Suffolk County, NY Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)
Amplified music rules in Suffolk County, NY, also called sound permit, PA system, or live music ordinances, set decibel limits, time-of-day restrictions, and when permits are required.
Key Facts
- Residential daytime limit
- 65 dBA, 7 a.m.-10 p.m.
- Residential nighttime limit
- 50 dBA, 10 p.m.-7 a.m.
- Where it applies
- County highways and County-owned property only
- Penalty
- Up to $500 fine, 1 year jail
- Enacted
- L.L. No. 41-1999, amended 2003
Summary
On County highways, rights-of-way, County-owned property and County buses, Suffolk County caps sound sources, including radios, amplifiers and boom boxes, at 65 dBA in daytime, 50 dBA at night near residential receivers.
No person shall cause, suffer, allow or permit the operation of any source of sound on any County highway or within the limits of the right-of-way of such highway or upon any parcel of real estate owned by the County of Suffolk or upon buses owned, leased or operated by the County of Suffolk in such a manner as to create a sound level that exceeds the particular sound level limits set forth in Table I of this section, when measured at or within the real property line of the County-owned property.
Full Breakdown
Suffolk County Code Chapter 618 was adopted after the Legislature found that radios, amplifiers and other devices playing music, including boom boxes, were causing excessive noise. Section 618-4 bars operating any sound source on a County highway, its right-of-way, County-owned real estate, or a County bus so that the sound level exceeds the limits in Table I: 65 dBA for residential receiving property from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., 50 dBA from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., 65 dBA commercial, 70 dBA industrial, measured at the property line. The chapter reaches only County-owned property and vehicles, it does not set noise limits for private homes or businesses, which fall under each town's or village's own code.
Violations & Fines
Operating a sound device or other source above the Table I dBA limit, or causing a mechanical noise disturbance, on a County highway, County-owned property, or County bus is an unclassified misdemeanor: up to $500 and one year in jail per violation, with each day a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this noise law cover amplified music at my house in Suffolk County?
What decibel level triggers a violation on County property?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Suffolk County
New York rules heatmap·Compare Suffolk County to another location·View the New York noise ordinances overview
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