Noise Ordinances in Medford, MA (2026)
4 verified noise ordinances for Medford, Massachusetts, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Construction Hours
Excessively noisy work or machinery that disturbs the peace and quiet of the neighborhood is barred in Medford before 7:00 a.m. and after 6:00 p.m. every day, unless the chief of police has first issued a permit. The chief decides permit requests case by case, weighing the emergency of the occasion and the reasonable necessity for working outside the normal hours, and a permit can cover a single day or a run of days.
Medford Construction Noise Hours, Sec. 38-34(a)
Some RestrictionsMedford Revised Ordinances § 38-34(a)
(a)Operation of plant or machinery; performance of certain work. No person shall perform work of a type that is excessively noisy and disturbing to the reasonable peace and quiet of the proximate neighborhood before the hour 7:00 a.m. or after the hour of 6:00 p.m. of any day, or operate a plant or machinery, the operation of which is excessively noisy and disturbing to the reasonable peace and...
Barking Dogs
Sec. 6-46 of the Medford Revised Ordinances bars a dog owner from letting the animal make loud or continuous noise that is plainly audible at a neighboring residence or that continues for more than ten minutes; either fact alone is prima facie evidence of a violation under Sec. 6-47.
Medford Barking Dog Noise Ordinance
Some RestrictionsMedford Revised Ordinances §§ 6-46, 6-47
No person owning, keeping, or otherwise responsible for a dog shall allow/permit said dog to annoy another person's reasonable right to peace or privacy by making loud or continuous noise, where such noise is plainly audible at a neighboring residence from the building, premises, vehicle, or conveyance housing said dog, or such noise is continuous in excess of ten minutes. That such noise is pl...
Leaf Blower Rules
In the City of Medford, Massachusetts, the Leaf Blower Ordinance caps use to one hour a day per property and limits gas-powered blowers to March 15-May 31 and September 15-December 15. Gas blowers by commercial operators are banned entirely starting March 15, 2026, and by residents starting March 15, 2028.
Leaf blower hours and gas phase-out, Medford
Significant RestrictionsMedford Revised Ordinances § 38-58(a)-(c), § 38-60(b)
(a)All leaf blowers shall satisfy the emissions standards of the United States Environmental Protection Agency.(b)The use of leaf blowers shall not be permitted for more than one hour a day in the city at any particular property.(c)On parcels of 10,000 square feet or less, only one leaf blower at a time may be used, and on parcels larger than 10,000 square feet, only one leaf blower may be used...
Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound
Anyone who wants to sing, play a musical instrument, or run a sound device or machine in a Medford street or public place needs a city license or permit first. The rule carves out only funerals, military parades, and processions of a political, civic or charitable organization that already has a police escort; every other public performance or amplified sound in the streets needs advance city approval.
Medford Sound Device and Music License Rule
Significant RestrictionsMedford Revised Ordinances § 38-34(b)
(b)Singing and music; sound device or machines; license. No person shall sing or play or perform on any musical instrument, or operate a sound device or machine in the streets or public places of the city, except in connection with a funeral, military parade or a procession of a political, civic or charitable organization, for which a police escort is provided, unless a license or permit for su...