Monroe Township (Gloucester County), NJ Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Residential districts
- 55 dBA on or beyond neighboring use or lot line
- Agricultural districts
- 60 dBA on or beyond the neighboring use
- All other districts
- 65 dBA on or beyond the district boundaries
- One-time exceedance
- 10 dBA once in a 15-minute period during one day
- Impact noise
- 20 dBA over table or 80 dBA maximum, whichever stricter
- Measurement
- ANSI sound level meter, A-weighted, slow response
Summary
In Monroe Township, Gloucester County, § 175-126 caps noise at 55 dBA in residential districts, 60 dBA in agricultural districts and 65 dBA in all other districts. Residential readings are taken on or beyond the neighboring use or lot line, agricultural readings on or beyond the neighboring use, and all other districts at or beyond the district boundaries. The printed table has no separate night figure.
(2) Noise level restrictions. Noises shall not exceed the maximum sound levels specified in the table, except as designated below: NOISE LEVEL RESTRICTIONS Performance Category Maximum Level Permitted (dBAs) Where Measured Residential districts 55 On or beyond the neighboring use or lot line Agricultural districts 60 On or beyond the neighboring use All other districts 65 On or beyond the district boundaries (3) Exclusion and permitted variations: (a) The levels specified in the table may be exceeded once by 10 dBAs in a single period of 15 minutes, during one day. (b) Peak values of short duration, also known as impact noises, may exceed the values specified in the table by 20 dBAs or have a maximum noise level of 80 dBAs, whichever is more restrictive. (c) Noises such as alarms, sirens, emergency warning devices, motor vehicles and other sources not under the direct control of a use are excluded from the above limitations. (d) The noise restrictions of this section should not apply to agricultural activities on land located in the Agricultural Production Zoning District.
Full Breakdown
The noise standard sits in the performance standards of the Land Management chapter, Section 175-126, Subsection G, Noise emissions. It is a numeric decibel table, not a nuisance test. Subsection G(1) fixes how noise is measured: with a sound level meter complying with ANSI S.1.4-1961 or its latest revisions, set to the A-weighted response scale with the metering on slow response, and with measurement conducted under ANSI S.1.2-1961 or its latest revision. Subsection G(2) then sets the maximum sound levels: 55 dBA in residential districts, 60 dBA in agricultural districts and 65 dBA in all other districts, measured where the table says, on or beyond the neighboring use or lot line, on or beyond the neighboring use, or on or beyond the district boundaries.
Subsection G(3) lists the exclusions and permitted variations. The table levels can be exceeded once by 10 dBA in a single period of 15 minutes during one day. Impact noises of short duration can exceed the table values by 20 dBA or reach a maximum noise level of 80 dBA, whichever is more restrictive. Alarms, sirens, emergency warning devices, motor vehicles and other sources not under the direct control of a use are excluded. Paragraph (d) adds that the noise restrictions of the section should not apply to agricultural activities on land located in the Agricultural Production Zoning District.
The printed table gives one maximum per category and no separate night figure. The only time-of-day standard in § 175-126 is for ground-transmitted vibration, where residential districts drop from a particle velocity of 0.05 inch per second to 0.02 inch per second between 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Swimming pools are tied in separately: § 175-145B requires pools to be installed, operated and used in accordance with other health and safety ordinances covering water filtration, circulation and treatment, fencing, noise and lighting.
Violations & Fines
Section 175-126 prints no fine of its own. A use is over the line when an A-weighted, slow-response meter reading at the point the table names exceeds the district maximum and no G(3) exclusion applies, meaning the single 10 dBA exceedance in 15 minutes or the excluded sources. Impact noises beyond the 20 dBA allowance or the 80 dBA maximum, whichever is more restrictive, are also over the line.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the nighttime noise limit in Monroe Township?
Where is the noise measured?
Do sirens, alarms and car noise count toward the limit?
Do farms have to meet the decibel limits?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Monroe Township (Gloucester County)
Compare Monroe Township (Gloucester County) to another location·View the New Jersey noise ordinances overview
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