Cambridge, MA Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Cambridge, MA, also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time, define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Key Facts
- Domestic power tools
- Barred 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.
- Loading/unloading (weekday)
- Barred 9 p.m. to 7 a.m.
- Construction/demolition
- Barred 6 p.m. to 7 a.m.
- Bug-killing devices
- Barred 11 p.m. to 8 a.m. on objection
- Fine per violation
- $300 per day
Summary
Cambridge bars outdoor power tools, loading and unloading, and construction between roughly 6 p.m. and 7 a.m., with domestic power tools like saws and lawn equipment specifically barred 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. in residential areas under Municipal Code § 8.16.080.L.
L.Domestic Power Tools. Operating or permitting the operation of any mechanically powered saw, drill, sander, grinder, lawn or garden tool, snow blower, or similar device used outdoors in residential areas between the hours of ten p.m. and seven a.m. so as to be plainly audible at a distance of fifty feet from the lot line of the lot on which said activity is located, or in a noise sensitive zone.
Full Breakdown
Rather than one blanket curfew, Cambridge's Noise Control Ordinance layers several activity-specific quiet hours in Section 8.16.080. Domestic power tools, mechanically powered saws, drills, sanders, grinders, lawn or garden tools, and snow blowers used outdoors in residential areas are barred from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. if plainly audible 50 feet from the lot line or within a noise sensitive zone (subsection L). Loading, unloading, or handling boxes, crates, containers or garbage cans plainly audible at 50 feet is barred from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. on weekdays and 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. on weekends and holidays (subsection E).
Construction and demolition equipment is barred 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. weekdays and 6 p.m. to 9 a.m. on weekends and holidays (subsection F). Electric bug-killing devices are barred 11 p.m. to 8 a.m. once an abutter has filed a written objection with the City Clerk within the past year (subsection M). All of these hours are measured against a plainly-audible-at-50-feet standard rather than a decibel reading, and each exempts activity inside a marked noise sensitive zone from needing the 50-foot distance at all.
Violations & Fines
Violating any of these time-of-day restrictions supports a $300-per-day citation under G.L. c. 40 § 21D, or a misdemeanor prosecution carrying a $300 fine on conviction, both under Section 8.16.040(C). The Police Commissioner, the Commissioner of Inspectional Services, or the License Commission chair can order remedial action, seek an injunction, or suspend or revoke a related license or permit.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time do I have to stop using a lawn mower or power saw in Cambridge?
Is there one citywide quiet hour in Cambridge?
Can I complain about a noisy neighbor's trash cans at night?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cambridge
Compare Cambridge to another location·View the Massachusetts noise ordinances overview
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Quiet Hours in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle quiet hours.