Bay County, MI Noise from Specific Sources: Generator Noise (2026)

Part 62, the Bay County Noise Control Ordinance (Ord. No. 003. Subsection (g), titled 'Exhausts,' bans discharging into the open air the exhaust of any steam engine, stationary internal combustion engine, motor boat or motor vehicle, except through a muffler or other device that effectively prevents loud or explosive noises. A stationary internal combustion engine is exactly what powers a standby or portable generator, so an unmuffled generator run for a power outage, construction site or outdoor event falls within this subsection. 003(o), which separately requires a muffler on any noise-creating blower, power fan or internal combustion engine whose noise comes from the explosion of operating gases or fluids, showing the county's Board of Commissioners treated engine and blower noise as related but distinct problems.

004 layers on numeric decibel ceilings by zoning classification (55-80 dBA daytime, 50-75 dBA nighttime, measured at the property line), so even a muffled generator can still violate the ordinance if it pushes sound across a property line above the applicable limit. 003(g) itself carries no such exception; the muffler requirement applies at all times, not just at night.