Boston noise rules at a glance
- Governing code: City of Boston Municipal Code, Section 16-26 (Unreasonable Noise)
- Quiet hours: 11:00 PM – 7:00 AM
- How violations are judged: Measured decibel limits
- Complaints: BOS:311
How Boston decides what counts as too loud
Boston is unusually clear-cut: a single pair of numeric thresholds applies citywide, measured no closer than the lot line or the nearest affected dwelling.
Noise limits in Boston
| Applies to | Daytime | Night |
|---|---|---|
| Citywide, at the lot line or nearest affected dwelling | 70 dBA | 50 dBA, 11:00 PM – 7:00 AM |
What's specific to Boston
- The flat 50/70 dBA structure makes Boston one of the easier cities to document with a meter — the reading itself can establish the violation.
- Measure at the lot line or inside the affected dwelling, not next to the source, or the reading will not match the standard.
What Boston residents most often report
- Bar and restaurant noise in dense neighbourhoods such as Allston and the North End.
- Construction outside permitted hours, enforced by the Environment Department.
- Car alarms and amplification devices, which the code addresses specifically.
How to measure it in Boston
Boston is the easiest of these cities to document because the number is absolute. Measure at your lot line or inside the affected dwelling — explicitly not closer to the source — and compare against 70 dBA, or 50 dBA between 11:00 PM and 7:00 AM. A reading taken next to the source will overstate the level and will not match the standard the inspector applies.
Record levels with the free online decibel meter, and log the date, start time and duration with each reading. A phone microphone is accurate to roughly ±2 dB and is not a calibrated instrument — enough to establish a pattern, not enough for an enforcement hearing.
Turn your readings into something you can file
BOS:311 will ask when the noise happens and how long it lasts. A live decibel reading answers neither. Pro records a timestamped session — a ten-minute check or a full night — charts the whole thing, and exports a PDF with the dates, times, duration and the statistics that describe a pattern rather than a moment.
- Timestamped sessions with the recording timezone
- Leq and L10/L50/L90 background levels
- Print-ready PDF report, one click
- Your last 25 sessions, kept on your device
Measurements stay on your device on the subscription plans. A phone microphone is not a calibrated instrument — a session establishes a pattern, and this page is not legal advice.
Penalties in Boston
Fines per violation, with the Environment Department and Boston Police both able to enforce.
How to file a noise complaint in Boston
BOS:311 for most noise; Boston Police for loud parties. The Environment Department enforces the noise regulations.
Sources
Municipal codes are amended regularly and enforcement practice varies by neighbourhood and agency. This page summarises the code as of 2026-08-02 and is not legal advice — confirm against the linked code before relying on any figure, and consult a lawyer for a dispute.
Noise ordinances in other metros
See all US metro noise ordinances or read how many decibels is too loud.