New Haven County, CT Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)

Connecticut counties have had no operational government since the County Manager Act was repealed by Public Act 152 in 1960. All noise regulation in New Haven County is therefore a function of state law and the individual municipalities served by SCRCOG and NVCOG. The Connecticut Noise Control Act, Conn. Gen. Stat. Sec. 22a-67 through 22a-76, authorizes CT DEEP to set statewide standards and authorizes municipalities to adopt their own ordinances if approved by the DEEP commissioner under Sec. 22a-73. The state implementing rules at Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies Sec. 22a-69-1 through 22a-69-7.10 set zone-to-zone limits: noise emitted into a Class A (residential) receptor cannot exceed 55 dBA during the day or 45 dBA at night from another Class A source, 62/55 dBA from Class B (commercial), and 66/61 dBA from Class C (industrial), with the nighttime period running 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. on weekdays under Sec. 22a-69-1.8. Section 22a-69-3.5 governs how noise levels are measured at noise-zone boundaries. Major New Haven County municipalities layer their own quiet-hour ordinances on top: New Haven Code of Ordinances Sec. 16-79 prohibits unreasonable noise and sets quiet hours from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.; Waterbury Code Chapter 17.5 mirrors the state limits with similar 10 p.m.-7 a.m. quiet hours; Meriden Code Sec. 138-1 et seq. prohibits noise audible at the property line during nighttime hours; Milford and Hamden each have noise control chapters reinforcing the 10 p.m.-7 a.m. window. Construction noise is town-regulated and typically limited to 7 a.m.-6 p.m. weekdays.