Clifton, NJ Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)

Section 327-5A of the Clifton Code states: no person shall cause, suffer, allow or permit the operation of any source of sound on a listed source property in a manner that creates a sound level equaling or exceeding the limits set in Tables I and II, measured at or within the real property line of the receiving property. Those source and receiving categories, industrial, commercial, public service, community service, residential, multi-use, public/private rights-of-way, public spaces and multidwelling buildings, are listed in § 327-2, and the specific decibel values for each pairing live in Attachment Tables I and II rather than the chapter's running text.

Section 327-5B and C add measurement rules: where the receiving unit shares a common wall with the source, such as an apartment above a store, the reading is taken indoors with exterior doors and windows closed, other in-unit sound sources shut off, and the measurement point in the center of the room most affected, excluding casual-use spaces like hallways and bathrooms. Section 327-5D supplies the one fixed numeric ceiling stated directly in the ordinance: impulsive sound, a single pressure peak or burst under one second, "shall not equal or exceed 80 decibels at all times," with no zone or time-of-day exception. C. 7:29-2, per § 327-4B, and are taken by a certified noise control officer.