Skokie, IL Noise from Specific Sources: Generator Noise (2026)

Skokie Village Code Sec. 118-66(c)(3) sets a hard decibel ceiling for electric generators on lots with a detached or two-unit multifamily residence: the unit cannot exceed 70 dB at full load, as specified by the equipment manufacturer, and those manufacturer specifications must be submitted for Village review at the time of permit application. Sec. 118-66(c)(4) further limits testing of a residential generator to the times listed in Sec. 42-78(2) of the general Village Code, tying routine maintenance runs to the same allowed-hours framework the Village uses for other noise-generating equipment.

These rules sit inside the same section that governs air conditioning condensers, and the surrounding residential conditions apply to generators too: a permit is required for installation or replacement under Sec. 118-66(a), the unit cannot sit in a required front yard or a side yard facing a street under Sec. 118-66(b), and on a detached or two-unit multifamily lot the unit must be installed at grade level and at least 6 feet from a lot line under Sec. 118-66(c)(1) and (2). This section was last amended by Ord. No. 19-8-C-4478 on August 19, 2019, adding the decibel and testing-hours language after the section's broader 2019 rewrite under Ord. No. 19-4-C-4451.