Clarkstown, NY Noise from Specific Sources: Generator Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Weekday quiet hours
- 8:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
- Saturday quiet hours
- 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m.
- Sunday quiet hours
- 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 a.m.
- First-offense fine
- up to $2,500
- Repeat-offense fine ceiling
- up to $15,000
- Enforced by
- Clarkstown Police Department
- Governing chapter
- Town Code Ch. 205 (1993)
Summary
Clarkstown treats generator noise as unnecessary noise under Town Code Chapter 205 when a generator runs outside daytime hours without sound suppression. Between 8 p.m. and 7 a.m. on weekdays, 6 p.m. and 8 a.m. on Saturdays, and 5 p.m. and 11 a.m. on Sundays, an uncovered or unmuffled generator whose sound reaches a neighbor's property line is a violation, punishable by fines up to $2,500.
Any sound produced by the operation of any pump, compressor or generator during the week from Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., on Saturdays between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m., and on Sundays between the hours of 5:00 p.m. and 11:00 a.m. in any zone when such equipment is not housed within a closed structure or equipped with sound-suppressing equipment so as to prevent the sound of operation from reaching the adjoining property line.
Full Breakdown
Chapter 205 of the Clarkstown Town Code, adopted in 1993 and amended in 1996 and 1999, declares certain sounds 'unnecessary noise' regardless of decibel level. Section 205-4E singles out pumps, compressors and generators: running one outside the permitted window is automatically unnecessary noise if the unit sits in the open or lacks sound-suppressing equipment that keeps the sound from reaching the adjoining property line. The restricted hours apply in every zone, residential or commercial, in the unincorporated Town (the villages of Nyack, Upper Nyack and South Nyack are separate governments with their own codes).
A homeowner running a portable generator during a power outage, or a contractor powering tools from a towed generator, falls under this section unless the unit is enclosed or muffled enough to stay inside the property line. Section 205-6 carves out four exceptions: emergency sirens and warning devices, utility or roadway emergency repairs under a duly issued permit, permitted public events, and quarrying or blasting governed separately by Chapter 220. None of those exceptions cover ordinary backup-power generator use. Enforcement under § 205-8 rests with the Clarkstown Police Department, acting on its own observation or a resident's complaint.
Section 205-7 sets escalating fines: up to $2,500 for a first offense (with up to 15 days in jail possible), $2,500 to $5,000 for a second offense within 18 months, $7,500 to $10,000 for a third, and $10,000 to $15,000 for a fourth or later offense in the same window; each day of continued violation counts separately.
Violations & Fines
A first conviction carries a fine of up to $2,500 and up to 15 days in jail. A second offense within 18 months rises to $2,500-$5,000, a third to $7,500-$10,000, and a fourth or later offense to $10,000-$15,000, with each day of continued noise charged as a separate violation. The Clarkstown Police Department issues tickets and can act on a neighbor's complaint alone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I run a generator during a power outage at night in Clarkstown?
What fine applies to a first generator-noise violation?
Does this rule apply inside Nyack village?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Clarkstown
New York rules heatmap·Compare Clarkstown to another location·View the New York noise from specific sources overview
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