Essex County has no countywide decibel ordinance. Under the NJDEP model ordinance adopted by every Essex municipality, the maximum A-weighted sound level at a residential property line is 65 dBA from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and 50 dBA overnight, with impulsive sound capped at 80 dB.
Decibel standards in New Jersey come from N.J.A.C. 7:29 and the NJDEP Model Noise Control Ordinance, which each Essex County town adopts to be state-approved; there is no separate county number. Measured at or within the receiving property line, continuous outdoor sound may not equal or exceed 65 dBA at a residential property between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m., or 50 dBA between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.; commercial receiving properties are capped at 65 dBA around the clock. Impulsive sound may not reach 80 decibels. Measurements must follow the N.J.A.C. 7:29-2 protocols and be taken by a certified Noise Control Officer. Contact your municipality to report a measured exceedance.
A certified Noise Control Officer measures with a calibrated meter per N.J.A.C. 7:29-2; readings at or above the table limits are ordinance violations enforced municipally, with fines set by the local schedule.
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See how Essex County's decibel limits rules stack up against other locations.
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