Quiet hours in Harrisburg, PA — also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time — define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Harrisburg enforces citywide quiet hours from 10:00 PM to 7:00 AM under Harrisburg City Code Chapter 3-503. During these hours, sound audible at the property line of any residential receiver is presumed unreasonable. Special restrictions apply near the State Capitol Complex and residential rowhouse blocks downtown.
Harrisburg regulates residential and environmental noise under Chapter 3-503 of the Codified Ordinances of the City of Harrisburg. The ordinance establishes both a decibel standard and a plainly-audible standard. During the day (7:00 AM to 10:00 PM) sound at the property line of any residential receiver may not exceed 65 dBA; at night (10:00 PM to 7:00 AM) the cap drops to 55 dBA. Independent of decibel measurement, sound from a stereo, vehicle, party, or amplified device that is plainly audible at 50 feet from the source during nighttime quiet hours is a per se violation, allowing officers to cite without a sound meter.
Because Harrisburg is the state capital, the area surrounding the Capitol Complex (Forster Street, North 2nd Street, North 3rd Street, and Walnut Street) contains sensitive receivers including the Capitol itself, Strawberry Square offices, and dense rowhouse residential. Permits for amplified events on the Capitol steps are issued by the PA Department of General Services, while events in Riverfront Park, Reservoir Park, and city sidewalks require a Harrisburg special-events permit and must end by 10:00 PM.
The Harrisburg Bureau of Police responds to active disturbances; chronic and measurement-based complaints (HVAC, commercial refrigeration, repeated parties) are handled by the Codes Administration Bureau within the Department of Building and Housing Development.
First offense: $100 fine plus court costs. Second offense within 12 months: $300. Third and subsequent: up to $1,000 per offense, summary citation prosecutable before the Magisterial District Judge. Each day a violation continues is a separate offense. Commercial venues with amplified entertainment can have their special-event or business privilege license suspended.
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See how Harrisburg's quiet hours rules stack up against other locations.
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