Brockton, MA Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Brockton, MA, also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time, define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Key Facts
- Weeknight quiet hours
- 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
- Weekend quiet hours
- 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
- Decibel cap in that window
- 50 dBA
- First offense
- Written warning
- Repeat offense fine
- $300 within 12 months
Summary
Brockton's noise ordinance bars loud, unnecessary or disturbing sound citywide and layers on fixed quiet hours: 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. Friday and Saturday under Section 14-50(d)-(e). Those hours also trigger the ordinance's numeric 50-decibel ceiling.
(d)General noise restrictions. It is unlawful, and no person shall make, generate or be the cause of making and/or generating, and/or shall continue to cause to make, to cause, or to generate, any loud, unnecessary, or unusual noise or sound, and/or any noise or sound which either annoys disturbs, injures, and/or endangers the comfort, repose, health, peace, and/or safety of other residents...(e)Time restrictions. The general prohibition on unreasonable or excessive noise restrictions is prohibited during the following time periods:(1)Between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Sundays through Thursdays; and(2)Between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 28).
Full Breakdown
Subsection (d) of Section 14-50 states the ordinance's baseline prohibition: it is unlawful to 'make, generate or be the cause of making and/or generating' any 'loud, unnecessary, or unusual noise or sound' that 'annoys, disturbs, injures, and/or endangers the comfort, repose, health, peace, and/or safety' of other residents or the general public anywhere in the city. That general ban applies at all hours, but subsection (e) layers a defined nighttime window on top of it. m. m. ' During those windows the ordinance's numeric backstop in subsection (f) kicks in as well, capping sound at 50 decibels measured from fifty feet away or the nearest lot line.
Subsection (c) frames the underlying policy: 'all loud or unusual noises or sounds and annoying vibrations which offend the peace and quiet enjoyment of persons of ordinary sensibilities are public nuisances and public disturbances,' making clear the ordinance treats a quiet-hours violation as a public nuisance, not merely a civil infraction. Certain sources stay exempt from the quiet-hours restriction even at night, including emergency vehicles, fire alarms, and necessary permitted or emergency road and utility work performed by or for the city, county or state. The current quiet-hours structure was adopted by Ord. No. M03 on February 9, 2021.
Violations & Fines
A quiet-hours violation gets a written civil infraction warning on the first offense, logged by the police department with the date, time, location and decibel reading. Any subsequent violation within a twelve-month period draws a three-hundred-dollar fine, enforced under subsection (h) and M.G.L. c. 40, § 21D.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time do Brockton's quiet hours start on weeknights?
Are weekend quiet hours different from weeknights?
Does a first noise complaint result in a fine?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Brockton
How Brockton compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·Compare Brockton to another location·View the Massachusetts noise ordinances overview
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