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

" The code defines a pure tone condition as one "created when any octave band center frequency sound pressure level exceeds the two adjacent center frequency sound pressure levels by three decibels or more," which targets the kind of sustained bass or tone bleed that late-night venues generate. "Ambient" itself is defined in Section 1A(b) as the background sound level exceeded 90% of the time during equipment operating hours when measured mechanically or electronically, so an inspector needs a baseline reading before comparing it to the establishment's output.

Because the test is measured at the property line rather than a fixed public-way distance, it applies whether the music is coming from inside a nightclub, a rooftop bar, or an outdoor patio speaker. This subsection sits inside the same enforcement chapter as the rest of Section 1A, so a citation follows the same $50-per-violation, noncriminal path rather than triggering a separate liquor-license proceeding on its own.