Noise Ordinances in Clifton, NJ (2026)
7 verified noise ordinances for Clifton, New Jersey, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Construction Hours
Clifton bans running construction tools, equipment or vehicles in or near any residential zone before 8:00 a.m. or after 7:00 p.m. on weekdays and Saturdays, and before 9:00 a.m. or after 7:00 p.m. on Sundays (owner-only work), except in an emergency, under City Code § 271-1. Violators face up to a $1,000 fine or 90 days in jail.
Clifton Construction Noise Curfew Hours
Some RestrictionsClifton Code § 271-1
A. The operation of or permitting the operation of any tools, equipment or vehicles used in construction, drilling, earthmoving, excavating, alteration repairs, paving, demolition work or any other construction work of any nature whatsoever in any residential zone or any tract of land adjacent to any residential zone shall be and is hereby prohibited before the hour of 8:00 a.m. and after the h...
Barking Dogs
Clifton bans letting a dog bark, howl or cry for 30 straight minutes, or two 15-minute stretches within an hour, between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. if it unreasonably disturbs neighbors. Outdoor dogs left barking 15 minutes or more at any time can also trigger a Health Department complaint under Chapter 203.
Clifton Barking Dog Nuisance Rules
Some RestrictionsClifton Code § 203-11.A
No person shall permit or cause any dog or other animal in his custody, control or ownership to engage in periods of sustained barking, howling, crying or other loud noises for any period of 30 consecutive minutes or two or more intervals of 15 consecutive minutes or more within a one-hour period, between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., which cause an objectively unreasonable disturbance...
Leaf Blower Rules
Clifton bars homeowners from running leaf blowers and other noncommercial landscaping equipment between 8:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. Landscaping companies working on commercial or industrial land face tighter limits near homes: no power equipment before 7:00 a.m. or after 6:00 p.m. on weekdays, or before 9:00 a.m. or after 6:00 p.m. on weekends and federal holidays.
Clifton Leaf Blower and Yard Equipment Hours
Some RestrictionsClifton Code § 327-6B(1)-(2)
Noncommercial or nonindustrial power tools and landscaping and yard maintenance equipment shall not be operated between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m., unless such activities can meet the applicable limits set forth in Tables I and II. All motorized equipment used in these activities shall be operated with a muffler. At all other times, the limits set forth in Tables I and II do not apply...
Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound
Clifton judges vehicle stereos and portable speakers by hours and distance, not decibels. Vehicle music can't be plainly audible at a residential property line from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m., or 50 feet from the vehicle from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.; portable speakers in public spaces face the same daytime 50-foot rule and must be silent to bystanders overnight.
Clifton's Amplified Music Time-and-Distance Limits
Some RestrictionsClifton Code § 327-6.B(6)-(8)
Notwithstanding the provisions of Tables I and II, the following standards shall apply to the activities or sources of sound set forth below: Personal or commercial vehicular music amplification or reproduction equipment shall not be operated in such a manner that it is plainly audible at a residential property line between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. Personal vehicular music amplific...
Aircraft Noise
Clifton Code § 129-16 makes it unlawful for aircraft or helicopter operators to create unnecessary noise within or over the City. The rule sits inside Chapter 129, Airports and Aircraft, alongside bans on acrobatic flying and unauthorized landings, and any violation carries the same fine and jail exposure as the rest of that chapter.
Clifton Prohibits Unnecessary Aircraft Noise
Some RestrictionsClifton Code § 129-16
§ 129-16. Unnecessary noise prohibited. Unnecessary noise by operators of aircraft within or over the City is prohibited.
Decibel Limits
Clifton bars any sound source from exceeding the limits in its Table I/II sound schedule, measured at the receiving property's real property line, and flatly caps impulsive sound at 80 decibels at all times regardless of category. A certified noise control officer takes the readings under state measurement rules.
Clifton's Maximum Permissible Sound Level Rule
Some RestrictionsClifton Code § 327-5
No person shall cause, suffer, allow or permit the operation of any source of sound on any source property listed in § 327-2A above in such a manner as to create a sound level that equals or exceeds the sound level limits set forth in Tables I and II when measured at or within the real property line of any of the receiving properties listed in Tables I and II, except as specified in Subsection ...
Vehicle Noise
Clifton bans revving a parked vehicle's engine between 10:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. if it disturbs the neighborhood, with a rebuttable presumption of a violation once the sound carries 100 feet. Vehicle stereos face their own overnight curfew, and truck-mounted loudspeakers need a police permit at any hour.
Clifton Rules on Engine Revving and Car Stereo Noise
Some RestrictionsClifton Code § 332-7
It shall be unlawful to excessively rev the engine of any truck, car, motorcycle or other motor vehicle, by depressing or engaging the accelerator while parked, so as to unreasonably disturb the peace, quiet and comfort of the neighboring inhabitants between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. If such sound is audible at a point 100 feet from the source, there shall be a rebuttable presumptio...
Looking for Passaic County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Clifton city rules.
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