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Noise Code Penalty – Excessive Noise From Motor Vehicles

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Rule status: Adopted

Agency: DEP

Effective date: November 19, 2021

Proposed Rule Full Text
Noise-Code-PS-Rule-Aug-21-for-City-Record.pdf

Adopted rule summary:

Pursuant to the authority vested in the Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection by Section 1043 and subdivision c of section 1403 of the New York City Charter and Section 24-257 of the Administrative Code of the City of New York, the Department of Environmental Protection has adopted amendments to Chapter 47 of Title 15 of the Rules of the City of New York.

Chapter 47 of Title 15 of the Rules of the City of New York sets forth the penalties that may be imposed for violations of the Noise Control Code. This rule will prohibit persons from causing or permitting the total sound from a motor vehicle operating on any public right-of-way from exceeding the sound levels set forth in section 386 of the New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law and the rules adopted pursuant to such section.

Comments are now closed.

Online comments: 3

  • Eric E

    DEP should simultaneously greatly increase the penalty schedule for air code violations (including at least idling under 24-163), for at least first and second violations, consistent with the intent of Community Board demands such as the letter at https://cbmanhattan.cityofnewyork.us/cb4/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/02/07-TRANS-Letter-to-DEP-re-Increased-Idling-Enforcement.pdf

    Comment added September 7, 2021 8:10pm
  • Mark G

    Agreed. There have been an influx of vanity vehicles on the high end as well as “beater cars” that have modified their muffler to make more noise, rather than less. It extends from 4-wheel to 3- and 2-wheel motor vehicles. If able to make a distinction between the kind of noise needed to keep a motorbike running, versus excessive high RPM revving that causes a high-pitched, chain-saw type noise, these sounds echo and amplify 30, 40, 50 stories up along 42nd Street, and the noise-proud vehicles often circulate numerous times, turning neighborhoods into a raceway circuit. There is similarly an increase in cars that have x00 watt large speakers, like at nightclubs, sitting in the passenger seat. Funding enforcement and sound-activiated cameras will help make the proposed rule more helpful.

    Comment added September 17, 2021 7:49pm
  • JR Dobbs is Bishop

    What about the thousand cars with speakers 6 feet high, blasting in public mall parking lots like Home Depot or Target late weekend nights. Dozens of cars blasting their music with the thump, thump, thump felt and heard miles away between two or three neighborhoods. That is how loud it is! This is happening in the Bronx every weekend with no consequences. No seizures, no confiscation, no enforcement. What does it eff’in take! 311 calls are useless, actually 311 has become useless. So what is next.

    Comment added September 24, 2021 12:30pm