Plainfield, NJ Noise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound (2026)

Subsection (d) of § 10:8-3 is the City of Plainfield's general rule on amplified music and sound equipment. It names a radio receiving set, vehicle radio, musical instrument, phonograph, and any other machine or device for the production or reproduction of sound. It applies to anyone who plays, uses or operates the device and to anyone who permits it to be played, used or operated, so a host or owner is covered along with the person at the controls.

Two tests are printed. The first is volume: the sound may not be louder than is necessary for convenient hearing of the person operating the device and the persons who are voluntary listeners. The second is effect: the sound may not disturb the peace, quiet and comfort of neighboring inhabitants or the public. The code adds a distance rule of thumb. Operation in a manner plainly audible at a distance of one hundred (100) feet from the building, structure, vehicle or place where the device is used is prima facie evidence of a violation. The subsection prints no decibel reading and no clock hours, so the 100 foot audibility test is the measurable line. A band or orchestra playing in a hall, building or the open air is not prohibited.

Nearby subsections cover related sources. Subsection (a) bars willfully making any loud, boisterous or unseemly noise to the annoyance of any other person, with an exception for normal use of parks, recreation places, playing fields and playgrounds. Subsection (b) bars commercial exterior devices that emit loud sounds to annoy passersby. Subsection (e) bars hawkers, peddlers and vendors from shouting their goods between 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. Section 10:8-7 requires a license for noncommercial sound trucks and public address systems under §§ 9:12-2 and 9:12-7 and requires compliance with §§ 9:12-5 and 9:12-9, with funeral processions and governmental agencies exempt.