Smithtown, NY Noise from Specific Sources: Car Alarm Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Town Code § 207-6B(5)
- Exemption time limit
- 15 min per activation, 15 min/hour
- Related section
- Town Code § 207-2B(7) (horns/alarms)
- Standard beyond limit
- Treated as a noise disturbance
- First-offense fine
- Up to $500
Summary
A burglar alarm on a vehicle or building in Smithtown must shut off within 15 minutes of activation and cannot run more than 15 minutes in any one-hour period to stay exempt from the noise code's decibel limits.
The 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 operate more than 15 minutes in any one-hour period.
Full Breakdown
Town Code § 207-6B(5) exempts the noise from a burglar alarm of any building or motor vehicle from the Table I sound-pressure-level limits, but only on the condition that the alarm terminates its operation within 15 minutes after activation and does not operate more than 15 minutes in any one-hour period. An alarm that keeps sounding past that window loses its exemption and becomes actionable as a noise disturbance under the general prohibitions of § 207-2. Separately, § 207-2B(7) bars sounding any horn, signaling device or alarm, aside from a genuine Vehicle and Traffic Law § 375 danger warning, in a way that produces a harsh or loud sound or repetitive sounds for an unreasonable period so as to create a noise disturbance, which reaches a car alarm that a driver or owner fails to silence.
A 2003 amendment repealed a prior version of the burglar-alarm exception that dealt with signaling devices used in connection with an emergency and renumbered the current 15-minute rule into what is now Subsection B(5).
Violations & Fines
An alarm exceeding the 15-minute limits, or a signaling device that creates a repetitive noise disturbance under § 207-2B(7), is punishable under § 207-7: up to $500 for a first offense, not less than $1,000 for a second, and not less than $1,500 for a third or subsequent offense, with up to 15 days imprisonment possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can a car alarm legally sound in Smithtown?
What happens if my car alarm keeps going off repeatedly?
Does the alarm exemption require a decibel measurement?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Smithtown
New York rules heatmap·Compare Smithtown to another location·View the New York noise from specific sources overview
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