Camden County, NJ Noise Ordinances: Construction Hours (2026)
Construction hours in Camden County, NJ, sometimes called construction noise rules or contractor work-hour ordinances, set when contractors can run power tools, hammers, and heavy equipment.
Key Facts
- Restricted weekday window
- 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m.
- Weekend/holiday rule
- Restricted at any time
- Muffler requirement
- Functioning muffler required
- Variance term
- Up to one year, renewable
- Max penalty
- $3,000 per offense (Sec. 9.3)
- Enforcing officer
- County Noise Control Officer
Summary
Camden County's Noise Control Ordinance bars running construction, drilling, earthmoving, excavating, or demolition equipment between 6:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. on weekdays and at any time on weekends or legal holidays, unless the equipment is muffled and covered by an emergency, a county variance, or a sound level under the ordinance's Table I limits. The county's noise control officer enforces the rule.
Operating or permitting the operation of any tools or equipment used in construction, drilling, earthmoving, excavating, or demolition work between the hours of 6:00am and 7:00am the following day on weekdays or at any time on weekends or legal holidays, provided such equipment is equipped with a functioning muffler except for (a) emergency work, (b) by variance issued pursuant to article VIII, or (c) when the sound level does not exceed any applicable limit specified in Table I.
Full Breakdown
6. on weekdays and at any time on weekends or legal holidays, unless the equipment carries a functioning muffler and the work falls under one of three carve-outs: (a) emergency work, (b) a variance issued under Article VIII, or (c) the sound stays within the applicable Table I sound-level limit for the receiving property. 12 as the noise control officer serving as liaison to municipal departments, for a variance from the restriction; an approved variance runs for a set term of no more than one year and can be renewed with a new application.
Article VII's general exceptions also shield sound emitted to warn of an emergency and sound covered by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act. 3 giving the operator a reasonable period to bring equipment into compliance; abatement orders are unavailable for willful or knowing violations. 3 sets penalties of up to $3,000 per offense generally, $100 to $3,000 for willful or knowing violations, and treats each additional day a violation continues as a separate offense, with a printed fine schedule stepping from $100-500 on a first offense to a flat $3,000 by the fourth.
Violations & Fines
A contractor who runs unmuffled or out-of-window equipment risks a summons from the county noise control officer under Section 9.1, or an abatement order requiring compliance within a set time if the violation isn't willful. Section 9.3 penalties run up to $3,000 per offense, $100 to $3,000 for willful or knowing violations, and each additional day of continued noise counts as a separate offense; the printed fine schedule steps from $100-500 for a first violation to a flat $3,000 by the fourth.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a contractor ever get an exception to Camden County's construction noise hours?
How does a contractor apply for a noise variance in Camden County?
What penalty applies for running construction equipment in the restricted hours?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Camden County
How Camden County compares: Cities with the Strictest Construction Hours·Compare Camden County to another location·View the New Jersey noise ordinances overview
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