New Rochelle, NY Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)

A, part of the City's Noise Control Ordinance (Chapter 213), bars three specific uses of "sound-reproduction devices," defined broadly to include any musical instrument, radio, television, tape recorder, phonograph or other sound-amplifying equipment. " Second, no one may run a sound-reproduction device for commercial or business advertising, or to attract attention to a performance, show, or sale of merchandise, in front of or near a building abutting a public street, park or place, or from a vehicle on a public street, park or place; the chapter carves out an exception for incidental sound from sporting, entertainment or other public events.

Third, no one may operate a sound-reproduction device in a public place such as an auditorium, hall or mass-transit vehicle so that it is audible to other people there. Whether a given noise is "unreasonable" is judged under § 213-4's factors: volume, intensity, whether the sound is usual or unusual, its proximity to residential sleeping areas, the zoning district, the time and duration of the noise, and whether it is continuous or impulsive. regardless of decibel level. The Police Department enforces Chapter 213 under § 213-26 and can order violators to cease and desist or, with a judicial order, seal an offending device.