Tonawanda, NY Noise from Specific Sources: Bar & Nightclub Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Interior trigger
- 90 dB(A) or more requires warning sign
- Sign requirement
- 1-inch letters, posted near entrance
- Exterior limit
- Property-line sound capped per Table I
- Governing section
- § 133-5I, Chapter 133 Noise
- Max penalty
- $250 fine or 15 days jail
Summary
Bars, clubs and other places of public entertainment in the Town of Tonawanda that produce 90 dB(A) or louder where patrons stand must post a hearing-impairment warning sign at the entrance, and their sound still can't cross the property line above the Table I limits. Section 133-5I of the Noise Local Law sets both requirements.
I. Places of public entertainment. Operating or permitting to be operated any loudspeaker or other source of sound in any place of public entertainment which produces maximum levels of 90 dB(A)'s or greater at any point that is normally occupied by a human being, as read with the slow response on a sound-level meter, without a conspicuous and legible sign with lettering no less than one inch high located outside such place, near the entrance, stating: WARNING: SOUND ENVIRONMENT WITHIN MAY CAUSE TEMPORARY HEARING IMPAIRMENT WHICH MAY BECOME PERMANENT WITH CONTINUED EXPOSURE. The sound level across a real property line shall not exceed the limits set forth in Table I.
Full Breakdown
Section 133-5I of Chapter 133, the Noise Local Law, targets places of public entertainment such as bars, clubs and music venues. Operating or permitting a loudspeaker or other sound source that produces maximum levels of 90 dB(A) or greater at any point normally occupied by a person, read with slow response on a sound-level meter, is only lawful if the venue posts a conspicuous, legible sign with letters at least one inch high near the entrance reading: 'WARNING: SOUND ENVIRONMENT WITHIN MAY CAUSE TEMPORARY HEARING IMPAIRMENT WHICH MAY BECOME PERMANENT WITH CONTINUED EXPOSURE.' Independent of that interior 90 dB(A) trigger, the subsection also caps the sound the venue sends across its real property line at the figures set in Table I at § 133-6, so a nightclub must satisfy both the interior-warning rule and the exterior property-line limit at the same time.
The Table I limits vary by receiving land use and time of day: for example, sound reaching a commercial receiving area from a commercial or industrial source is capped at 65 dB(A) at all hours, while a residential receiving area is capped lower. The Building Department and Police Department enforce both parts of § 133-5I using calibrated ANSI Type II sound-level meters under § 133-8.
Violations & Fines
A venue that exceeds 90 dB(A) without the required warning sign, or that sends sound across its property line above the Table I limit, violates § 133-5I and is subject under § 133-9 to a fine of up to $250 or up to 15 days' imprisonment, or both, with each day of continuing violation a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a bar need a warning sign if the music is loud inside?
Can a nightclub still be cited if it posts the warning sign?
What's the penalty for a public entertainment venue that violates the noise limits?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tonawanda
New York rules heatmap·Compare Tonawanda to another location·View the New York noise from specific sources overview
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