Ridgewood, NJ Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Ridgewood, NJ, also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time, define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Key Facts
- Music cutoff
- Loud radios, bands or music after 11:00 p.m. (§ 172-6A(18))
- Loudness test
- Volume enough to disturb the sleep of persons in the immediate vicinity
- General noise ban
- Unreasonable and unnecessary loud or disturbing noise (§ 201-1A)
- Standard applied
- Common-law nuisance principles (§ 201-1C)
- Train horns
- Prohibited any day, any time, except in an emergency
- Maximum penalty
- Up to $1,000 fine, 90 days jail or 90 days community service
Summary
In the Village of Ridgewood, Bergen County, loud radios, bands and music after 11:00 p.m. are a declared nuisance under § 172-6A(18), and loud means loud enough to disturb the sleep of persons in the immediate vicinity. Chapter 201 separately prohibits unreasonable and unnecessary loud or disturbing noise, judged by common-law nuisance standards.
A. The following specific acts or omissions or the maintenance or allowance of any of the following conditions is hereby prohibited and is declared to be or to constitute a nuisance: ... (18) Unnecessary blowing of whistles, sirens and horns and ringing of bells at any time and the loud playing of radios, bands or music, after 11:00 p.m. Any radio, band or music shall be deemed to be playing loudly if the noise from the same is of sufficient volume to disturb the sleep of persons in the immediate vicinity. [Amended 6-13-2018 by Ord. No. 3648] ... § 201-1. Prohibited acts. A. The making, creating or permitting of any unreasonable and unnecessary loud or disturbing noise in the Village of Ridgewood is hereby prohibited. ... C. The trier of fact in any prosecution brought under this section shall apply the standards and principles of common-law nuisance in determining whether the noise is unreasonable and unnecessary.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4854397; v35 updated 2026-04-22; through 04-22-2026).
Full Breakdown
Ridgewood sets its nighttime noise rules through two sections, and neither prints a decibel figure. The first is § 172-6A(18) in the health and sanitation chapter, which lists the loud playing of radios, bands or music, after 11:00 p.m. among the acts declared to be a nuisance. The same item lists unnecessary blowing of whistles, sirens and horns and ringing of bells at any time. The subsection was amended on 6-13-2018 by Ord. No. 3648.
The test for loudness is printed in the subsection itself: any radio, band or music is deemed to be playing loudly if the noise from the same is of sufficient volume to disturb the sleep of persons in the immediate vicinity. That makes the standard a sleep-disturbance measure taken from the neighboring properties, and no meter reading is needed to meet it.
The second section is the Village noise chapter, Chapter 201, adopted 9-14-1982 by Ord. No. 1859. Section 201-1A prohibits the making, creating or permitting of any unreasonable and unnecessary loud or disturbing noise in the Village of Ridgewood. Subsection B describes the noise meant to be caught as noise of such character, intensity or duration as to be detrimental to the life, health or welfare of any individual, or which steadily or intermittently annoys, disturbs, injures or endangers the comfort, repose, peace or safety of any individual. Subsection C tells the trier of fact in any prosecution to apply the standards and principles of common-law nuisance in deciding whether the noise is unreasonable and unnecessary.
Chapter 201 contains no clock hours, so it applies at every hour, while the 11:00 p.m. line belongs to the music clause in Chapter 172. Section 201-2 adds a flat rule for railroads: the sounding of any train whistles or horns in the Village is prohibited on any day at any time except in the case of an emergency.
Ridgewood outdoor cafes have their own closing time: § 156-89 requires them to stop business by 12:00 midnight and to clear patrons by 12:30 a.m.
Violations & Fines
Section 172-2 sends violations of Chapter 172 to the penalty provisions of Chapter 1, Article I, and Chapter 201 has no penalty clause of its own. Where no specific penalty is provided, § 1-15A allows one or more of the following: county jail for up to 90 days, a fine not exceeding $1,000, or community service not exceeding 90 days. Under § 1-15C each day a violation continues is a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time do Ridgewood's late-night music limits start?
Does Ridgewood set a decibel limit for noise?
Do the noise rules apply during the daytime?
Can trains blow their horns in Ridgewood?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Ridgewood
How Ridgewood compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·Compare Ridgewood to another location·View the New Jersey noise ordinances overview
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