Somerville, MA Noise from Specific Sources: Car Alarm Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Sec. 9-116(5), Code of Ordinances
- Threshold
- Alarm sounding over 10 minutes/hour = nuisance
- Remedy
- Police may deactivate alarm or tow vehicle
- Cost liability
- Owner pays deactivation, towing, storage costs
- Violation unit
- Each 10-minute interval is a separate offense
Summary
A vehicle alarm that sounds more than ten minutes in an hour is a public nuisance in Somerville, and police may tow the car to shut it off. Section 9-116(5) also makes owners liable for towing and deactivation costs.
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 minutes of activation and does not sound again at all within the hour... Any motor vehicle, located on either public or private property, whose alarm has been sounding in excess of ten minutes in an hour, is hereby deemed to be a public nuisance subject to immediate abatement... police are hereby authorized to abate the nuisance by arranging for tow company employees to shut off the alarm and/or to tow the motor vehicle to a storage area or other place of safety.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Zoning Ordinances: Revision - CodeBank PDF Post).
Full Breakdown
Section 9-116(5) of the Code of Ordinances declares it a noise disturbance to sound or permit the sounding of any exterior burglar or fire alarm, or any motor vehicle burglar alarm, unless it automatically terminates within minutes of activation and does not sound again within the hour. Each additional ten-minute interval of sounding within that hour is a separate violation, and fines may be assessed against either the vehicle's owner or the occupant of the building where a fixed alarm is located. For vehicles specifically, an alarm sounding more than ten minutes in an hour is deemed a public nuisance subject to immediate abatement.
Police need reasonable evidence the alarm exceeded ten minutes, after which they must make reasonable efforts to reach the owner to have the alarm shut off or to authorize police to arrange the shut-off. If those efforts fail, police may arrange for a tow company to deactivate the alarm and, if necessary, tow the vehicle to a storage area. The registered owner is responsible for all reasonable costs of deactivating the alarm and of removing and storing the vehicle, on top of any fine for the underlying noise violation.
Violations & Fines
Enforcement runs through the chief of police, the superintendent of Inspectional Services, and their agents under noncriminal disposition per Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 40, Section 21D, with fines set by the Section 1-11 general penalty schedule. Each ten-minute interval of continued sounding is a distinct offense, so a single incident can generate multiple citations, plus the vehicle owner owes towing and deactivation costs if police have to intervene.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Somerville police tow a car over a blaring alarm?
Who pays if Somerville police have to tow a car for its alarm?
Does every car alarm chirp violate Somerville's noise ordinance?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Somerville
Compare Somerville to another location·View the Massachusetts noise from specific sources overview
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Car Alarm Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle car alarm limits.