Newark, NJ Noise from Specific Sources: Bar & Nightclub Noise (2026)

Section 20:3-13h of Newark's Noise Control Ordinance reaches sound generated at a place of public entertainment or business establishment specifically, rather than only the noise a device makes in the open like Section 20:3-13b does for vehicles. It prohibits operating or permitting the operation of a radio, television, phonograph, tape or disc player, drum, musical instrument, sound amplifier, or similar device inside the premises or on the street or sidewalk directly outside so that it exceeds the applicable Table I sound-level limit, and it applies whether the establishment is commercial or industrial.

Because the limit is measured against Table I rather than a fixed curfew, a bar or club can be cited at any hour, not just late at night, if the sound crosses the property-line threshold. The general administrative provisions of Chapter 20:3 apply: the Directors of Health and Community Wellness, Public Safety, and Engineering can measure sound levels at the real property line, enter the premises with the owner's permission or a search warrant to inspect, and issue a notice of violation followed by an abatement order under Section 20:3-17 giving the establishment 10 to 30 days to bring the noise into compliance before penalties escalate further.