Scranton, PA Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)

Scranton's noise framework is Chapter 317 of the City Code (eCode360 SC1588), originally adopted as Chapter 22 of the 1979 Code and superseded by Ordinance No. 116-1996 on September 24, 1997. The receiving-district table at Section 317-8 is the quantitative core. For a lot in a residential district, the limit measured 10 feet inside the receiving property line is 69 dB(A) during the daytime window (7:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m. weekdays except holidays) and 64 dB(A) during the nighttime window (9:00 p.m.-7:00 a.m., plus the full day on Sundays, Christmas Day, Thanksgiving Day, New Year's Day, July 4th, Labor Day and Memorial Day). I-G and I-L industrial districts sit at 78 dB(A) at all times. Any other receiving lot line is at 70 dB(A) at all times. Section 317-7(A) layers a qualitative standard on top: 'No person shall make, continue or cause to be made or continued any noise disturbance' - meaning any sound that disrupts or injures the comfort, repose, health, hearing, peace or safety of persons; annoys, disturbs or perturbs a reasonable person with normal sensitivities; endangers or injures personal or real property; or exceeds the Section 317-8 table. Noncommercial public speaking and public assembly activities are expressly exempted, which is the Reed v. Town of Gilbert, 576 U.S. 155 (2015) content-neutrality safeguard. Section 317-7(C) creates a prima facie evidentiary rule: noise that disturbs two or more residents in separate residences who agree on times and duration is prima facie evidence of a noise disturbance. Enforcement is by the Scranton Bureau of Police under Section 317-3.