Bethel, CT Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Bethel, CT, also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time, define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Key Facts
- Nighttime hours
- 8:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., Sunday evening through Saturday morning
- Weekend and holiday night
- 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 a.m. on Sunday and on the holiday
- Residential night limit
- 45 dBA at a residential receptor
- Nighttime impulse noise cap
- 80 decibels peak into residential zones
- Fines
- $50, then $75, then $100 within 30 days
- Enforcement
- Bethel Police Department under § 108-9
- Variance
- Apply to the Board of Selectmen under § 108-10
Summary
Bethel does not print a flat curfew. Chapter 108 defines nighttime hours as 8:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. Sunday evening through Saturday morning, with a longer night from 8:00 p.m. Saturday to 10:00 a.m. Sunday and before national holidays. In those hours the residential limit drops to 45 dBA and impulse noise is capped at 80 decibels.
DAYTIME HOURS The hours between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and the hours 10:00 a.m. through 8:00 p.m. on Sundays and holidays. ... NIGHTTIME HOURS The hours between 8:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., Sunday evening through Saturday morning, except that "night" shall mean the hours between 8:00 p.m. Saturday and 10:00 a.m. on Sunday and 8:00 p.m. of the day preceding a recognized, national holiday and 10:00 a.m. on said holiday. ... C. No person in a Class A noise zone shall emit noise exceeding the levels stated herein and applicable to adjacent noise zones: Receptor C B A/day A/night Class A (residential) emitter to 62 dBA 55dBA 55dBA 45dBA Levels emitted in excess of the values listed above shall be considered excessive noise. D. No person shall cause or allow the emission of impulse noise in excess of 80 decibels peak sound pressure level during the nighttime to any residential noise zone. No person shall cause or allow the emission of impulse noise in excess of 100 decibels peak sound pressure level at any time in any zone.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4770801; v15 updated 2025-12-09; through 12-09-2025).
Full Breakdown
The Noise chapter, adopted by the Board of Selectmen on 12-6-2016, sets quiet hours through two definitions in § 108-3. DAYTIME HOURS run 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Sundays and holidays. NIGHTTIME HOURS run 8:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., Sunday evening through Saturday morning. The definition then stretches the night: 8:00 p.m. Saturday to 10:00 a.m. Sunday, and 8:00 p.m. on the day before a recognized national holiday to 10:00 a.m. on the holiday itself.
Those hours matter because § 108-5 sets separate decibel limits for daytime and nighttime. A Class A (residential) emitter may not exceed 55 dBA at a residential receptor by day and 45 dBA at night. A Class B (commercial) emitter is held to the same 55 dBA and 45 dBA at a residential receptor. A Class C (industrial) emitter is held to 61 dBA by day and 51 dBA at night. Section 108-5(D) adds a stand-alone night rule: no impulse noise above 80 decibels peak sound pressure level during the nighttime to any residential noise zone, and never above 100 decibels at any time in any zone. Under § 108-5(E), readings are taken about one foot beyond the emitter's boundary, inside the neighbor's premises. The section states it is meant to conform to Connecticut State Regulations § 22a-69-3.5.
Section 108-4 separately bars any loud, unnecessary, unusual or excessive noise that annoys or disturbs the comfort, repose, health, peace or safety of others, and § 108-4(A) fixes start times for commercial construction. Section 108-7 exempts lawn care and maintenance equipment between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. if exhausts are muffled, snow removal equipment, licensed parades, concerts and fireworks, emergency noise, and farm equipment during daytime hours only. Refuse haulers may start no earlier than 5:30 a.m. in commercial and industrial zones and 6:00 a.m. in residential zones, Monday through Saturday. Section 108-11 keeps any stricter zoning regulation in force.
Violations & Fines
Section 108-8 fines a first violation $50, a subsequent violation within 30 days of the first $75, and any later violation within 30 days of a previous one $100. Each day a violation continues after the time set in a correction order is a separate violation. Notice is a written notice of violation given at the time of the noise or shortly after. The Bethel Police Department enforces under § 108-9.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hours count as nighttime in Bethel?
How loud can a neighbor be at night in a residential zone?
Can I run a lawn mower or snow blower early or late?
Can I ask the town for an exception to the noise rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bethel
How Bethel compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·Compare Bethel to another location·View the Connecticut noise ordinances overview
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