New Bedford, MA Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)

Section 17-17, "Radios, tape players and other sound amplification devices; regulations," bans playing portable radios, tape players, or other electronically amplified sound devices on public buses, at bus stops, on public beaches, in public parking lots, on public streets, in malls, in stores, and in any other public area once the device's sound exceeds seventy (70) decibels measured at a distance of fifteen (15) feet, per subsection (a). Subsection (b) requires that sound level be measured with a sound level meter approved by the City of New Bedford, so enforcement depends on an officer using city-approved equipment rather than a subjective judgment call.

The ordinance dates to a September 12, 1985 ordinance, amended March 12, 1987 and September 8, 1994. 00. This is one of the few Chapter 17 sections that writes its own penalty schedule rather than deferring to the Code's general fine provision in Section 1-9. The rule applies to portable and personal sound equipment in public areas; it is distinct from the section's separate subsection (c), which governs noise from sound systems built into motor vehicles.