New Jersey Noise Laws (2026): Quiet Hours, Decibel Limits, Fines

New Jersey has a statewide Noise Control Act (N.J.S.A. 13:1G-1 et seq.), but the decibel limits the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) adopted under it, 65 dBA by day and 50 dBA from 10:00 PM to 7:00 AM, apply to sound from industrial, commercial and community service facilities measured at a home, not to sound from a private home (N.J.A.C. 7:29-1.2, as the rule read before amendments published in the July 6, 2026 New Jersey Register). Quiet hours and limits for loud neighbors come from your municipal or county ordinance, and a violation can carry up to 90 days in jail, a fine up to $2,000, or up to 90 days of community service (N.J.S.A. 40:49-5). To compare other states, see our guide to noise ordinance laws by state.

Information last verified on 2026-10-11. This article has not been reviewed by a licensed lawyer.

Jurisdiction scope: This article covers New Jersey state law on noise: the Noise Control Act of 1971 (N.J.S.A. 13:1G) and the DEP Noise Control rules (N.J.A.C. 7:29); municipal ordinance powers and penalties (N.J.S.A. 40:48-1, 40:48-2, 40:49-5); disorderly conduct, disrupting a funeral and maintaining a nuisance (N.J.S.A. 2C:33-2, 2C:33-8.1, 2C:33-12) and their sentences; vehicle, off-road vehicle and boat muffler rules (N.J.S.A. 39:3-69, 39:3-70, 39:3-76.4, 39:3C-19, 12:7-23.2); noise-based tenant removal (N.J.S.A. 2A:18-61.1(b)); the shooting range and right-to-farm protections; and State Park Service noise rules (N.J.A.C. 7:2-2.11). It does not set out any city's or county's own noise ordinance, federal property rules, or other states' laws. N.J.A.C. 7:29 is quoted from DEP's courtesy copy of the rule effective February 17, 2026, which predates amendments published in the July 6, 2026 New Jersey Register; DEP notes that the official text is compiled in Title 7 of the New Jersey Administrative Code.

New Jersey noise laws at a glance

Does New Jersey have a statewide noise law?

Yes. The Noise Control Act of 1971 defines noise by its effect, not by a decibel number. Under N.J.S.A. 13:1G-3(d):

"'Noise' means any sounds of such level and duration as to be or tend to be injurious to human health or welfare, or which would unreasonably interfere with the enjoyment of life or property throughout the State or in any portions thereof, but excludes all aspects of the employer-employee relationship concerning health and safety hazards within the confines of a place of employment."

That definition governs the Act. The Act directs DEP to adopt and enforce rules, which may include "Curfew provisions which prohibit particular noisemaking activities or operations during particular days or particular hours," "Spill-over provisions which consider noise only to the extent that it spills over a property line," and provisions requiring mufflers and other quieting devices on machines and vehicles (N.J.S.A. 13:1G-4(b), (c), (e)). DEP may also receive or initiate noise complaints, hold hearings, and go to court to prevent noise and recover penalties (N.J.S.A. 13:1G-5(f)).

What the state decibel limits cover

Amendments to N.J.A.C. 7:29 were published in the July 6, 2026 New Jersey Register. Minutes of DEP's Noise Control Council say its guidance document needs updating for the amended rule, including procedural changes and modified definitions. The rule text quoted on this page, including the limits, definitions, exemptions, enforcement steps and local ordinance provisions, is the version in effect before those amendments. Check the current N.J.A.C. text or ask DEP before relying on any of it.

DEP's Noise Control rules state that the limits subchapter "applies to sound from industrial facilities, commercial facilities, and community service facilities" (N.J.A.C. 7:29-1.2). The core limit reads:

"No person shall cause, suffer, allow, or permit sound from any industrial, commercial, or community service facility that, when measured at or within any residential property line of any affected person, is in excess of any of the following: 1. From 7:00 A.M. to 10:00 P.M.: i. Continuous airborne sound that has a sound level in excess of 65 dBA ..." (N.J.A.C. 7:29-1.2)

From 10:00 PM to 7:00 AM the continuous limit drops to 50 dBA. Impulsive sound may not exceed a maximum of 80 dBA in either period, and at night it "shall not be repeated more than four times in any hour. Impulsive sound that repeats more than four times in any hour shall not exceed 50 dBA." The rule also sets octave band limits and a 65 dBA limit for sound received at another commercial or community service facility.

A few definitions decide whether the limits reach a given situation (N.J.A.C. 7:29-1.1):

• Residential property is "property used for human habitation, unless the habitation is a condition of employment," and includes private property used for human habitation.
• Commercial facility covers businesses such as dining establishments, retail and entertainment venues. An apartment, condominium, co-op, hotel or dormitory building that exceeds six dwelling units counts only "when they are the source of the sound that is being investigated and the source of sound is a mechanical device, electronic device, or sound production device owned or operated by the commercial facility."
• Affected person is a person who "has registered a noise complaint with an authorized enforcement agency" and has an interest in the property as an owner, tenant, or employee.

So a restaurant's rooftop equipment or a factory heard at your home can fall under the state limits. A party or a stereo in the house next door is not facility sound, so the state numbers do not apply to it; your local ordinance does.

Exemptions from the state limits

In the pre-amendment text, N.J.A.C. 7:29-1.5(a) lists sources the limits do not apply to, including agricultural activities (when farm equipment has working mufflers or equivalent sound reduction devices), bells and chimes used with religious services, emergency work when public health or safety is involved, motor vehicle racetracks, sound from aircraft operations, government-authorized not-for-profit public celebrations such as festivals and parades, public roadways, trains in motion, the unamplified human voice, shooting ranges maintained in the same location since January 24, 1972, emergency generators during an outage, and an unamplified band at scheduled school competitive events.

Fixed emergency sirens are tested only between 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM, and a full test of the emergency signaling system may happen no more than once a calendar month (N.J.A.C. 7:29-1.4(a), (b)).

Status of the rule

DEP readopted N.J.A.C. 7:29 effective February 17, 2026, with a new expiration date of February 17, 2033 (58 N.J.R. 1193). The same notice says DEP proposed amendments to the Noise Control rules in the June 16, 2025 New Jersey Register and that any further action on them "would be the subject of a separate notice in the New Jersey Register." The agenda for the July 14, 2026 meeting of DEP's Noise Control Council lists the 7:29 amendments as adopted and published in the New Jersey Register on July 6, 2026. This page does not describe what those amendments changed; before relying on any 7:29 provision in a dispute, check the current text of N.J.A.C. 7:29.

How state noise rules are enforced

Under the pre-amendment rule text, enforcement runs through an "authorized enforcement agency," which N.J.A.C. 7:29-1.1 defines as DEP, a local, county or regional health agency certified to perform noise enforcement, a municipality with a DEP-approved noise control ordinance, or a county or municipal employee currently certified in noise enforcement, each acting within its own jurisdiction.

When the agency identifies a violation, it issues an enforcement document. For a minor violation, the violator gets 30 days, or another reasonable period of up to 180 days, to correct it before a penalty is sought (N.J.A.C. 7:29-1.7(d)). A violation is minor only if it is not the result of purposeful, reckless or criminally negligent conduct and the same activity has not been the subject of an enforcement action against the violator within the preceding 12 months (7:29-1.7(f)).

The penalty itself is civil. Under N.J.S.A. 13:1G-14, a violator "shall be liable to a penalty of not more than $3,000.00 for each offense," collected in a summary proceeding under the penalty enforcement law, and "If the violation is of a continuing nature, each day during which it continues shall constitute an additional, separate and distinct offense." The agency may also go to court for an injunction (N.J.A.C. 7:29-1.7(b)).

Local noise ordinances: where quiet hours come from

Your municipality's power to regulate noise comes from the general ordinance statute, which lets a municipality "prevent disturbing noises" and "preserve the public peace and order" (N.J.S.A. 40:48-1(8), (6)), and from its general police power to adopt ordinances "not contrary to the laws of this state or of the United States" for the public health, safety and welfare (N.J.S.A. 40:48-2).

The Noise Control Act keeps stricter local standards in place. N.J.S.A. 13:1G-21 provides that nothing in the Act precludes a municipality or county board of health, "subject to the approval of the department," from adopting ordinances "which establish specific standards for the level or duration of community noise more stringent than this act." DEP's rule, in the text before the 2026 amendments, adds the conditions:

"A governing body of a municipality or county or board of health may adopt a noise control ordinance in accordance with the Noise Control Act of 1971, N.J.S.A. 13:1G-21; provided that the ordinance shall be more stringent than the Noise Control Act or the regulations promulgated pursuant thereto, must be otherwise consistent with the Statewide scheme of noise control, and meet the written approval of the Department." (N.J.A.C. 7:29-1.8(a))

Enforcement of such an ordinance "is limited to the authorized enforcement agency as specified in the ordinance" (7:29-1.8(b)).

Local penalties are capped by N.J.S.A. 40:49-5. A governing body may punish an ordinance violation by one or more of: jail for "any term not exceeding 90 days," "a fine not exceeding $2,000," or "a period of community service not exceeding 90 days." It may also require a minimum fine for a particular ordinance, fixed at no more than $100. A person convicted of violating the same ordinance within one year of a previous violation for which the person was fined must also pay an additional repeat-offender fine within the ordinance's fine range, calculated separately, unless the municipality has waived it by ordinance or resolution.

To find your rules, look up your municipality's or county's code and its noise provisions. Look for the quiet hours, any decibel limits, and the office the ordinance names to enforce it.

Loud neighbors: what you can do

The right route depends on where the noise comes from:

• A neighbor's home. The local noise ordinance governs. Contact the office the ordinance names as its enforcement agency.
• A business, factory, or a large apartment building's own equipment. The state limits in N.J.A.C. 7:29-1.2 can apply. Registering a noise complaint with an authorized enforcement agency is what makes you an "affected person" under the pre-amendment rule text (7:29-1.1), and DEP itself may receive complaints (N.J.S.A. 13:1G-5(f)).
• A fellow tenant. Under N.J.S.A. 2A:18-61.1(b), a tenant may be removed when "The person has continued to be, after written notice to cease, so disorderly as to destroy the peace and quiet of the occupants or other tenants living in said house or neighborhood." If the conduct continues after that notice, the landlord must also serve a written notice demanding possession at least three days before filing the eviction action (N.J.S.A. 2A:18-61.2(a)). This good-cause eviction statute, including its noise ground and notice steps, does not apply to owner-occupied premises with not more than two rental units (N.J.S.A. 2A:18-61.1, 2A:18-61.2). Our New Jersey landlord-tenant laws guide covers the eviction process.
• A lawsuit. A neighbor can sue in private nuisance. New Jersey courts treat noise as an actionable private nuisance when it injures the health and comfort of ordinary people in the vicinity and that injury is unreasonable under all the circumstances. In Rose v. Chaikin, 187 N.J. Super. 210 (Ch. Div. 1982), a court granted an injunction against a neighbor's noisy windmill on that basis.

The Noise Control Act does not take away other remedies: "No existing civil or criminal remedy now or hereafter available to any person shall be superseded by this act" (N.J.S.A. 13:1G-21).

Is loud noise disorderly conduct in New Jersey?

Not by its loudness in general. New Jersey's disorderly conduct statute, N.J.S.A. 2C:33-2, as amended in 2025 (L.2025, c.59), addresses fighting or threatening, violent or tumultuous behavior, creating a hazardous condition, offensive language, and disturbing a public gathering. None of its provisions is aimed at loud music or other noise as such. The closest provision is the offensive language offense:

"A person is guilty of a petty disorderly persons offense if, in a public place, and with purpose to offend the sensibilities of a hearer or in reckless disregard of the probability of so doing, he addresses unreasonably loud and offensively coarse or abusive language, given the circumstances of the person present and the setting of the utterance, to any person present." (N.J.S.A. 2C:33-2(b))

Each element matters: a public place, the purpose to offend (or reckless disregard), language that is both unreasonably loud and offensively coarse or abusive, and a person present it is addressed to. The statute defines "public" broadly, as affecting or likely to affect persons in a place to which the public or a substantial group has access, and lists apartment houses and "any neighborhood" among those places. A person who acts "with purpose to disrupt or cause a disturbance at a public gathering or event," or knowing the behavior will do so, commits a disorderly persons offense (2C:33-2(d)).

A separate offense protects funerals. From one hour before a funeral is scheduled to begin until one hour after it ends, a person who, with purpose to cause inconvenience, annoyance or alarm to the funeral or its participants (or recklessly creating that risk), knowingly engages in demonstration activities within 500 feet of the funeral, the procession or the place where it is held and "makes or assists in the making of noise" that disrupts or tends to disrupt the funeral commits the disorderly persons offense of disrupting a funeral (N.J.S.A. 2C:33-8.1). Demonstration activities include the "use of sound amplification equipment or device" that is not part of the funeral.

The sentence maximums are 30 days in jail for a petty disorderly persons offense and 6 months for a disorderly persons offense (N.J.S.A. 2C:43-8), and fines up to $500 and $1,000 respectively (N.J.S.A. 2C:43-3(d), (c)). These are "petty offenses and are not crimes within the meaning of the Constitution of this State," with no right to a grand jury or jury trial (N.J.S.A. 2C:1-4(b)(1)).

Maintaining a nuisance, N.J.S.A. 2C:33-12, is also a disorderly persons offense, but it requires a condition that "endangers the safety or health of a considerable number of persons," or premises where people gather to engage in unlawful conduct. It has no noise element.

Vehicle, off-road and boat noise

Mufflers. Under N.J.S.A. 39:3-70, "Every motor vehicle having a combustion motor shall at all times be equipped with a muffler in good working order and in constant operation to prevent excessive or unusual noise and no person shall use a muffler cut-out, bypass, or similar device upon a motor vehicle on a highway." The Judiciary's Statewide Violations Bureau Schedule, updated July 29, 2021, lists "Noisy muffler" at $55.00. That is the scheduled payable amount, not the statute's penalty range.

Motorcycles. In addition to the general muffler rule, motorcycles must have muffler systems "designed especially for motorcycles and of a type approved by the director" (N.J.S.A. 39:3-76.4). The same schedule lists $55.00 for failure to equip a motorcycle with special muffler systems.

Horns and exhaust devices. No horn "shall emit an unreasonably loud or harsh sound or a whistle," the driver may use the horn on a highway only "when reasonably necessary to insure safe operation," and no one may install or use an exhaust device that emits an audible sound unless the commission authorizes it (N.J.S.A. 39:3-69).

Vehicle noise standards under the Noise Control Act. A person who operates, or permits operation of, a motor vehicle on a public highway "which generates noise in excess of standards adopted by the department" faces a penalty of $25 to $1,000, enforced under chapter 5 of Title 39 (N.J.S.A. 13:1G-9). That penalty applies where a DEP vehicle standard, which DEP may adopt under N.J.S.A. 13:1G-6, exists and is exceeded.

ATVs, dirt bikes and snowmobiles. These must have working headlights, taillights, brakes and "proper mufflers as supplied by the motor manufacturer for the particular model, without modifications," and no one may ride one "in any manner as to cause a harsh, objectionable, or unreasonable noise" (N.J.S.A. 39:3C-19(b)). Riding on another person's land without the landowner's permission is also unlawful (39:3C-19(e)).

Boats. Every power vessel on state waters must have a muffler in good working order and in constant operation, with no cutout or bypass, and decibel readings above the limits set by rule, taken by a trained Marine Police or municipal officer, "shall be evidence of a violation" (N.J.S.A. 12:7-23.2).

Shooting ranges, farms and other protected sources

Shooting ranges. The owner of a handgun, rifle, shotgun, skeet or trapshooting range is "immune from liability where the liability is based upon noise resulting from normal operation of the range" in a civil case or a Noise Control Act proceeding (N.J.S.A. 13:1G-21.2). The immunity applies "only to a ... range located in this State which has been maintained continuously in the same location since January 24, 1972" (13:1G-21.3), and it never covers "willful, wanton, or grossly negligent" acts.

Farms. Under the Right to Farm Act, there is an irrebuttable presumption that a commercial agricultural operation that conforms to adopted agricultural management practices (or has been determined to be a generally accepted practice), complies with relevant federal and state law, "and which does not pose a direct threat to public health and safety" is not a public or private nuisance (N.J.S.A. 4:1C-10). Anyone aggrieved by a commercial farm's operation must file a complaint with the county agriculture development board, or the State Agriculture Development Committee where no county board exists, before going to court (N.J.S.A. 4:1C-10.1(a)). A qualifying farm's protected activities apply "Notwithstanding the provisions of any municipal or county ordinance ... to the contrary" (N.J.S.A. 4:1C-9).

Fireworks. Fireworks have their own statute in chapter 3 of Title 21 of the New Jersey Statutes. See our New Jersey fireworks laws guide for what is allowed and when.

State parks and campgrounds

In state parks, no one may operate a noise-producing machine, vehicle, device or instrument in a way that, in the judgment of the Superintendent or designated law enforcement personnel, "is disturbing to other park visitors, campers or employees." In camping and overnight facilities, "the hours of 10:00 P.M. to 6:00 A.M. are designated 'quiet hours'" (N.J.A.C. 7:2-2.11(c)). Audio devices and musical instruments may not be played "when audible beyond their immediate vicinity to the annoyance of others" (7:2-2.11(j)). The Statewide Violations Bureau Schedule lists $74.00 for excessive noise from a machine, instrument or device under 7:2-2.11(c).

Federal law

Federal law leaves neighborhood noise to states and localities. In the Noise Control Act of 1972, Congress found that "primary responsibility for control of noise rests with State and local governments" (42 U.S.C. 4901(a)(3)), and the EPA phased out funding for its noise office in 1982; EPA says the federal noise acts remain in effect "although they are essentially unfunded."

Related

• Noise ordinance laws by state
• New Jersey landlord-tenant laws
• New Jersey fireworks laws
• New York noise ordinance laws
• Pennsylvania noise ordinance laws

This article provides general legal information about New Jersey law, not legal advice. For advice about a specific situation, contact a lawyer licensed in New Jersey or your municipal or county government.

Last updated: 2026-10-11.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the noise laws in New Jersey?

The Noise Control Act of 1971 (N.J.S.A. 13:1G-1 et seq.) and DEP rules at N.J.A.C. 7:29 limit sound from industrial, commercial and community service facilities (rule text before amendments published in the July 6, 2026 New Jersey Register). Neighbor noise is handled mainly by municipal and county ordinances, which can carry up to 90 days in jail, a $2,000 fine, or 90 days of community service (N.J.S.A. 40:49-5). Vehicle mufflers and horns have their own rules (N.J.S.A. 39:3-69, 39:3-70).

What are the quiet hours in New Jersey?

Quiet hours for homes are set by your municipal or county noise ordinance. The state rule text in effect before amendments published July 6, 2026 sets a lower 50 dBA nighttime limit from 10:00 PM to 7:00 AM, but only for sound from industrial, commercial and community service facilities (N.J.A.C. 7:29-1.2). State park camping and overnight facilities have quiet hours from 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM (N.J.A.C. 7:2-2.11(c)).

What is the decibel limit in New Jersey?

For sound from an industrial, commercial or community service facility measured at a home: 65 dBA from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM and 50 dBA from 10:00 PM to 7:00 AM, with an 80 dBA ceiling for impulsive sound (N.J.A.C. 7:29-1.2), under the rule text in effect before amendments published in the July 6, 2026 New Jersey Register. A local ordinance may set stricter limits with DEP approval (N.J.A.C. 7:29-1.8).

Who enforces noise complaints in New Jersey?

The authorized enforcement agency, which can be DEP, a certified local, county or regional health agency, a municipality with a DEP-approved noise ordinance, or a certified municipal or county employee (N.J.A.C. 7:29-1.1, rule text before the 2026 amendments). A local noise ordinance is enforced by the agency the ordinance names (N.J.A.C. 7:29-1.8(b)).

Is a noise violation a crime in New Jersey?

The Noise Control Act penalty is civil, up to $3,000 per offense (N.J.S.A. 13:1G-14). The disorderly conduct offenses are petty disorderly persons or disorderly persons offenses, which state law says are not crimes (N.J.S.A. 2C:1-4(b)(1)), though they still carry jail and fine maximums.

What is the fine for a loud muffler in New Jersey?

The Statewide Violations Bureau Schedule updated July 29, 2021 lists $55 for a noisy muffler under N.J.S.A. 39:3-70. The statute requires a muffler in good working order to prevent excessive or unusual noise and bans cut-outs and bypasses on a highway.

Can a landlord evict a tenant for noise in New Jersey?

A tenant may be removed if, after written notice to cease, the tenant continues to be so disorderly as to destroy the peace and quiet of the occupants or other tenants in the house or neighborhood (N.J.S.A. 2A:18-61.1(b)). The landlord must then give written notice demanding possession at least three days before filing the eviction action (N.J.S.A. 2A:18-61.2(a)). This good-cause eviction statute, including its noise ground and notice steps, does not apply to owner-occupied premises with not more than two rental units (N.J.S.A. 2A:18-61.1).

Are shooting ranges and farms exempt from New Jersey noise rules?

Range owners are immune from noise liability for normal operation only if the range has been maintained continuously in the same location since January 24, 1972, and never for willful, wanton or grossly negligent acts (N.J.S.A. 13:1G-21.2, 21.3). A commercial farm that conforms to adopted agricultural management practices and poses no direct threat to public health and safety is presumed not to be a nuisance (N.J.S.A. 4:1C-10).