Showing ordinances that apply to Reading, MA
Reading is an unincorporated community (population 25,518) in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. Because Reading is not an incorporated city, it does not have its own municipal code. Instead, Middlesex County ordinances apply directly to properties here. The bar & nightclub noise rules below are the ones that govern your area.
Bars and nightclubs in Middlesex County operate under local entertainment and liquor licenses with amplified music typically ending by 1am. Noise that is plainly audible beyond the property is a violation.
Bar and nightclub noise across Middlesex County is controlled through the combined mechanism of local liquor licenses (MGL c.138), entertainment licenses (MGL c.140 s.181), and noise bylaws. Cambridge, Somerville, Lowell, Framingham, and Newton are the main nightlife centers. Liquor licenses in Massachusetts allow service until 2am but venues typically must cease amplified music by 1am. Outdoor patios and beer gardens have earlier cutoffs: Cambridge requires outdoor amplified sound to stop by 11pm, Somerville by 10pm weekdays and 11pm weekends. Repeated noise violations can trigger license review by the local licensing authority and potentially the ABCC (Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission). Residents in mixed-use districts along Mass Ave (Cambridge), Davis Square (Somerville), and Route 9 commercial strips can file complaints with the licensing authority, which may impose conditions on license renewal.
Contact your local code enforcement office for specific penalty information.
See how Reading's bar & nightclub noise rules stack up against other locations.
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