Cambridge, MA Noise from Specific Sources: Bar & Nightclub Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Audibility threshold
- Plainly audible at 50 feet
- Governing section
- Municipal Code § 8.16.080.H
- License risk
- Suspension/revocation possible
- Fine per violation
- $300 per day
Summary
A Cambridge bar or club violates the Noise Control Ordinance if its music or sound system is plainly audible 50 feet from the venue, or at all inside a marked noise sensitive zone, under Municipal Code § 8.16.080.H, regardless of a decibel meter reading.
H.Places of Public Entertainment. Operating, playing or permitting the operation or playing of any radio, television, phonograph, drum, musical instrument, sound amplifier, or similar device which produces, reproduces, or amplifies sound in any place of public entertainment in such a manner as to be plainly audible at a distance of fifty feet from the source or to be plainly audible within a noise sensitive zone.
Full Breakdown
H bars 'operating, playing or permitting the operation or playing of any radio, television, phonograph, drum, musical instrument, sound amplifier, or similar device which produces, reproduces, or amplifies sound in any place of public entertainment' when it is plainly audible 50 feet from the source, or plainly audible at all inside a designated noise sensitive zone. B, and both use the same 50-foot plainly-audible test rather than a decibel limit. 040: the Police Commissioner, the Commissioner of Inspectional Services, or the Chairperson of the License Commission can act on a complaint. 040(E), for license suspension or revocation. B.
Violations & Fines
Each violation supports a $300-per-day citation under G.L. c. 40 § 21D, or a misdemeanor prosecution carrying a $300 fine under Section 8.16.040(C). Because the source is a licensed venue, enforcement officials can additionally suspend the entertainment or liquor license summarily, and revoke it after a hearing, under Section 8.16.040(E), on top of any fine or court injunction.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Cambridge measure whether a bar's music is too loud?
Can a noise complaint affect a Cambridge bar's liquor or entertainment license?
Is there an exception if the bar is near a hospital or school?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cambridge
Compare Cambridge to another location·View the Massachusetts noise from specific sources overview
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Bar & Nightclub Noise in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle bar & nightclub noise.