Babylon, NY Noise Ordinances: Vehicle Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Trigger
- >10,000 lb GVWR trucks
- Idling limit
- 30 minutes per hour
- Curfew
- 8 p.m.–7 a.m.
- Motorcycle cap
- 86 dB(A) at 50 ft
Summary
Trucks over 10,000 pounds GVWR can't idle or run auxiliary equipment more than 30 minutes an hour on a public street if the noise carries into a residential yard between 8 p.m. and 7 a.m.
No person shall operate or permit the operation of any motor vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) in excess of 10,000 pounds, or any auxiliary equipment attached to such a vehicle, for a period longer than 30 minutes in any hour while the vehicle is stationary for reasons other than traffic congestion on a public right-of-way or public space so that the sound therefrom is audible across a residential real property boundary or designated noise sensitive zone between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. of the following day.
(b) This subsection shall not apply to authorized emergency vehicles or to public utility vehicles actually engaged in any emergency repair activity.
I. Motorboats.
(1) No person shall operate or permit to be operated any engine-powered motorboat in any lake, river, stream or tidal waterway at any time, at any speed or under any condition of load, acceleration or deceleration or in any manner whatsoever, as to exceed a sound level of 84 dB(A) at the nearest shoreline or at 50 feet or 15 meters, whichever distance is less.
(2) This provision shall not apply to races or regattas conducted under United States Coast Guard permit.
(3) Mufflers shall be required on such motorboats in accordance with the Code of the Town of Babylon (§ 86-8).
J.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4941158; v66 updated 2026-05-13; through 05-13-2026).
Full Breakdown
Town of Babylon Code § 156-9H(3)(a) caps stationary heavy-vehicle noise: no motor vehicle over 10,000 pounds GVWR, or its auxiliary equipment, may run for more than 30 minutes in any hour while parked on a public right-of-way or public space if the sound is audible across a residential property boundary or a designated noise-sensitive zone between 8:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Emergency vehicles and utility crews on emergency repairs are exempt. The same section separately caps motorcycle sound at 86 dB(A) and off-road vehicles at 90 dB(A).
Violations & Fines
Excess idling or vehicle noise is enforceable under the chapter's abatement-order and enforcement provisions (§§ 156-17, 156-18), with fines set by §§ 1-15 through 1-17 of the Town Code.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can a delivery truck idle outside a Babylon home?
Are emergency vehicles exempt from the idling limit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Babylon
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