Troy, NY Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)

The numeric noise standard in the City of Troy, New York is § 201-3(B), enacted by the Troy City Council. The maximum decibel level radiated by any use or facility at any lot line cannot exceed the values for the designated octave bands in Table I. Measurement uses a sound-level meter with an associated octave-band analyzer conforming to American Standards Association standards, and the section names the standards Z24.3-1944 for sound-level meters and Z24.10-1953 for the octave-band filter set.

Table I sets the maximum permitted sound-pressure level, in decibels, for each frequency band in cycles per second: 0 to 75 at 69; 75 to 150 at 60; 150 to 300 at 56; 300 to 600 at 51; 600 to 1,200 at 42; 1,200 to 2,400 at 40; 2,400 to 4,800 at 38; and 4,800 to 10,000 at 35. Table I carries one set of values for all hours, and the chapter prints no separate daytime and nighttime columns. Time of day enters through § 201-3(A) instead, which lists the level of the noise, the proximity of the noise to residential sleeping facilities, the nature and zoning of the area, the density of habitation, the time of the day and night, the duration of the noise and whether it is recurrent, intermittent or constant as standards for deciding whether a violation exists.

Where any use adjoins a residential or transitional district at any point at the district boundary, the maximum permitted levels in all octave bands are reduced by six decibels from Table I (§ 201-3(B)(2)). Section 201-2 exempts any organ, radio, bell, chimes or other instrument, apparatus or device operated by a church, synagogue or school. Beyond the numbers, § 201-3 prohibits any unreasonably loud, disturbing and unnecessary noise of such character, intensity and duration that a reasonable person would not tolerate under the circumstances.