Bristol, CT Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Bristol, CT, also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time, define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Key Facts
- Night-time hours
- 10 p.m.-7 a.m. (10 p.m.-9 a.m. Sun.)
- Day-time hours
- 7 a.m.-10 p.m. (9 a.m. Sundays)
- First fine
- $90, escalating to $400/day
- Enforcing agency
- Bristol Police Department
- Variance
- apply to mayor 20 days ahead
Summary
In the City of Bristol, Connecticut, Sec. 15-17 sets day-time hours at 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. (9:00 a.m. Sundays) and night-time hours as the remainder, and Sec. 15-21 bans emitting noise beyond your property line above the zone-based decibel limits, which drop sharply during night-time hours for anyone emitting toward a residential receptor.
Day-time hours shall mean the hours between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and the hours between 9:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. on Sunday. ... Night-time hours shall mean the hours between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Sunday evening through Saturday morning, and between 10:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. Saturday evening through Sunday morning. ... (a)Noise levels. It shall be unlawful for any person to emit or cause to be emitted any noise beyond the boundaries of his/her premises in excess of the noise levels established in this article.
Full Breakdown
Bristol's noise article defines two clocks in Sec. 15-17: day-time hours run 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on Sunday, while night-time hours cover the remainder, 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. Sunday evening through Saturday morning and 10:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m. Saturday evening through Sunday morning. Sec. 15-21(a) makes it unlawful for any person to emit noise beyond the boundary of their own premises in excess of the levels the article sets, and the standards table printed under Sec.
15-21(b) fixes a lower ceiling for noise reaching a residential receptor during night-time hours than during day-time hours; the same emitter that may run at a daytime residential-receptor limit faces a materially stricter nighttime cap under the article's own numbers. Sec. 15-20 requires anyone measuring compliance to use ANSI-standard sound level meters and to take readings about one foot inside the receiving property's boundary. Sec. 15-23 separately bars removing or disabling noise-reduction equipment and bars interfering with the city's enforcement of the article. The Bristol Police Department enforces the article under Sec.
15-24, either on complaint or on its own initiative, and Sec. 15-25 fines a violator $90 for a first offense, $200 for a second consecutive day and $400 for every day after that. Property owners who find the standards too strict for a planned activity may seek a variance from the mayor under Sec. 15-22 at least twenty days ahead of the event.
Violations & Fines
Exceeding the applicable zone and time-of-day noise standard is punishable under Sec. 15-25(a) by a $90 fine, rising under Sec. 15-25(b) to $200 for a second consecutive day of the same violation and $400 for every day it continues after that, one of the few escalating fine schedules in Bristol's Code. The Bristol Police Department enforces the article on complaint or on its own initiative under Sec. 15-24.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Bristol's official quiet hours?
Does the noise limit change at night in Bristol?
What is the fine for violating Bristol's quiet-hours noise standard?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bristol
How Bristol compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·Compare Bristol to another location·View the Connecticut noise ordinances overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.