Framingham, MA Noise Ordinances: Vehicle Noise (2026)

Section 332-7 of the Framingham City Code, amended April 30, 2024, prohibits operating a public or private motor vehicle or motorcycle on a public right-of-way at any time in a manner where its emitted sound level exceeds the limits in Table 3, measured at a distance of 50 feet, or 15 meters, from the center line of travel. Table 3 splits limits by vehicle class and by the posted speed limit of the road: on roads posted 35 mph or below, motorcycles cannot exceed 82 dB(A); above 35 mph, the motorcycle limit rises to 86 dB(A).

The same speed-based structure applies to heavier vehicle classes elsewhere in the table. The rule covers mufflers, engine noise and modified exhausts generating excess sound, while amplified vehicle stereo audible across a residential boundary is separately barred at night under Section 332-4C(1) and (4). Enforcement runs through Section 332-8: an officer must personally hear the excess noise before citing a violation. Complaints are handled by the Framingham Police Department under Section 332-11, with the same written-warning-then-fine structure in Section 332-12 applied to a sustained violation.