Schaumburg, IL Noise from Specific Sources: Generator Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Village Code § 97.05
- Generator testing window
- One 15-minute test weekly, no weekends/holidays
- Testing hours barred
- 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
- Decibel ceiling
- 45 dBA at 20 feet from equipment
- Adopted
- Ordinance 21-089, September 14, 2021
- General penalty
- $100 to $50,000 fine, § 10.99
Summary
Schaumburg limits generator noise from utility equipment installed in the public right-of-way, not household portable units. Backup generators serving that equipment may run only during a power outage or one weekly test of no more than fifteen minutes, never on weekends, holidays, or between 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., and the equipment itself is capped at 45 dBA measured twenty feet from the pole or ground unit.
Utility equipment located in the public right-of-way and in residentially zoned districts shall be operated in such a manner so as to minimize any possible disruption to residents and occupants of nearby buildings caused by noise. Backup generators, if needed, shall only be operated during periods of power outages, and for no more than one (1) weekly testing period not to exceed fifteen (15) minutes, and shall not be tested on weekends or holidays, or between the hours of 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Except during periods of construction, power outages, or during authorized backup testing conforming to the time limitations in this subsection, at no time shall any utility facility, or group of ground- or pole-mounted utility facilities, in a residentially zoned area be permitted to exceed forty-five (45) dBA at a ground level distance of twenty feet (20') as measured from the pole base or ground-mounted equipment, as applicable, or exceed any other applicable noise levels imposed by codes adopted by the village.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 56 Update 1 | Policy Manual: Supplement 20).
Full Breakdown
05 of the Village Code targets a specific noise source: utility equipment such as pole-mounted or ground-mounted cabinets that utility companies place in the public right-of-way and in residentially zoned areas, and the backup generators that keep that equipment running. m. Outside of construction periods, outages, or a properly scheduled test, the ordinance also sets a hard decibel ceiling: no utility facility or group of utility facilities in a residentially zoned area can exceed 45 dBA measured at a distance of twenty feet from the pole base or ground-mounted cabinet.
Adopted by Ordinance 21-089 in September 2021, the rule reads as a direct response to the diesel and battery backup cabinets utilities began installing along Schaumburg streets for cell and fiber equipment. 03.
Violations & Fines
No penalty is written into § 97.05 itself, so a violation is prosecuted under the Village Code's general penalty, § 10.99: a fine of at least $100 and up to $50,000, with each day of continued violation counted as a separate offense. Because the section names a specific decibel ceiling and testing window, a citation rests on a measured dBA reading or a documented test outside the permitted hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this rule cover my home backup generator?
How often can a utility test its backup generator?
What decibel limit applies to the utility equipment itself?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Schaumburg
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