Philadelphia, PA Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)

Section 10-403(1) sets the strictest limit: no sound exceeding 3 decibels above background level at the property boundary of a hospital, nursing home, house of worship, courthouse, school, library, or day care facility, a standard that applies notwithstanding the potential applicability of a less restrictive standard elsewhere in the chapter. Subsection (2) caps residential-property sound at 3 decibels above background, or audible beyond 100 feet from the boundary, with listed exceptions for daytime lawn equipment, air conditioning units, animal sounds, and the unamplified human voice.

Subsection (3) sets a two-tier non-residential standard: sound from a non-residential property can't exceed 5 decibels above background at the nearest occupied residential boundary, or 10 decibels at the nearest occupied non-residential boundary. Subsection (4) caps special assembly occupancies, defined under the Building Code, at audibility beyond 100 feet of the property boundary regardless of the general non-residential limit. 1) as facilities with more than 1,000 seats: total sound can't exceed 70 decibels at the nearest occupied residential boundary. Background sound level is defined in Section 10-402(1) as the measured level in the area excluding extraneous sounds and the source in question.

Section 10-406 escalates penalties for repeat violations within a rolling 12 months: $100-$300 for a first violation, $200-$400 for a second, $300-$500 for a third, and $500-$700 for a fourth or later, with each day a violation continues counted as a separate offense. An aggrieved person can request a prompt administrative hearing before the Health Commissioner within five days of receiving a compliance order, under Section 10-409(5).