Albany, NY Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Events (2026)

Under Albany City Code Chapter 255, Article V, no person may use or operate any device or apparatus for the amplification of sounds from any radio, phonograph, or other sound-making or sound-reproducing device without first obtaining a permit from the Chief of Police. The permit requirement applies whether the amplifier is in front of or outside any building, projecting through any window or doorway onto a public street, in a public street, alley, or sidewalk, or mounted on any vehicle. This is the central control mechanism Albany uses for outdoor concerts, block parties, political rallies, street festivals, and sound trucks.

The Chief of Police, in exercising discretion, may withhold a permit if there is reasonable cause to believe issuing it would foster a violation of Article V. Permits for amplified sound may not be issued for any location within 250 feet of a school, hospital, court, or place of worship during the hours when those institutions are typically in operation, where the amplified sound would disrupt their activities. Common-sense limits apply for vehicle radios used only by the occupants. On private property, amplified music is governed by the general unreasonable-noise standard — the plainly audible/disturbing-a-reasonable-person test — and is enforced more strictly at night. Citation: Albany City Code Ch. 255, Art. V (Unnecessary and Unusual Noises).