Camden County, NJ Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Camden County, NJ, also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time, define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Key Facts
- Daytime limit
- 65 dBA at residential line, 7am-10pm
- Nighttime limit
- 50 dBA at residential line, 10pm-7am
- Loudspeaker curfew
- 10pm-8am, § 6.2.2
- Truck idling curfew
- 8pm-8am, 5-min/hour cap, § 6.2.5
- Penalty range
- $100-$3,000 per offense (§9.3)
Summary
Camden County's noise ordinance tightens its sound limit every night: the daytime cap on stationary sources drops from 65 dBA to 50 dBA at a residential property line the moment the clock hits 10:00 p.m., staying there until 7:00 a.m. under § 5.1.2(a). Loudspeakers, loading operations and heavy-truck idling carry their own overnight curfews layered on top.
5.12 (a) No person shall cause, suffer, allow or permit sound from any industrial, commercial, public service, or community service facility that, when measured at any residential property line, is in excess of any of the following: 1. From 7:00 am to 10:00 pm: i. Continuous airborne sound which has a sound level in excess of 65 dBA; or ... iii. Impulsive sound in air which has a peak sound pressure level in excess of 80 decibels. 2. From 10:00pm to 7:00am: i. Continuous airborne sound which has a sound level in excess of 50 dBA; or ... iii. Impulsive sound air which has a peak sound pressure level in excess of 80 decibels.
Full Breakdown
Section 5.1.2(a) of the Noise Control Ordinance builds Camden County's quiet hours directly into its numeric noise standard rather than a separate curfew clause. From 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., sound from an industrial, commercial, public service or community service facility may not exceed 65 dBA (or the matching octave-band ceiling of 96 dB at 31.5 Hz down to 53 dB at 8,000 Hz) measured at a residential property line. The instant the clock reaches 10:00 p.m., that ceiling drops to 50 dBA (86 dB down to 38 dB across the same octave bands) and stays there until 7:00 a.m.
Both windows also cap impulsive sound at an 80-decibel peak. The ordinance layers additional nighttime-specific restrictions on top of that numeric drop: § 6.2.2 bars loudspeakers and public address systems between 10:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. from creating a noise disturbance across a residential line; § 6.2.4 restricts loading, unloading and refuse compacting between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. on weekdays, extending through weekends and holidays, absent a permit; and § 6.2.5 limits a heavy vehicle over 10,000 pounds from idling more than five minutes an hour within 150 feet of a residential area between 8:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m.
A noise control officer measures compliance under § 5.1.1, with all exterior doors and windows closed and the meter at the center of the room for a multi-dwelling unit.
Violations & Fines
A stationary source that fails to drop to 50 dBA once quiet hours begin, or a loudspeaker, loading operation or idling truck that runs past its curfew, is subject to a summons under § 9.1 or an abatement order under § 9.2. Fines run $100 to $3,000 per offense under § 9.3, and each night the violation recurs counts as a new, separate offense under § 9.3(c).
Frequently Asked Questions
What time do Camden County's noise limits get stricter at night?
Are loudspeakers and PA systems covered by the quiet hours too?
Can trucks idle overnight near a residential area?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Camden County
Compare Camden County to another location·View the New Jersey noise ordinances overview
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