Southborough, MA Noise from Specific Sources: Bar & Nightclub Noise (2026)

Section 130-4(G) of the Southborough noise bylaw reads that no establishment granted a liquor license shall permit noise to be distinctly audible beyond the premises between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. The cutoff is two hours earlier than the 11:00 p.m. quiet period that applies to individual yelling, shouting or music under § 130-4(A), so a bar, restaurant or club with a liquor license faces the stricter window.

The key term is defined in § 130-2. DISTINCTLY AUDIBLE means any sound that can be understood by a person using his or her unaided hearing faculties. The definition gives an example: if music is playing, the words or instrumentation is discernable, and if a conversation is occurring, the words and context can be understood. There is no decibel meter reading in this subsection. The test is what a person standing beyond the premises can make out with unaided hearing.

All of § 130-4 is framed as activities prohibited if they generate an unreasonable disturbance. The licensee is responsible for the premises, not for any one patron, because the subsection says the establishment shall not permit the noise. Entertainment amplified by microphone or amplifier is covered separately by § 130-4(F).

Section 130-5 carves out emergency sound, parades, public gatherings or events for which appropriate permits or licenses have been issued, and any activity preempted by State or Federal law. A licensed establishment that wants relief for a special night can ask the Select Board for a temporary exception under § 130-7(D), which is limited to no more than three days and can come with a hearing and notice to abutters within 300 feet.

The Police Department is charged with enforcement under § 130-7(A), and a designated police officer acts as the Enforcement Official.