Abington, PA Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)

Section 106-3.D of the Abington Township noise ordinance targets amplified and reproduced sound specifically. It bars using, operating or permitting to be played any radio receiving set, musical instrument, television, phonograph, public-address system or other machine or device for producing or reproducing sound in a manner that disturbs the peace, quiet and comfort of neighboring inhabitants. The subsection then supplies an objective distance test rather than leaving the standard to subjective annoyance alone: operating such an instrument so that it is plainly audible at a distance of 50 feet from the building, structure or vehicle in which it is located is itself prohibited, regardless of whether a neighbor complains.

This 50-foot audibility line applies at any time of day, unlike the ordinance's separate construction-hours and nighttime provisions, and covers indoor equipment played loudly enough to carry outside as well as outdoor speakers. A related subsection, § 106-3.E, separately requires a permit under Ordinance No. 814 (Chapter 140, Sound Equipment) for sound-amplifying machines used on public streets for advertising, showing the township treats street advertising sound as a distinct, permit-based category from the general audibility rule in subsection D. Enforcement of subsection D rests with the Abington Health Department and Abington Police Department under § 106-4, which may use a calibrated sound-level meter to document a violation, though the plain-audibility standard in subsection D can also be established by an officer's direct observation at the 50-foot mark without instrumentation.