Norfolk County, MA Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Norfolk County, MA, also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time, define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Key Facts
- County Ordinance?
- None. Norfolk County does not regulate noise
- Who Regulates
- Your individual city or town
- State Fallback
- MassDEP 310 CMR 7.10: 10 dBA above ambient
- County Population
- ~730,000 across 28 municipalities
- Contact
- Your city or town hall for local rules
Summary
Norfolk County, MA does not have a county-level noise ordinance. Massachusetts counties have extremely limited regulatory authority; noise rules are set by each individual city or town. Residents must follow their municipality's ordinance.
Section 21. Towns may, for the purposes hereinafter named, make such ordinances and by-laws, not repugnant to law, as they may judge most conducive to their welfare, which shall be binding upon all inhabitants thereof and all persons within their limits. They may, except as herein provided, affix penalties for breaches thereof not exceeding three hundred dollars for each offense, which shall enure to the town or to such uses as it may direct.
Full Breakdown
Norfolk County government in Massachusetts does not enact or enforce noise ordinances. Under Massachusetts law, county governments are largely administrative bodies handling courts, registries of deeds, and the county sheriff: they do not exercise the police powers required to regulate noise. Each of the 28 cities and towns within Norfolk County (Quincy, Brookline, Weymouth, Braintree, Dedham, Milton, Needham, Newton, Norwood, Randolph, Stoughton, Walpole, Westwood, Wellesley, etc.) enacts its own noise ordinance or bylaw under MGL c. 40 §21. The statewide fallback noise standard is MassDEP 310 CMR 7.10, which prohibits sounds exceeding ambient levels by more than 10 dBA at a property line. Contact your specific city or town hall for local quiet-hours rules.
Violations & Fines
No county-level enforcement. Violations governed by each municipality's local ordinance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the quiet hours in Norfolk County?
What happens if I violate the noise ordinance in Norfolk County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Norfolk County
How Norfolk County compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·Compare Norfolk County to another location·View the Massachusetts noise ordinances overview
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