Noise Ordinances in Lower Merion, PA (2026)
8 verified noise ordinances for Lower Merion, Pennsylvania, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Quiet Hours
Lower Merion Township sets numeric nighttime noise limits from 8:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. Code § 105-1 defines those as 'nighttime hours,' and § 105-3C caps sound reaching a residential property overnight at 50 dBA continuous and 60 dBA impulsive, down from the daytime caps of 65 and 75 dBA. Exceeding the limit is 'excessive noise' under § 105-2, punishable by a fine of $100 to $1,000 under § 105-7.
Lower Merion Township Nighttime Noise Limits
Some RestrictionsLower Merion Township Code §§ 105-1, 105-2, 105-3C
DAYTIME HOURS The hours between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. ... NIGHTTIME HOURS The hours between 8:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. ... ... § 105-2. Excessive noise prohibited. ... It shall be unlawful for any person to make or produce excessive noise. Noise shall be considered excessive if the sound exceeds the limits set forth in § 105-3 below. § 105-3. Maximum permissible sound pressure levels. ... ... C....
Construction Hours
Lower Merion Township exempts construction, repair, and landscaping noise from its decibel limits only from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. weekdays and 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on weekends and federal holidays, under Township Code Section 105-6.A(4); noise outside those windows must meet the numeric caps in Section 105-3.
Lower Merion Construction Noise Hours
Some RestrictionsLower Merion Township Code § 105-6.A(4)
Noises created by construction work and the repair and maintenance of any building, structure, or property, including landscaping, shall be exempt during the times as provided below: ... During the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday to Friday, and during the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, and federal holidays: ... Monday through Friday between the hours of 6:00 p.m. ...
Barking Dogs
Lower Merion Township treats a barking dog that disturbs the neighborhood as disorderly conduct. Code § 111-7B lists 'the keeping of dogs, chickens or other animals under such conditions or in such a manner that, by barking, crowing or otherwise, they disturb the peace and quiet of the immediate neighborhood' as an act constituting disorderly conduct under § 111-6. A conviction carries a fine of up to $600 per offense under § 111-12.
Barking Dog Nuisance Rule in Lower Merion
Some RestrictionsLower Merion Township Code §§ 111-6, 111-7B
§ 111-6. Disorderly conduct prohibited. Disorderly conduct, within the meaning of this article, shall constitute the making, causing or permitting to be made anywhere in the Township of Lower Merion of any unnecessary noise, clamor, din or other sound tending to disturb the peace and quiet of the community, and the carrying on of any business, trade, transportation, recreation or amusement at a...
Leaf Blower Rules
Lower Merion Township Code § 92-6 phases out gas-powered leaf blowers: banned from June 1 to October 1 and January 1 to April 1 starting in 2026, expanding to January 1 through October 1 in 2028, and a full-year ban from 2029 onward. Electric blowers are permitted year-round, and violators face escalating fines up to $600 under § 92-11.
Lower Merion Gas Leaf Blower Seasonal Ban
Heavy RestrictionsLower Merion Township Code §§ 92-6, 92-11
§ 92-6. Prohibitions on gas-powered leaf blowers. ... A. Beginning June 1, 2026, and for every year thereafter, the use of gas-powered leaf blowers shall be prohibited from June 1 to October 1 ("summer") and from January 1 to April 1 ("winter") each year. ... ... B. Beginning January 1, 2028, and for every year thereafter, the use of gas-powered leaf blowers shall be prohibited from January 1 t...
Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound
Lower Merion Township caps sound reaching a residential property at 65 dBA continuous (75 dBA impulsive) by day and 50 dBA (60 dBA impulsive) at night under Code Chapter 105, with higher nonresidential caps. Amplified sound and equipment get no exemption, only the unamplified human voice does, so live music and loudspeakers must stay within these limits and daily curfew hours.
Lower Merion Amplified Sound and Noise Limits
Some RestrictionsLower Merion Township Code §§ 105-3 and 105-6
§ 105-3. Maximum permissible sound pressure levels. ... A. No person or equipment shall create or cause, or permit the creation of, sound having an equivalent continuous sound pressure level received by a residential property that exceeds five decibels above background level or the limits set forth in the chart below. ... ... § 105-6. Exemptions. A. The following activities are exempt from the ...
Aircraft Noise
Lower Merion Township's noise ordinance exempts aircraft and railway transportation outright from its decibel limits; Township Code Section 105-6.A(12) lists aircraft and railway transportation among the activities excused from Chapter 105's sound pressure caps, with no local permit or numeric standard applying to that noise.
Lower Merion Aircraft and Rail Noise Exemption
Few RestrictionsLower Merion Township Code § 105-6.A(12)
The following activities are exempt from the provisions of this chapter, subject to compliance with any restrictions listed below: ... Aircraft and railway transportation.
Decibel Limits
Lower Merion Township caps continuous sound at a receiving property line at 65 dBA by day and 50 dBA at night in residential zones, and 70 dBA by day and 55 dBA at night in nonresidential zones, under Township Code Section 105-3. Impulsive noise tops out at 75 dBA daytime and 60 to 65 dBA at night depending on the district.
Lower Merion Noise Decibel Limits by Zone
Some RestrictionsLower Merion Township Code § 105-3
No person or equipment shall create or cause, or permit the creation of, sound having an equivalent continuous sound pressure level received by a residential property that exceeds five decibels above background level or the limits set forth in the chart below. ... No person or equipment shall create or cause, or permit the creation of, sound having an equivalent continuous sound pressure level ...
Vehicle Noise
Lower Merion Township bans the use of engine brake retarders on gasoline- or diesel-powered motor vehicles on City Avenue's west side between Green Hill Lane and Haverford Road, under § 145-21.1, with signs posted warning drivers before and within the prohibited stretch.
Engine Brake Noise Ban on City Avenue
Significant RestrictionsLower Merion Township Code § 145-21.1
§ 145-21.1. Engine brake retarders. ... A. Prohibited acts. No gasoline-powered or diesel-powered motor vehicle shall be operated on the following highway within the Township of Lower Merion utilizing, in said operation, an engine brake retarder. (1) City Avenue, west side, between Green Hill Lane and Haverford Road. B. Exemptions. Governmental vehicles and emergency vehicles operating under e...
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