Elizabeth, NJ Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Elizabeth, NJ, also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time, define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Key Facts
- Weeknight curfew
- 9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. for sound devices
- Sunday/holiday curfew
- 9:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m.
- Construction hours
- Barred 7:30 p.m.-7:00 a.m., none on Sundays
- Enforcement
- Police Dept. and health dept. bureau of health
- Penalty
- $100-$2,000 fine, up to 90 days jail (§1.12.010)
Summary
Elizabeth bars excessive or unusually loud noise at any hour and layers on a specific nighttime curfew: radios, TVs and similar sound devices cannot run audibly across a property line between 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. on weekdays, extending to 9:00 a.m. on Sundays and legal holidays, under the city's noise control ordinance, Chapter 8.48.
It is unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to make, continue or cause to be made or continued any excessive, unnecessary or unusually loud noise or any noise which either annoys, disturbs, injures or endangers the comfort, repose, health, peace or safety of others within the limits of the city. ... Operating any such device on weekdays between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. the following day and, in the event the following day is a Sunday or legal holiday, between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. the following day, in such a manner as to be plainly audible or to create a noise disturbance across a real property boundary or through partitions common to two parties within the same building.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 31).
Full Breakdown
020(A) sets Elizabeth's general noise standard: it is unlawful to make or continue any excessive, unnecessary or unusually loud noise, or any noise that annoys, disturbs, injures or endangers the comfort, repose, health, peace or safety of others in the city, at any hour, with an exemption for lawful non-commercial public speaking or assembly. on a day followed by a Sunday or legal holiday. The same subsection separately bars operating those devices so as to be audible 50 feet away in a public space or right-of-way at any hour.
020(B)(6). 060 between the police department for vehicle-related noise and concurrent jurisdiction of the police and the department of health, welfare and housing (bureau of health) for everything else.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 8.48 carries no stand-alone fine, so a violation of the nighttime curfew in Section 8.48.020 falls under the citywide general penalty at Section 1.12.010: a fine of $100 to $2,000, up to 90 days in jail, up to 90 days of community service, or a combination, with a steeper fine for a repeat conviction within a year.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time do I have to turn down music in Elizabeth?
Is there a general noise rule that applies any time of day?
Who do I call about a noise violation after dark in Elizabeth?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Elizabeth
How Elizabeth compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·Compare Elizabeth to another location·View the New Jersey noise ordinances overview
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