Quiet hours in New York, NY — also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time — define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
New York City has no blanket 'quiet hours' curfew, but the Noise Code's general prohibition (Admin. Code Sec. 24-218) makes it unlawful to make any unreasonable noise, and it sets a stricter nighttime threshold: device-attributable sound more than 7 dB(A) above ambient between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. is presumptively unlawful.
The NYC Noise Code is codified in Title 24, Chapter 2 of the Administrative Code and is enforced by the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the NYPD; 311 routes complaints to the appropriate agency, with NYPD handling most 'neighbor-to-neighbor' complaints. Rather than a single curfew, the Code uses a 'plainly audible' and decibel-over-ambient framework. Under Section 24-218 'General prohibitions,' no person shall make, continue, or cause or permit to be made or continued any unreasonable noise. Unreasonable noise expressly includes device-attributable sound that exceeds the prohibited noise levels in the section, including sound (other than impulsive sound) measured at 7 dB(A) or more above the ambient sound level at or after 10:00 p.m. and before 7:00 a.m., as measured within a receiving property or 15 feet or more from the source on a public right-of-way. Source-specific nighttime standards reinforce this: commercial music must not exceed 42 dB(A) inside a receiving residence at any time (Sec. 24-231), animal noise has a tighter 5-minute nighttime trigger (Sec. 24-235), and refuse-collection vehicles face an 80 dB cap between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. near residences. DEP advises residents to keep televisions, stereos, and instruments at reasonable volume 'especially at night and in the early morning.'
Unreasonable-noise violations are returnable to the NYC Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings (OATH)/Environmental Control Board. Civil penalties run on a tiered schedule per Sec. 24-257; unreasonable-noise summonses commonly carry penalties in the hundreds of dollars per offense, with higher amounts for nighttime (10 p.m.-7 a.m.) violations and escalating penalties for repeat offenses.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
New York, NY
New York City bars street storage of boat trailers, mobile homes, and mobile medical diagnostic vehicles: under 34 RCNY 4-08(m)(8) none may be parked on any ...
New York, NY
New York City regulates on-street parking under the DOT Traffic Rules (34 RCNY 4-08): vehicles must be parked parallel and close to the curb facing the direc...
New York, NY
Commercial vehicles in New York City face strict limits: under 34 RCNY 4-08(k) they must be permanently altered and lettered with the owner's name and addres...
New York, NY
New York City does not impose a cost-sharing 'partition fence' duty on neighbors; boundary fence disputes fall under New York State law. RPAPL 843 makes a fe...
New York, NY
For one- and two-family dwellings, the NYC Department of Buildings does not require a permit for fences 6 feet or less in height, and homeowners may install ...
New York, NY
In New York City, fences in a front yard of a Residence District may not exceed 4 feet above adjoining grade (6 feet allowed on the qualifying portion of a c...
See how New York's quiet hours rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.