Smithtown, NY Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Town Code § 207-3 and Table I
- Residential daytime limit
- 45 dBA (7 a.m.-10 p.m.)
- Residential nighttime limit
- 40 dBA (10 p.m.-7 a.m.)
- Commercial receiving-property limit
- 65 dBA, all times
- Industrial receiving-property limit
- 70 dBA, all times
Summary
Smithtown's Table I caps sound at a receiving residential property line to 45 dBA by day and 40 dBA at night, versus 65 dBA for commercial and 70 dBA for industrial receiving property. Domestic tools, church bells and snow removal equipment are exempt.
No person shall cause, suffer, allow or permit the operation of any source of sound on a particular category of property or any public lands or right-of-way 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 or within the real property line of the receiving property... Residential [receiving property]: 45 [dBA, 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.]; 40 [dBA, 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.]; Commercial, all times (dBA): 65; Industrial, all times (dBA): 70.
Full Breakdown
Town Code § 207-3A bars operating any sound source on a property in a way that exceeds the limits set in Table I when measured at or within the real property line of the receiving property, except for acts already specifically prohibited elsewhere in § 207-2 that need no measurement. , regardless of whether the source is residential, commercial or industrial; commercial and industrial receiving property lines cap at 65 dBA and 70 dBA respectively at all times. Section 207-3B exempts several categories outright: domestic power tools, lawn mowers and agricultural equipment operated with a muffler during the permitted hours of § 207-2B(15) and producing under 70 dBA at a residential property line; church bells and chimes during a religious observance; construction activity governed instead by the hours rule in § 207-2B(5); snowblowers and snowplows operated with a muffler; and burglar alarms limited to 15 minutes per activation and per hour under § 207-6B(5).
Violations & Fines
Exceeding Table I is punishable under § 207-7: up to $500 for a first offense, not less than $1,000 for a second, and not less than $1,500 for a third or subsequent offense, plus up to 15 days imprisonment for any violation, all measured by a qualified technician on an approved Public Safety Department form.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the nighttime decibel limit at a Smithtown home?
Who measures decibel violations in Smithtown?
Are lawn mowers exempt from the decibel table?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Smithtown
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Decibel Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Suffolk County handle decibel limits.