Hackensack, NJ Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Hackensack, NJ, also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time, define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Key Facts
- Residential yard/power tools
- banned 8 p.m.-8 a.m. daily
- Nonresidential crews
- banned 6 p.m.-8 a.m. weekdays
- Construction/demolition
- banned 6 p.m.-7 a.m. weekdays
- Weekend/holiday cutoff
- extends to 9 a.m.
- Maximum civil fine
- $2,000 per offense
- Enforcing agency
- Health Dept. Noise Control Officers
- Chapter adopted
- April 10, 2018 (Ord. 07-2018)
Summary
Hackensack limits noisy yard work, power tools and construction to fixed daytime windows under City Code Chapter 112. Residential power tools and landscaping equipment are barred from 8:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m., nonresidential crews from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. weekdays (9:00 a.m. weekends), and construction or demolition from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. weekdays. Noise Control Officers enforce the curfew citywide.
Excluding emergency work, power tools, home maintenance tools, landscaping and/or yard maintenance equipment used by a residential property owner or tenant shall not be operated between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m., unless such activities can meet the applicable limits set forth in Tables I, II or III. ... All construction and demolition activity, excluding emergency work, shall not be performed between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. on weekdays, or between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. on weekends and federal holidays, unless such activities can meet the limits set forth in Tables I, II or III.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4592721; v20 updated 2026-01-06; through 01-06-2026).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 112, adopted April 10, 2018 by Ordinance 07-2018, sets time-of-day limits on top of the citywide decibel tables in Tables I through III. , unless the activity stays within the Table I, II or III sound limits, in which case the curfew does not apply. on weekends and federal holidays. on weekends and holidays, again unless the sound stays under the table limits. All motorized equipment used under these provisions must run with a muffler or sound reduction device. Emergency work is exempt at every hour.
Enforcement falls to the Hackensack Health Department's Noise Control Officers and Investigators, who may inspect complaints, measure sound under the protocols in § 112-6, and cross-designate with neighboring municipalities' noise officers under § 112-5C.
Violations & Fines
A first-time minor violation draws a notice of violation (NOV) with a correction window of up to 90 days under New Jersey's Grace Period Law before any fine attaches. Repeat or nonminor violations bring a notice of penalty assessment (NOPA) carrying a civil fine of up to $2,000 per offense under § 112-11B and N.J.S.A. 40:49-5, with each continuing day a separate offense; recipients can contest a NOPA in municipal court.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time can I use a leaf blower or mower at my Hackensack home?
Can a landscaping company work in the evening in Hackensack?
How early can construction crews start work in Hackensack?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hackensack
How Hackensack compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·Compare Hackensack to another location·View the New Jersey noise ordinances overview
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