Bethlehem, PA Noise Ordinances: Construction Hours (2026)
Construction hours in Bethlehem, PA, sometimes called construction noise rules or contractor work-hour ordinances, set when contractors can run power tools, hammers, and heavy equipment.
Key Facts
- Curfew window
- 9:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
- Exception
- Special permit from CED Director
- First offense fine
- $50 to $100
- Repeat offense penalty
- $500 fine or 30 days jail
- Governing section
- Codified Ordinances § 717.01(b)(5)
Summary
Bethlehem's noise ordinance treats most sound as background regulation, but construction and demolition work gets a hard curfew: tools and equipment used in construction, drilling or demolition cannot run between 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. unless the contractor first gets a special permit from the Community and Economic Development Director. The rule sits inside Article 717's broader unnecessary-noise nuisance law.
(b) The provisions of section 717.01(a) shall not apply to: ... (5) Construction and Improvements
The operating of any tools or equipment used in construction, drilling or demolition work, provided that such work does not occur between 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. unless a special permit is obtained from the Community and Economic Development Director or his designated representative.
Full Breakdown
01(a) declares unnecessary noise a public nuisance in Bethlehem, listing specific violations such as sound-reproduction devices audible beyond 40 feet and noisy trash handling. Subsection (b) then lists activities exempt from paragraph (a)'s prohibitions, including police and fire vehicles, utility vehicles, religious bells, political and labor rallies, and licensed City events. unless a special permit is obtained from the Community and Economic Development Director or a designated representative. must first secure written authorization from Community and Economic Development. The exemption traces to Ordinance 3946 (1999) and was amended by Ordinance 4400 (2006); a related carve-out added by Ordinance 2014-28 in 2014 lets outdoor entertainment venues in the Industrial Redevelopment and Industrial Redevelopment-Residential Districts operate between noon and midnight, showing the City tailors noise curfews by activity type. Enforcement rests with the police responding to nuisance complaints, and repeated after-hours construction violations stack under Article 717's escalating fine schedule.
Violations & Fines
First offense: a fine of not less than $50 and not more than $100. Second offense: $100 to $300. Third and each subsequent offense: not less than $500, or up to thirty days imprisonment, or both, under Section 717.99. Each night of unauthorized after-hours construction work counts as its own separate violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can construction crews work in Bethlehem after 9 p.m.?
What happens on a first construction-noise violation?
Does the 9 p.m. curfew apply to all noise, or just construction?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bethlehem
How Bethlehem compares: Cities with the Strictest Construction Hours·Compare Bethlehem to another location·View the Pennsylvania noise ordinances overview
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