Cheektowaga, NY Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Cheektowaga, NY, also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time, define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Key Facts
- Curfew hours
- 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
- Overnight residential limit
- 50 dB(A), Table I
- Daytime residential limit
- 55 dB(A), Table I
- Legal effect
- presumptive evidence of violation, § 166-8A
- Maximum fine
- $250 per violation
- Governing chapter
- Town Code Ch. 166
Summary
Cheektowaga treats any sound audible beyond a property's boundary between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. as automatic proof of a noise violation. The Town Code's Table I also drops the allowed residential sound level from 55 to 50 decibels overnight. Together the two provisions in Chapter 166 give Code Enforcement a straightforward nighttime standard to cite.
The use of any sound-producing, sound-reproducing or sound-amplifying device, machinery, domestic equipment, heavy equipment or engine so as to cause the sound produced thereby to be audible outside the building or beyond the boundary of the property (real and personal) where it originates, between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. the following day, shall be presumptive, prima facie evidence of a violation of this chapter.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4996449; v35 updated 2026-05-26; through 05-26-2026).
Full Breakdown
m. That presumption lets an officer cite a violation of the general noise standards in §§ 166-4 through 166-6 without a sound-level-meter reading proving a specific decibel figure, though the Building Inspection Department and Police Department still use ANSI Type II meters under § 166-12 for contested cases. ) but only 50 dB(A) overnight, a five-decibel tightening that applies even where the source is in a business or manufacturing district. presumption to barking, squawking, or other domestic animal sounds continuing for 10 minutes continuously or 30 minutes intermittently.
Exceptions in § 166-9, covering emergency vehicles, permitted parades and fireworks, emergency construction, and trains, buses, or aircraft, remain in force overnight as well. A sustained violation is punishable under § 166-13 by a fine of up to $250, up to 15 days in jail, or both, with each day a separate offense.
Violations & Fines
Violating the nighttime noise standard carries the same penalty as any other Chapter 166 offense: a fine up to $250, up to 15 days' imprisonment, or both, under § 166-13, with the property owner separately liable and each day of continuing noise a distinct violation. Because § 166-8A creates a presumption rather than requiring a meter reading, officers can issue tickets for audible late-night noise without measuring exact decibels.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Cheektowaga's quiet hours?
Does the decibel limit change at night?
Are there exceptions to the nighttime noise rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cheektowaga
How Cheektowaga compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·New York rules heatmap·Compare Cheektowaga to another location·View the New York noise ordinances overview
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Quiet Hours in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Erie County handle quiet hours.