Noise from Specific Sources in Newark, NJ (2026)
4 verified noise from specific sources rules for Newark, New Jersey, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
HVAC & Mechanical Noise
Newark caps air conditioning and air handling equipment, including heat pumps, at 55 dBA measured at a residential property line. The limit in the City's noise ordinance does not apply when a unit raises the ambient sound level by less than five dBA, and enforcement runs through the Departments of Health, Engineering and Public Safety.
Newark Caps AC and Heat Pump Noise at 55 dBA
Some RestrictionsRevised General Ordinances of the City of Newark § 20:3-13l
Air Conditioning and Air Handling Devices; the operation of air conditioning or air handling devices including heat pumps that produce a sound level greater than 55 dBA at a real property line of a residential property, except when the operation produces less than a five dBA increase in the sound level that exists in the absence of such sound.
Bar & Nightclub Noise
Newark caps sound from bars, nightclubs, and other places of public entertainment or business under Section 20:3-13h of the Noise Control Ordinance: any radio, sound amplifier, or similar device that exceeds the Table I limit, whether played inside the premises or out on the sidewalk, is a violation regardless of whether the establishment is commercial or industrial.
Newark Bar and Nightclub Sound Limit
Some RestrictionsNewark Code § 20:3-13h
§ 20:3-13h. Place of Public Entertainment or Business Establishment; operating, playing, or permitting the operation or playing of any radio, television, phonograph, tape or disc player, drum, musical instrument, sound amplifier, or similar device that produces, or amplifies sound in any place of public entertainment or business establishment whether commercial or industrial, whether inside the...
Generator Noise
Newark's cannabis ordinance requires outdoor generators and other outside mechanical equipment at licensed cannabis establishments to be enclosed with baffles, mufflers or other noise-reduction systems under § 14:2-5.5, so noise pollution cannot spill into surrounding blocks.
Newark Generator Noise Rules for Cannabis Sites
Some RestrictionsNewark Revised General Ordinances § 14:2-5.5
§ 14:2-5.5. Mitigation of Noise. [Added 8-19-2021 by Ord. No. 6PSF-AA (s), 08-19-2021] Outside generators and other mechanical equipment used for any kind of power supply, cooling, or ventilation shall be enclosed and have appropriate baffles, mufflers, and/or other noise reduction systems to mitigate noise pollution.
Delivery Truck Noise
Newark bans loading, unloading, opening, closing, or otherwise handling boxes, crates, containers, building materials, or garbage cans between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. if the resulting sound exceeds Table I limits, under Section 20:3-13f of the Noise Control Ordinance. The rule targets exactly the noise pattern of an overnight delivery truck or dumpster service outside a residence or business.
Newark Loading and Unloading Noise Hours
Some RestrictionsNewark Code § 20:3-13f
§ 20:3-13f. Loading and unloading; loading, unloading, opening, closing, or other handling of boxes, crates, containers, building materials, liquids, garbage cans, or similar objects between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. the following day in such a manner as to exceed any applicable limit set forth in Table I.
Looking for Essex County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Newark city rules.
Noise from Specific Sources in Essex County →