Bayonne, NJ Noise from Specific Sources: Generator Noise (2026)

Section 3-1.6 of the City of Bayonne Code sets the Maximum Permissible A-Weighted Sound Levels that apply to 'any source of sound,' which covers a portable or standby generator running outdoors on a residential, commercial or industrial property. Measured at the real property line of a residential receiving property, the outdoor limit is 65 decibels from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and 50 decibels from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. The rule sits inside § 3-1, the City's dedicated noise chapter, which applies to sound from industrial, commercial, public service, community service, residential and multi-use properties and to public and private rights-of-way (§ 3-1.2).

A generator does not fall within any of the section's carved-out exceptions for landscaping equipment, construction work, burglar alarms or vehicle stereos, so it is held to the general decibel table rather than a time-of-day operating ban. Measurements are taken by a certified Noise Control Officer using a sound level meter, and a person who believes a neighbor's generator is too loud can request enforcement through that officer or the Police Department. Separately, Chapter 39 imposes a stricter, use-specific rule on cannabis businesses: outside generators and other mechanical equipment used for power supply, cooling or ventilation at a cannabis cultivator, manufacturer or retailer must be enclosed with baffles, mufflers or other noise-reduction systems regardless of decibel readings, cross-referencing this same noise chapter and Chapter 4, subsection 1.14.