Cambridge, MA Noise from Specific Sources: Car Alarm Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Auto-shutoff requirement
- Within 10 minutes
- Cannot re-sound within
- One hour
- Fine
- $100 per 10-minute violation
- Governing section
- Municipal Code § 8.16.080.J.3
- Remedy
- Police-arranged shutoff or towing
Summary
A car alarm in Cambridge must shut off within 10 minutes and not sound again within the hour, or the owner faces a $100 fine per violation under Municipal Code § 8.16.080.J.3, and police can have a persistently sounding alarm shut off or the vehicle towed.
3.a.Sounding or permitting the sounding of any exterior burglar (or fire) alarm or any motor vehicle burglar alarm unless such alarm is automatically terminated within ten minutes of activation and does not sound again at all within the hour.b.In addition to the enforcement provisions of 8.16.040, violators of section (a) above shall be subject to a fine of $l00.00 for each violation. Each ten (l0) minute interval of sounding, or part thereof, after the initial ten (l0) minutes sounding shall constitute a separate violation.
Full Breakdown
040 enforcement scheme, with each additional 10-minute interval of sounding past the first 10 minutes counting as its own separate violation. c). d, a vehicle whose alarm has sounded more than 10 minutes in an hour is declared a public nuisance subject to immediate abatement: an officer must personally confirm the 10-minute duration, then make reasonable efforts to reach the owner to silence it or authorize police to do so, and if that fails, police can arrange for a tow company to shut off the alarm or tow the vehicle to storage.
The vehicle's registered owner is responsible for all reasonable costs of deactivation, towing and storage in addition to any fine. This subsection was added by Ordinance 1206 and amended by Ordinance 1200 in 1998.
Violations & Fines
Each 10-minute interval a car alarm sounds beyond the initial 10 minutes is a separate $100 violation under Section 8.16.080.J.3.b, on top of the general noise citation and misdemeanor exposure in Section 8.16.040(C). A vehicle sounding more than 10 minutes in an hour can be towed at the registered owner's expense after police attempt to contact the owner, per Section 8.16.080.J.3.d.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can a car alarm legally sound in Cambridge?
What's the fine for a car alarm going off too long in Cambridge?
Can Cambridge police tow my car over a stuck alarm?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cambridge
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Car Alarm Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle car alarm limits.