Jersey City, NJ Noise from Specific Sources: Car Alarm Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Continuous alarm cutoff
- 5 minutes after activation
- Intermittent alarm cutoff
- 15 minutes after activation
- Applies to
- Building and motor-vehicle alarms
- Decibel tables
- Do not apply to alarms
- Max penalty
- $2,000 civil fine per N.J.S.A. 40:49-5
Summary
Jersey City requires every car and building burglar alarm to shut itself off automatically. Under § 222-5.4.F, a continuous-sounding alarm must terminate within 5 minutes of activation, and an intermittent alarm within 15 minutes: regardless of how loud it is, since the chapter's regular decibel tables don't apply to alarms at all.
All interior and exterior burglar alarms of a building or motor vehicle must be activated in such a manner that the burglar alarm terminates its operation within five (5) minutes for continuous airborne sound, and fifteen (15) minutes for intermittent sound after it has been activated. At all times the limits set forth in Tables I, II or III do not apply.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 52).
Full Breakdown
' The rule applies to both building alarms and vehicle alarms, and it's a flat time cutoff rather than a decibel test, the section specifies 'At all times the limits set forth in Tables I, II or III do not apply,' meaning an alarm isn't judged against the chapter's normal 65/50 dB(A) daytime/nighttime caps, only against the 5- or 15-minute clock. A one-time audible burglar alarm registration fee of $5 is separately charged under the Code's fee schedule for alarm systems. Enforcement runs through the same certified noise control officers and investigators who handle the rest of Chapter 222, and because alarm timing doesn't require a sound level meter, a noise control investigator, who isn't certified to use one, can still issue a citation for an alarm that runs past its allotted five or fifteen minutes.
Violations & Fines
An alarm that fails to self-terminate within the required window draws a notice of violation for a minor first offense, or a notice of penalty assessment carrying a civil fine up to $2,000 under N.J.S.A. 40:49-5 for a non-minor or repeat offense, with each additional day of continued violation counted as a separate offense and a right to contest at municipal court.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can a car alarm legally sound in Jersey City?
Does the noise limit for car alarms depend on decibels?
Who can cite a car alarm that won't shut off?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Jersey City
Compare Jersey City to another location·View the New Jersey noise from specific sources overview
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