Newton, MA Noise Ordinances: Vehicle Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Idling limit
- 5 minutes within 300 ft of a dwelling
- Heavy trucks over 10,000 lbs
- 86 dB(A) max
- Motorcycles
- 82 dB(A) max
- Cars and light trucks
- 75 dB(A) max
- Measured at
- 50 feet from the vehicle
- Maximum fine
- $300 per day
Summary
Newton limits how loud vehicles can be and how long they can idle near homes. No vehicle can idle within 300 feet of a dwelling, hotel or residence for more than five minutes, and vehicles measured 50 feet away must stay under 86 dB(A) for heavy trucks, 82 dB(A) for motorcycles and 75 dB(A) for cars and light trucks.
(4) No automobile, motorcycle, truck or vehicle-mounted refrigeration equipment or other motorized vehicle shall be left running when not in traffic, within three hundred (300) feet of any dwelling, hotel or residence, for a period of greater than five (5) minutes. ... (g)(1) Vehicles: All vehicles over 10,000 lbs. GVW or GCWR ...... 86. All Motorcycles ...................................................... 82. Automobiles and light trucks.................................. 75. Noise measurements shall be made at a distance of fifty (50) feet from the closest point of pass-by of a source or fifty (50) feet from a stationary vehicle.
Full Breakdown
Section 20-13(f)(4) targets idling directly: automobiles, motorcycles, trucks and vehicle-mounted refrigeration units cannot run for more than five minutes within 300 feet of a dwelling, hotel or residence while not in traffic. Section 20-13(g)(1) sets the separate decibel ceiling for a moving or stationary vehicle, measured 50 feet from the closest point of pass-by or from a parked vehicle: 86 dB(A) for anything over 10,000 pounds gross vehicle weight rating, 82 dB(A) for motorcycles, and 75 dB(A) for automobiles and light trucks. A tonal sound, defined as a pure tone, whine, hum or buzz, drops each of those limits by 5 dB(A) under subsection (g)(4).
Measurements must use a Type I or II A-weighted sound level meter meeting American National Standards Institute specifications. Someone who believes compliance would cause undue hardship can apply to the Mayor or a designee for a permit exempting a specific activity, weighing the noise pollution caused against the effort already made to abate it, with any denial subject to civil court review under Section 20-13(j).
Violations & Fines
A violation of either the idling limit or the vehicle decibel caps is a misdemeanor under Section 20-13(k), punishable by a fine of up to $300, and every day the violation continues counts as a separate offense. The Newton Police Department and Inspectional Services Department investigate complaints and must keep a written, publicly available record showing whether each complaint led to a warning, a fine, or neither, and why.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Newton
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Vehicle Noise in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle vehicle noise.