shall make, or cause to be made, any unreasonable or excessive noise in the city, by whatever means or from whatever means or from whatever source. ... UNREASONABLE OR EXCESSIVE NOISE. (1) Noise measured in excess of 50 dBa between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., or in excess of 70 dBa at all other hours; or (2) In the absence of an applicable noise level standard or regula...
Vehicle Noise
Boston bans selling or installing a muffler with the baffles removed, an exhaust system modified to amplify noise, or any muffler cut-out or by-pass, under City Code § 16-47(A). Fines climb from $100–$250 for a first offense to $500–$1,000 for a third. Post-1982 motorcycles must also carry the required Federal EPA exhaust label to be driven in the city.
Boston Muffler Cut-Out & Exhaust Ban
Significant RestrictionsBoston Code of Ordinances § 16-47
(A)(1) No person shall sell, offer for sale or install on or in any motor vehicle or trailer: (a) A muffler from which the baffle plates, screens or other original internal parts have been removed and not replaced; (b) An exhaust system which has been modified in a manner which will result in an amplification or an increase in the noise emitted by the exhaust system; or (c) A muffler cut-out or...