Bloomfield, NJ Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Bloomfield, NJ, also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time, define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Key Facts
- Night window
- 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. in § 380-1B, § 380-6B(3) and (5)
- Audibility test
- Plainly audible at a distance of 100 feet (§ 380-1B)
- Weekday construction hours
- 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. under § 380-6B(11)
- Heavy equipment cutoff
- No loud operation between 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. (§ 380-6B(14))
- Emergency work permit
- From the Building Inspector, up to three days, renewable
- Maximum fine
- $2,000 under § 1-15A, via § 380-7
Summary
Bloomfield Township, Essex County, New Jersey, has no single quiet-hours section. The Township Council wrote an 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. window into three places in Chapter 380: § 380-1B for sound devices plainly audible at 100 feet, and § 380-6B(3) and (5) for amplified sound and street yelling.
B. The use or operation of any such instrument, radio, phonograph, machine or device between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. in such a manner as to be plainly audible at a distance of 100 feet from the building, structure, vehicle or place in which it is used or operated shall be prima facie evidence of a violation of this section. ... (3) The playing of any radio, phonograph, television, musical instrument or other machine or device for the producing or reproducing of sound, in such manner or volume as to unreasonably annoy or disturb others in the vicinity, particularly during the hours between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. ... (5) Yelling, shouting, hooting, whistling or singing in the public streets, particularly between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., so as to annoy and disturb the quiet, comfort or repose of persons in any office, dwelling, hotel or other type of residence or of any persons in the vicinity.
Full Breakdown
Quiet hours in Bloomfield Township come from Chapter 380, Noise, rather than from one dedicated curfew section. The window is 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., and it appears in three provisions.
Section 380-1A bars operating any radio, musical instrument, phonograph or similar sound device with louder volume than is necessary for convenient hearing by the operator and voluntary listeners, or in a way that disturbs the peace, quiet and comfort of neighboring inhabitants. Section 380-1B then supplies the night test: use of such a device between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. in a manner plainly audible at a distance of 100 feet from the building, structure, vehicle or place where it is operated is prima facie evidence of a violation. Section 380-6B(3) lists the playing of any radio, phonograph, television, musical instrument or similar device in a manner or volume that unreasonably annoys or disturbs others in the vicinity, particularly during those hours. Section 380-6B(5) lists yelling, shouting, hooting, whistling or singing in the public streets, particularly between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., so as to annoy and disturb persons in any office, dwelling, hotel or other residence.
Other time limits sit in the same list. Section 380-6B(11) bars the erection (including excavation), demolition, alteration or repair of any building other than between 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. on weekdays, except in case of urgent necessity in the interest of public health and safety, and only with a permit from the Building Inspector. That permit can be granted while the emergency continues for a period not to exceed three days and can be renewed for periods of three days or less. Section 380-6B(14) bars operating a pile driver, steam shovel, pneumatic hammer, derrick, hoist or similar appliance between 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. when its use is attended by loud or unusual noise. Section 380-1C states that nothing in that section prohibits playing by a band or orchestra in a hall, building or in the open air.
Penalties run through § 380-7 to the general penalty in § 1-15.
Violations & Fines
Section 380-7 punishes any violation of Chapter 380, on conviction, as provided in § 1-15. Under § 1-15A that means a fine not exceeding $2,000, imprisonment not exceeding 90 days, community service not exceeding 90 days, or any combination. Each day a violation continues is a separate offense under § 1-15C. A plainly audible device at 100 feet during the night window is prima facie evidence under § 380-1B.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hours count as nighttime quiet hours in Bloomfield Township?
How loud can a stereo be at night in Bloomfield Township?
Can contractors work on a Saturday in Bloomfield Township?
What is the penalty for breaking the noise rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bloomfield
How Bloomfield compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·Compare Bloomfield to another location·View the New Jersey noise ordinances overview
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