Somerville, MA Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Daytime limit, 7am-6pm all districts
- 75 dB
- Evening limit, residential districts
- 70 dB (6pm-10pm)
- Overnight limit, residential districts
- 60 dB (10pm-7am)
- Enforcing agencies
- Police & Inspectional Services (Sec. 9-118)
- Fine
- $300/offense, each day separate
- Exempt sources
- Highway vehicles, lawn tools, construction gear
Summary
Somerville's noise ordinance sets hard decibel ceilings for any sound reaching a neighboring property line: 75 dB by day, dropping to 60 dB overnight in residential districts. The chief of police and the superintendent of inspectional services enforce Sec. 9-117, with violators facing the citywide $300 noncriminal fine under Sec. 1-11 for every day the noise continues.
It shall be unlawful to make, continue, or cause to be made or continued, any noise in excess of the noise levels set forth in subsection (1) unless such noise is reasonably necessary to the preservation of life, health, safety or property. (1) Measurement of noise. Any activity...which creates or produces sound...exceeding the ambient noise levels at the property line of any property, or if a condominium or apartment house, within any adjoining apartment...Less than 10 minutes 75 db 70 db 60 db; Between 10 minutes and 2 hours 70 db 60 db 50 db; In excess of 2 hours 60 db 50 db 40 db.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Zoning Ordinances: Revision - CodeBank PDF Post).
Full Breakdown
Section 9-117 measures noise against the property line of any lot, or inside an adjoining unit in a condominium or apartment house, using a three-column table keyed to duration and time of day. in all districts: 75 decibels for sound under ten minutes, 70 decibels for ten minutes to two hours, and 60 decibels for anything longer. in every other district: 70, 60, and 50 decibels across the same duration bands. in residential districts and caps sound at 60, 50, and 40 decibels. Sound crossing the residential-district limit is a violation no matter which district it originates in, and on Sundays and state and federal holidays residential districts are held to the Column III limits all day.
The ordinance exempts three sources outright: motor vehicles on a public highway, outdoor implements such as power lawn mowers, hedge clippers, and saws, and construction equipment like pile drivers and jackhammers, which are instead governed separately by the daytime work-hour limits in Sec. 9-116(3). Sec. c. 40, § 21D. Absent a more specific fine for a given subsection, Sec. 1-11 sets the penalty at $300 per offense, and each day a violation continues counts as a separate offense.
Violations & Fines
Exceeding the Sec. 9-117 decibel table is a noncriminal offense cited by police or the inspectional services department, carrying a $300 fine per Sec. 1-11 for each occurrence. Because every day of a continuing violation is a separate offense, a sustained loud HVAC unit or party can rack up cumulative fines quickly, and property owners, not just occupants, can be held responsible when the noise source is fixed equipment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Somerville's nighttime decibel limit for residential areas?
Are lawn mowers and construction equipment exempt from the noise limits?
Who enforces Somerville's noise ordinance and what is the fine?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Somerville
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Decibel Limits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle decibel limits.