Passaic, NJ Noise from Specific Sources: Bar & Nightclub Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Code of the City of Passaic § 129-13
- Closing hours
- 3:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. daily
- Annual license fee
- $250 for an entertainment license
- Remedy for noise nuisance
- License suspension or revocation, § 129-10
- Max general penalty
- $2,000 fine or 90 days
Summary
Bars, clubs and other licensed entertainment establishments in Passaic must not let noise become a nuisance. Code of the City of Passaic § 129-13 bars a licensee from creating or allowing "undue noise to emanate from the premises as to constitute a public or private nuisance," backed by license suspension or revocation for repeat violations.
The licensee shall not create or allow undue noise to emanate from the premises as to constitute a public or private nuisance. The licensee shall keep said premises in as neat and orderly condition as the nature of the business will allow.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4978046; v41 updated 2026-07-01; through 07-01-2026).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 129, Entertainment, licenses establishments that offer music, dancing or other amusement to the public and sets an annual $250 license fee under § 129-6. on New Year's Day. Section 129-13, titled "Noise; maintenance of premises," directly addresses bar and nightclub sound: "The licensee shall not create or allow undue noise to emanate from the premises as to constitute a public or private nuisance. " Enforcement runs through § 129-14, which requires every owner-operator to comply "at all times" with the chapter and abate any nuisance or hazard immediately upon notice from any authority with jurisdiction, including departments that review entertainment license applications under § 129-5.
A sustained noise nuisance can also trigger the suspension-or-revocation process in § 129-10, which allows the City Council, after notice and hearing, to pull a license for violating any term of the chapter or for allowing patrons, employees or agents to violate municipal ordinances on the premises.
Violations & Fines
Allowing undue noise to become a nuisance under § 129-13 exposes an entertainment licensee to suspension or revocation of its license under § 129-10, following notice and a City Council hearing. The Code's general penalty in Chapter 1, Article II also applies to unresolved violations, allowing a fine of up to $2,000, 90 days' imprisonment, or 90 days' community service per offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Passaic regulate noise from bars and nightclubs specifically?
What can happen to a Passaic bar that keeps generating noise complaints?
What hours must Passaic entertainment establishments close?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Passaic
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Bar & Nightclub Noise in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Passaic County handle bar & nightclub noise.