Toms River, NJ Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)

31, adopted as part of Chapter 348's performance standards, conditions approval and continued operation of any use, structure, process or equipment on compliance with a set of measurable limits, and lets the Planning Board require certified testing by a government agency or recognized laboratory, at the applicant's expense, to prove compliance. Subsection B sets the noise standard: measured at any property line of the lot where the use is located, sound pressure cannot exceed a sliding decibel ceiling that drops as frequency rises, from 69 decibels in the 20-75 cycle-per-second band, to 54 decibels at 75-150 cycles, 47 decibels at 150-300 cycles, 41 decibels at 300-600 cycles, 37 decibels at 600-1,200 cycles, 34 decibels at 1,200-2,400 cycles, 31 decibels at 2,400-4,800 cycles, and 28 decibels at 4,800-10,000 cycles.

Subsection B(2) tightens that table further for noise that isn't smooth and continuous: if the noise is impulsive or periodic in character, every one of those decibel ceilings is reduced by 15%. If a proposed use or piece of equipment can't be shown to meet the table at the time of application, Subsection A lets the Planning Board issue a conditional permit, but the applicant must apply for a certificate of occupancy within 30 days of installation and submit evidence that the standard has actually been met before occupancy is confirmed.

The noise standard sits alongside, and is enforced independently of, the Township's separate air pollution, odor, radiation, vibration, heat/glare and flammable-storage performance standards in the same section, all of which a Planning Board applicant must satisfy together.