Noise from Specific Sources in New York, NY (2026)
4 verified noise from specific sources rules for New York, New York, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
HVAC & Mechanical Noise
New York City limits sound from air conditioners, fans, pumps and cooling towers to 42 dB(A) inside a neighbor's dwelling unit, with a 45 dB(A) cumulative cap for newly installed or replaced units citywide.
NYC Air Conditioner & HVAC Noise Cap
Some RestrictionsNew York City Administrative Code § 24-227
No person shall operate or permit to be operated a circulation device in such a manner as to create a sound level in excess of 42 dB(A) when measured inside a receiving property dwelling unit. The measurement shall be taken with the window or terrace door open at a point three feet from the open portion of the window or terrace door.
Car Alarm Limits
New York City requires any audible car alarm to automatically shut off within three minutes of activation, and bans remote fobs that trigger it from more than 15 feet away.
NYC Car Alarms: 3-Minute Auto-Shutoff
Some RestrictionsNew York City Administrative Code § 24-238
No owner of a building or of a motor vehicle shall have in operation an audible burglar alarm thereon unless such burglar alarm shall be capable of and shall automatically terminate its operation within fifteen minutes of its being activated in the case of a building, and three minutes of its being activated in the case of a motor vehicle. No audible burglar alarm on a motor vehicle shall be ca...
Generator Noise
New York City treats generator exhaust as a regulated noise source: any device, generators included, whose exhaust creates unreasonable noise violates the Administrative Code, measured against the same decibel limits set for construction equipment.
NYC Generator Exhaust Noise Rules
Some RestrictionsNew York City Administrative Code § 24-228.1
No person shall cause or permit discharge into the open air of the exhaust of any device, including but not limited to any steam engine, diesel engine, internal combustion engine, power tools, compressors or turbine engine, so as to create an unreasonable noise. For the purposes of this section unreasonable noise shall include but shall not be limited to sound that exceeds the prohibited noise ...
Low-Frequency Bass Limits
New York City caps low-frequency bass from commercial music at 45 decibels in one-third octave bands between 63 and 500 hertz inside nearby homes, a separate standard from the general 42 dB(A) limit.
NYC Low-Frequency Bass Noise Limit
Some RestrictionsNew York City Administrative Code § 24-231
No person shall make or cause or permit to be made or caused any music originating from or in connection with the operation of any commercial establishment or enterprise when the level of sound attributable to such music, as measured inside any receiving property dwelling unit: ... is in excess of 45 dB in any one-third octave band having a center frequency between 63 hertz and 500 hertz (ANSI ...