Monroe Township (Middlesex County), NJ Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Where measured
- Real property line of the receiving property
- Residential night column
- 10:00 p.m. - 7:00 a.m., prints 50 in every source row
- Air-conditioning cap
- 55 dBA at a residential property line (§ 69-7B(13))
- Construction weekdays
- No tools between 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.
- Penalty
- Up to $100 per offense; $100 to $500 if willful
- Administered by
- Health Department and Noise Control Officer
Summary
Section 69-6 of the Monroe Township Code in Middlesex County caps sound in dBA at the real property line of the receiving property. Table I prints limits between 50 and 75, with a 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. column for residential receivers, and § 69-7B(13) adds a 55 dBA cap on air-conditioning at a residential line.
A. No person shall cause, suffer, allow or permit the operation of any source of sound on a particular category of property in such a manner as to create a sound level that exceeds the particular sound level limits set forth in Table I when measured at the real property line of the receiving property. Table I Maximum Permissible Sound Levels by Receiving Property Category Sound Source Property Category Receiving Property Category Residential Commercial Industrial 7:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. 10:00 p.m. - 7:00 a.m. All Times All Times Residential 55 50 65 75 Commercial 65 50 65 75 Industrial 65 50 65 75 B. Exemptions. (1) Domestic power tools, lawn mowers and agricultural equipment when operated with a muffler between the hours of 8: 00 a.m. and 8: 00 p.m. on weekdays and 9: 00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. on weekends and legal holidays.
Full Breakdown
Section 69-6 of the Monroe Township Code (Middlesex County) is the numeric core of the Noise Control Ordinance for Stationary Sources. Subsection A forbids any person to cause, suffer, allow or permit a source of sound on one category of property to exceed the Table I limits when measured at the real property line of the receiving property. Table I is read by source row and receiving column. The Residential source row prints 55, 50, 65 and 75 under the headings Residential 7:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m., Residential 10:00 p.m. - 7:00 a.m., Commercial (All Times) and Industrial (All Times).
The Commercial and Industrial source rows each print 65, 50, 65 and 75. Levels are in dBA, the A-weighted decibel reading of a sound level meter (§ 69-3). Measurements by the Noise Control Officer follow N.J.A.C. 7:29B (§ 69-4D), and the Health Department administers the article (§ 69-4A). Subsection B exempts domestic power tools, lawn mowers and agricultural equipment run with a muffler between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. on weekdays and 9:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. on weekends and legal holidays, church bells and chimes, construction noise except as provided in § 69-7B(7), air-conditioning noise except as provided in § 69-7B(13), and snowblowers, snow throwers and snowplows run with a muffler for snow removal.
Section 69-7B(7) sets the construction hours: no one can operate construction, drilling or demolition tools between 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. on weekdays, 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. on Saturdays, or at any time on Sundays and legal holidays, except for emergency work, a special variance under § 69-8, or sound at or below the Table I limit. Section 69-7B(13) caps air-conditioning and air-handling devices, including heat pumps, at 55 dBA at a residential property line unless the operation produces less than a four-dBA increase over the existing sound level.
Violations & Fines
A violation of the noise article draws a notice of violation from the Noise Control Officer, or an abatement order requiring correction within a reasonable time (§ 69-9A and B). The penalty is not more than $100 for each offense. A willful or knowing violation costs not less than $100 and not more than $500 per offense. A continuing violation counts each day as an additional separate and distinct offense (§ 69-9C).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the nighttime sound limit at a home in Monroe Township?
When can construction work run in Monroe Township?
How loud can an air conditioner or heat pump be?
Who measures sound and how much is the fine?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Monroe Township (Middlesex County)
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Decibel Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle decibel limits.