Newark, NJ Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Measurement point
- Real property line of receiving property
- A/C noise ceiling
- 55 dBA at residential line
- Measurement standard
- N.J.A.C. 7:29B procedures
- First-offense fine
- $100 to $750
- Repeat/willful fine
- Up to $2,000
- Enforcing agencies
- Health, Public Safety, Engineering Directors
Summary
Newark's Noise Control Ordinance sets a hard ceiling on sound measured at the real property line of the receiving property, keyed to Table I of Chapter 20:3, and backs the general limit with specific numeric caps, such as 55 dBA for air conditioning and heat-pump noise at a residential line. Health, Public Safety, and Engineering enforce it with certified sound meters.
§ 20:3-7. No person shall cause, suffer, allow, or permit the operation of any source of sound on a particular category or 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. ... § 20:3-13l. Air Conditioning and Air Handling Devices; the operation of air conditioning or air handling devices including heat pumps that produce a sound level greater than 55 dBA at a real property line of a residential property, except when the operation produces less than a five dBA increase in the sound level that exists in the absence of such sound.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 5019615; v61 updated 2026-06-17; through 06-17-2026).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 20:3 of Newark's Revised General Ordinances, the Noise Control Ordinance adopted by Ordinance 6 S+FG on June 25, 1986, sets its baseline rule in Section 20:3-7: no source of sound on any category of property may exceed the limits in Table I, an attachment to the chapter, when measured at the real property line of the receiving property. C. 7:29B and be taken by a person qualified under that same state regulation, per Section 20:3-6. on weekends and holidays; church bells and chimes; and snowblowers used with a muffler for snow removal.
Where the chapter does state a hard number outright, it is strict: Section 20:3-13l caps air conditioning and heat-pump noise at 55 dBA at a residential property line, with an exception only if the unit raises the ambient sound level by less than five dBA. The chapter is jointly administered by the Directors of the Department of Health and Community Wellness, the Department of Public Safety, and the Department of Engineering, with the Public Safety Director handling motor-vehicle noise specifically. Violators can be ordered to abate within 10 to 30 days under Section 20:3-17 before penalties escalate.
Violations & Fines
A first violation of the general noise limits carries a fine of at least $100 and up to $750 under Section 20:3-18b; a second offense increases the ceiling to $1,250, and a third or subsequent offense to $2,000. Willful or knowing violations are fined $100 to $2,000 regardless of offense number, and a repeat violation within one year adds a separate fine of $100 to $2,000. Each day of continued violation is a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
What decibel limit applies to noise in Newark?
Is there an exemption for lawn mowers and power tools?
How is noise measured for enforcement in Newark?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Newark
Compare Newark to another location·View the New Jersey noise ordinances overview
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