Ramapo, NY Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)

" L10 is a statistical measure meaning the sound level exceeded only 10 percent of the observation period, so brief louder spikes from equipment are tolerated as long as the level that is exceeded 10 percent of the time stays at or below 60. The chapter's definitions section, § 188-3, sets out how sound is measured for enforcement purposes, specifying that terminology follows American National Standards Institute conventions and that the A-weighted sound level, dB(A), is read on a sound meter using the A-weighting network with slow response.

Every other prohibited act in § 188-4, covering animals, sound reproduction devices, domestic power tools, motor vehicle repairs, mufflers and horns, is instead measured against the multi-factor "unreasonable noise" definition in § 188-3B (volume, intensity, usualness, proximity to sleeping areas, time, duration and whether the sound is continuous or impulsive), not a decibel figure. A property owner who cannot meet the L10 60 cap can apply to the Town Board for a variance under § 188-6 after a public hearing and neighbor notice within a 200-foot radius.