Oyster Bay, NY Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Oyster Bay, NY, also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time, define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Town Code § 156-4.B(16)
- Weeknight hours
- 10 p.m. to 8 a.m., Mon-Sat
- Sunday/holiday hours
- 10 p.m. to 9 a.m.
- Leaf blowers
- 8 a.m.-7 p.m. weekdays, § 156-4.B(18)
- Enforcing agency
- Dept. of Public Works / Planning and Development
- First-offense fine
- Up to $350
Summary
Oyster Bay's Noise Control Ordinance bars residential power tools, saws, drills and lawn or garden equipment between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m. on weeknights and 10 p.m. to 9 a.m. on Sundays and holidays whenever the noise crosses onto a neighbor's property.
(16) Domestic power tools. Operating or permitting the operation of any mechanically powered saw, sander, drill, grinder, lawn or garden tool, snowblower or similar device used in residential areas between the hours of 10:00 p.m. the previous day to 8:00 a.m., Monday through Saturday, and 10:00 p.m. the previous day to 9:00 a.m. on Sundays or Holidays so as to cause a noise disruption across a residential real property boundary.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4036544; v24 updated 2023-03-07; through 03-07-2023).
Full Breakdown
B(16) of the Noise Control Ordinance, added in 1996, sets the Town's standard nighttime quiet hours for the residential equipment neighbors complain about most: mechanically powered saws, sanders, drills, grinders, lawn or garden tools and snowblowers. on Sundays or Holidays" whenever doing so creates a "noise disruption" across a residential real property boundary, a term Section 156-2 defines as sound that interferes with the reasonable and normal activities of a person of normal sensitivity next door. B(5), so a resident running any noise-generating equipment against a neighbor's property line during those hours is exposed to a citation regardless of which specific clause applies.
on weekends and holidays. The Department of Public Works and the Department of Planning and Development share enforcement duties under Section 156-3, including inspecting properties and pursuing violations, and emergency work, municipal operations and lawful hunting are exempted under Section 156-5.
Violations & Fines
A quiet-hours violation is punishable under Section 156-8: up to $350 for a first offense, $350-$700 for a second offense within five years, and $700-$1,000 for a third or later offense within five years, with imprisonment up to six months possible and each week of continued violation counted as a separate additional violation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time can I run a lawnmower or power saw in Oyster Bay?
Are leaf blowers covered by the same quiet hours?
What department handles a nighttime power-tool noise complaint?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Oyster Bay
How Oyster Bay compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·New York rules heatmap·Compare Oyster Bay to another location·View the New York noise ordinances overview
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