Elizabeth, NJ Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Daytime limit (7am-10pm)
- 65 dBA continuous
- Nighttime limit (10pm-7am)
- 50 dBA continuous
- Impulsive sound cap
- 80 decibels, any hour
- Measurement point
- Residential property line
- Meter standard
- ANSI S1.4
- Enforcement
- Dept. of health, welfare and housing
- Uncured violation
- New offense each day after 30
Summary
Elizabeth caps noise from industrial and commercial operations at the residential property line: City Code § 17.36.060(E)(4) sets a 65 dBA continuous-sound ceiling from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. and a 50 dBA ceiling from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., with an 80-decibel cap on impulsive sound around the clock.
4.No person shall cause, suffer, allow or permit sound from any industrial or commercial operation which, when measured at any residential property line, is in excess of any of the following:a.From 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.i.Continuous airborne sound which has a sound level in excess of sixty-five (65) dBA...iii.Impulsive sound in air which has an impulsive sound level in excess of eighty (80) decibels.b.From 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.i.Continuous airborne sound which has a sound level in excess of fifty (50) dBA...iii.Impulsive sound in air which has an impulsive sound level in excess of eighty (80) decibels.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 31).
Full Breakdown
060 sets performance standards for every permitted and conditional use in the city's commercial and manufacturing districts, and subsection (E) governs noise specifically. 060(C)(2)(a), while radioactivity, smoke and other air pollution are measured anywhere in the city and odor at the zone district boundary. ; impulsive sound is separately capped at 80 decibels at any hour. 5 Hz down to 53 dB at 8,000 Hz for daytime and commercial-to-commercial measurements, and roughly 10 dB lower across the band at night. A source that clears the single-number dBA limit can still violate the code if it exceeds any one of those octave-band values. 060(B)(3) requires any violation to be terminated within thirty days or it is treated as a separate violation for each additional day it continues.
Violations & Fines
A violation is not automatically cured; § 17.36.060(B)(3) requires it "terminated within thirty (30) days or shall be deemed a separate violation for each day following," with the offending operator "subject to fines as set forth herein" for every extra day of noncompliance. The department of health, welfare and housing enforces the noise standard under § 17.36.060(E)(5) using ANSI S1.4-certified sound meters at the residential property line.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the maximum noise level allowed near homes in Elizabeth during the day?
Does the noise limit get stricter at night?
Who enforces Elizabeth's noise ordinance?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Elizabeth
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