Lawrence, MA Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Lawrence, MA, also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time, define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Key Facts
- Curfew
- 9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. daily
- Sunday/holiday window
- 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 a.m.
- Exception
- Noise protecting life or property
- Speech
- Expressly exempt from curfew
- Penalty
- $200 minimum per offense
Summary
Lawrence's general noise curfew runs 9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. every day, and 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 a.m. on Sundays and designated holidays, barring any machine, trade, or other continual noise that annoys, injures, or endangers others' comfort or safety. The rule explicitly does not restrict speech.
Prohibited conduct. Between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. on all days and between hours of 7:00 p.m. and 8:30 a.m. on Sundays, legal holidays, Christmas day and such other days as the city council determines will be appropriate, it is unlawful for any person to make continual or cause to be made or continued, in the operation of any machine or the exercise of any trade or calling or otherwise, any noise which either annoys, injures or endangers the comfort, repose, health or safety of others unless the making and continuing of such noise is necessary for the protection or preservation of property or the health, safety, life or limb of a person. The restrictions of this section do not prohibit speech of any kind.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 8).
Full Breakdown
040(A) of the Lawrence Code of Ordinances sets the city's baseline noise curfew inside the Prohibited Noises chapter of Title 9, Public Peace and Welfare. on Sundays, legal holidays, Christmas Day, and any other day the city council designates, it is unlawful to make or continue, through the operation of any machine, in the exercise of any trade or calling, or otherwise, any noise that annoys, injures, or endangers the comfort, repose, health, or safety of others. The ordinance builds in a safety valve: noise is excused if making or continuing it is necessary to protect or preserve property, or the health, safety, life, or limb of a person.
The section also expressly states that its restrictions do not prohibit speech of any kind, shielding protests, gatherings, and expressive activity from the curfew. , specifically to noise made on a public park or public right of access. This general curfew operates alongside, and separately from, the chapter's itemized specific prohibitions in subsection B, which set their own hours for construction equipment, domestic power tools, and other listed noise sources.
Violations & Fines
Making prohibited noise during the 9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. curfew, or the 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 a.m. Sunday/holiday window, draws a fine of not less than $200.00 per offense under Section 9.04.040(C), with each day of a continuing violation treated as a separate offense. Police officers and traffic control officers enforce the curfew, and the city may use noncriminal disposition under G.L. c. 40 Section 21D.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hours does Lawrence's noise curfew cover?
Does Lawrence's noise ordinance restrict protests or loud speech?
Is there an exception to the quiet hours for emergencies?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lawrence
How Lawrence compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·Compare Lawrence to another location·View the Massachusetts noise ordinances overview
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