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Brookhaven, NY Noise from Specific Sources: Car Alarm Limits (2026)

Some Restrictions

Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Exemption section: § 50-5C(6)
Max continuous sounding: 15 minutes
Max total per hour: 15 minutes
Enforcement: Noise Control Officer
First conviction fine: $25 to $100
Third+ conviction fine: $100 to $250

Summary

Brookhaven exempts vehicle and building burglar alarms from its Table I sound limits, but only if the alarm shuts itself off within 15 minutes of activation and does not sound more than 15 minutes in any single hour; an alarm running longer becomes a noise disturbance under Chapter 50.

Noise from a burglar alarm of any building or motor vehicle, provided that such burglar alarm shall terminate its operation within 15 minutes after it has been activated and shall not be operated more than 15 minutes in any one-hour period.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4966897; v79 updated 2026-05-28; through 05-28-2026).

Full Breakdown

§ 50-7A(1) reinforces the same carve-out for alerting sounds tied to an actual emergency, cross-referencing § 50-5C(6). If an alarm keeps sounding past 15 minutes, or cycles on and off for more than 15 minutes total within an hour, the exemption falls away and the owner is subject to the general noise disturbance prohibition in § 50-6A, enforceable by any Noise Control Officer trained under § 50-3 to measure sound and issue a summons. An officer responding to a runaway alarm may issue a summons on the spot or, under § 50-10A, order the owner to abate the sound within a reasonable time instead of citing them immediately, unless the owner has already been served a prior abatement order or convicted once before, in which case § 50-10B bars a second abatement grace period.

Violations & Fines

Violating the alarm exemption is punished the same as any other Chapter 50 offense: $25 to $100 for a first conviction, $50 to $150 for a second, and $100 to $250 for a third or later conviction under § 50-9A, with each two-hour stretch of continued alarm noise treated as a separate violation under § 50-9B.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a decibel limit for car alarms in Brookhaven?

No. § 50-5C(6) exempts vehicle and building burglar alarms from the Table I decibel limits entirely; the only rule is a time limit, not a volume limit.

How long can my car alarm legally keep going off?

It must terminate within 15 minutes of activation and cannot sound for more than 15 minutes total in any one-hour period under § 50-5C(6); beyond that, it becomes a noise disturbance under § 50-6A.

What happens if my alarm keeps retriggering all night?

Once it exceeds the 15-minute-per-hour cap, a Noise Control Officer can issue a summons under Chapter 50, or the Noise Control Administrator can instead order abatement within a set time under § 50-10, provided you haven't already had a prior abatement order or conviction.

Sources & Official References

[1]Brookhaven Town Code § 50, Noise Control (eCode360)

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