Noise Ordinances in Bristol, PA (2026)
4 verified noise ordinances for Bristol, Pennsylvania, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Quiet Hours
Bristol Borough prints no single quiet-hours clock. Section 27-506 of the Borough Code instead lowers the allowed sound level from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. plus Sundays and legal holidays: 60 dBA at commercial or business receiving property against 65 dBA by day, with industrial held at 70 dBA at all times. Domestic power tools have their own hour windows.
Nighttime Quiet Hours and Sound Limits in Bristol Borough, PA
Some RestrictionsBristol Borough Code § 27-506
1. No person shall operate or cause to be operated on private or public property any source of continuous sound (any sound which is static, fluctuating or intermittent with a recurrence greater than one time in any 15-second interval) in such a manner as to create a sound level which exceeds the limits set forth for the receiving land use category in the following table when measured at or with...
Barking Dogs
In Bristol Borough, Pennsylvania, it is illegal to keep an animal or bird that makes noise continuously for 10 minutes, or intermittently for 1/2 hour or more, to the disturbance of any person. Chapter 2, Part 3 of the Bristol Borough Code allows fines of up to $1,000.
Barking Dog and Animal Noise Rules in Bristol Borough, PA
Some RestrictionsBristol Borough Code § 2-302
It shall be illegal within the Borough for any person or persons to own, possess, harbor, or control any animal or bird which makes any noise continuously and/or incessantly for a period of 10 minutes or makes such noise intermittently for 1/2 hour or more to the disturbance of any person any time of the day or night regardless of whether the animal or bird is physically situated in or upon pri...
Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound
Bristol Borough prohibits playing any radio, phonograph, tape or disc player or musical instrument at a volume that annoys or disturbs the quiet, comfort or repose of nearby persons. Section 10-502 prints a distance test instead of a decibel reading: sound audible at a distance greater than 100 feet from the player or instrument is a violation.
Bristol Borough Radio and Amplified Music Noise Rule
Some RestrictionsBristol Borough Code § 10-502
1. Prohibited noise, within the meaning of this Part, is hereby defined as follows: ... B. The playing of any radio, phonograph, tape or disc player or any musical instrument in such a manner or with such volume as to annoy or disturb the quiet, comfort or repose of persons in any office, hospital or any dwelling, hotel or other type of residence or of any persons in the vicinity thereof. It sh...
Vehicle Noise
Bristol Borough prohibits engine brake retarders, commonly known as Jake Brakes, on named roadways including Green Lane, Pond Street and Old Route 13. A violation is punishable by a fine of not less than $100 and not more than $1,000, plus costs. Section 10-502 separately bars horn misuse and truck idling near residential zones overnight.
Bristol Borough Engine Brake Ban on Named Streets
Significant RestrictionsBristol Borough Code § 15-305
1. The use of engine brake retarders (commonly known as "Jake Brakes") are prohibited from use on the following highways and roadways within Bristol Borough: Green Lane, Farragut Avenue, Pond Street, Old Route 13, Radcliffe Street, Jefferson Avenue, Beaver Street, Green Street and Otter Street. ... 3. Bristol Borough shall erect notice provisions ("signs") indicating that engine brake retarders...
Looking for Bucks County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Bristol city rules.
Noise Ordinances in Bucks County →