Subchapter 6 - SPECIFIC NOISE SOURCES PLAINLY AUDIBLE AND OTHER STANDARDS

Section 24-233

Section 24-233

  § 24-233 Personal audio devices. (a) No person shall operate or use or
cause  to be operated or used any personal audio device in such a manner
as to create an unreasonable noise.
  (b) For the purposes of this section unreasonable noise shall  include
but shall not be limited to:
  (1)  the  operation  or  use  of  a personal audio device on or in any
public right-of-way so that sound emanating from such device is  plainly
audible  to another individual at a distance of 25 feet or more from the
source.
  (2) the operation or use of a personal audio device from on or  inside
a  motor  vehicle, whether moving, parked, stopped or standing, on or in
any public right-of-way so that sound  emanating  from  such  device  is
plainly audible to another individual outside of such motor vehicle at a
distance of 25 feet or more from the source.
  (c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to permit the operation
or  use  of  a  personal  audio device where such operation or use would
otherwise be prohibited pursuant to section  10-108  or  24-244  of  the
administrative code.

Section 24-234

Section 24-234

  §  24-234 Operation or use of sound reproduction device in or on rapid
transit railroad, omnibus or ferry. It shall be unlawful to  operate  or
use  a  sound  reproduction  device in or on any rapid transit railroad,
omnibus or ferry, other than  a  personal  audio  device  with  personal
earphones  such that sound from such earphones is not plainly audible to
another individual at a distance of 5 feet or more from the source.

Section 24-235

Section 24-235

  §  24-235  Animals. No person having charge, care, custody, or control
of any animal shall cause or permit such animal  to  cause  unreasonable
noise  including,  but not limited to, any sound that is plainly audible
at any location within any residential receiving property as  set  forth
below:
  (a)  At  or after 7 a.m. and before 10 p.m., continuously for a period
of 10 minutes or more.
  (b) At or after 10 p.m. and before 7 a.m., continuously for  a  period
of 5 minutes or more.

Section 24-236

Section 24-236

  §  24-236  Motor vehicles. (a) Motor vehicles, other than motorcycles,
with a maximum gross weight of 10,000 lbs.  or  less.  No  person  shall
cause  or  permit  any  motor  vehicle,  other than a motorcycle, with a
maximum gross weight of 10,000 lbs. or  less  to  operate  on  a  public
right-of-way  where  the  muffler  or  exhaust generates a sound that is
plainly audible to another individual at a distance of 150 feet or  more
from the motor vehicle.
  (b)  Motorcycles.  No  person  shall cause or permit any motorcycle to
operate on a public right-of-way where the muffler or exhaust  generates
a  sound  that is plainly audible to another individual at a distance of
200 feet or more from the motorcycle.
  (c) Motor vehicles with a maximum gross  weight  greater  than  10,000
lbs.    No person shall cause or permit any motor vehicle with a maximum
gross  weight  greater  than  10,000  lbs.  to  operate  on   a   public
right-of-way  where  the  muffler  or  exhaust generates a sound that is
plainly audible to another individual at a distance of 200 feet or  more
from  the  motor vehicle, except when compression brake systems are used
in an emergency to stop the vehicle.
  (d) (1) No person operating a motor vehicle containing  a  compression
brake  system  or  systems  shall apply such compression brake system or
systems except when such system or systems are used in an  emergency  to
stop the vehicle.
  (2) The department is authorized to post signs at every entry point of
the  city  containing  the following information: THE USE OF COMPRESSION
BRAKE SYSTEMS IS PROHIBITED ON STREETS WITHIN NEW YORK  CITY  WHERE  THE
SPEED LIMIT IS 35 MILES PER HOUR OR LESS EXCEPT IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY.
  (e)  No  person  shall  cause  or  permit the total sound from a motor
vehicle operating on any public right-of-way to exceed the  sound  level
set  forth  in  section 386 of the vehicle and traffic law and the rules
adopted pursuant to such section.
  (f) Subdivisions a, b, c and paragraph one of subdivision  d  of  this
section  may  only  be  enforced  on streets where the speed limit is 35
miles per hour or less.

Section 24-237

Section 24-237

  §  24-237  Sound signal devices. (a) No person shall operate or use or
cause to be operated or used any claxon installed on  a  motor  vehicle,
except as a sound signal of imminent danger or in connection with use as
an  audible motor vehicle burglar alarm as provided in section 24-238 of
this code.
  (b) No person shall operate or use or cause to be operated or used  an
air  horn  or gong installed on any motor vehicle other than as provided
in section 24-241 of this code.
  (c) No person shall operate or use or cause to be operated or used any
steam whistle attached to any stationary boiler, except to  give  notice
of  the  time  to  start  and stop work or as a sound signal of imminent
danger.
  (d) No person shall operate or use or cause to be operated or used  on
any  public  right-of-way  any electrically operated or electronic sound
signal device (other than a safety device, such as but not limited to  a
car  horn  or  back  up  signal,  that is actually used for its intended
purpose) attached to, on or  in  a  motor  vehicle,  wagon  or  manually
propelled  cart  from  which food or any other items are sold or offered
for sale when the vehicle  is  stopped,  standing  or  parked.  For  the
purposes  of  this subdivision the term "stopped" means the halting of a
vehicle, whether  occupied  or  not,  except  when  necessary  to  avoid
conflict  with  other  traffic or in compliance with a police officer or
other authorized enforcement  officer  or  a  traffic  control  sign  or
signal.  The  terms  "standing"  and "parked" shall be as defined in the
vehicle and traffic law.

Section 24-238

Section 24-238

  §  24-238  Audible  burglar alarm and audible status indicator. (a) No
owner of a building or of a motor vehicle shall  have  in  operation  an
audible burglar alarm thereon unless such burglar alarm shall be capable
of  and  shall  automatically  terminate  its  operation  within fifteen
minutes of its being activated in the case  of  a  building,  and  three
minutes  of  its  being  activated  in  the  case of a motor vehicle. No
audible burglar alarm on a motor  vehicle  shall  be  capable  of  being
activated except by:
  (i) direct physical contact with that motor vehicle; or
  (ii)  through  the use of an individual remote activation device, that
is activated from no further than 15 feet away from  such  vehicle  and,
that  is  designed to be used with the audible burglar alarm system of a
particular vehicle which alarm shall be capable of and  shall  terminate
its audible response within three minutes of its being activated.
  (b)  No  owner  of  a motor vehicle shall have in operation an audible
status indicator on such motor vehicle.

Section 24-239

Section 24-239

  §  24-239  Audible  burglar  alarm  or audible status indicator may be
disconnected. (a) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 24-238,  any
member  of the police department shall have the right to take such steps
as may be reasonable and necessary to  disconnect  any  audible  burglar
alarm  or  audible status indicator that is installed on a motor vehicle
at any time during the period of its activation.
  (b) The operator of any motor vehicle  on  which  an  audible  burglar
alarm  or  audible status indicator has been installed shall when parked
on a public highway or parking  lot  open  to  the  public,  prominently
display  the  number  and  telephone  number of the owner's local police
precinct where information shall be on file to permit communication with
the owner of such vehicle.

Section 24-240

Section 24-240

  §  24-240  Removal  of  vehicle  with audible burglar alarm or audible
status indicator. (a) Notwithstanding the provisions of section  24-239,
any  member  of  the  police department may arrange for the removal of a
motor vehicle from a public highway or parking lot open to  the  public,
when:
  (i)  an audible burglar alarm installed on such vehicle is operated in
violation of this code or an audible status  indicator  is  operated  on
such vehicle; and
  (ii)  all  reasonable  and necessary steps to disconnect such alarm or
audible status indicator have been  taken  without  success.  Authorized
personnel  of  the  department  or  the department of transportation may
request a member of the police department to arrange for removal of such
vehicle. When such removal is requested, the  notice  of  violation  for
operation  of  an  audible burglar alarm in violation of this section or
for operation of an audible status indicator shall state that  a  member
of  the  police  department  took  all reasonable and necessary steps to
disconnect such alarm or such audible status indicator without  success.
Such removal may be accomplished by utilizing any existing city-operated
tow-program, rotation tow program established pursuant to section 20-519
of  the code or such other procedures as may be established. The cost of
towing and storage of such motor vehicle shall be the responsibility  of
the owner or other person who claims such vehicle.
  (b) An opportunity for a hearing before the board shall be provided to
the  owner  of  a  motor vehicle removed pursuant to this section within
five business days after a request for a hearing is  made  to  determine
whether  there  was  a  basis for such removal. The board shall render a
decision within two  business  days  following  the  conclusion  of  the
hearing.  If  it  is determined that there was no basis for removal of a
vehicle pursuant to this section, the owner of such vehicle may  recover
from the city any amounts paid by such owner for towing and storage.

Section 24-241

Section 24-241

  §  24-241 Emergency signal devices. (a) No person shall operate or use
or cause to be operated or used any emergency signal device,  except  on
an  authorized  emergency  vehicle  when  such  vehicle is in the act of
responding to an emergency; provided  that  such  device  shall  not  be
operated  for  a  period  of time longer than is necessary to respond to
such emergency. Notwithstanding the foregoing, such a device on a  motor
vehicle  shall be lawful if designed and used solely as an audible motor
vehicle burglar alarm in accordance with section  24-238  and  a  device
attached  to  a  vehicle for the purpose of providing an audible warning
when the vehicle is backing  up  shall  be  permitted  even  though  the
audible warning may consist of a gong or bell sound.
  (b)  No  person  shall  operate  or permit to be operated an emergency
signal device installed on an authorized  emergency  vehicle  that  when
operated  at  the  maximum  level  creates a sound level in excess of 90
dB(A) when measured at a distance of fifty feet from the center  of  the
forward  face  of such vehicle. Within one year after the effective date
of this subdivision and every two  years  thereafter,  emergency  signal
devices  installed  on authorized emergency vehicles shall be tested and
certification shall be submitted, in a form approved by the  department,
that  such  devices  meet the standard set forth in this subdivision for
operation at maximum level. Notwithstanding  the  foregoing  provisions,
where compliance with the provisions of this subdivision would create an
undue hardship, the owner or operator of an authorized emergency vehicle
may  submit  a  plan to the commissioner for emergency signal devices to
meet the standard set forth in this subdivision within two  years  after
the  effective  date  of  this subdivision. Such plan shall be submitted
within one year after the effective date of this subdivision in lieu  of
the   required  certification.  This  subdivision  shall  not  apply  to
authorized emergency vehicles of the police department, fire  department
or authorized emergency vehicles responding to medical emergencies.

Section 24-242

Section 24-242

  §  24-242  Lawn  care  devices.  (a) No person shall operate or use or
cause to be operated or used any lawn care device:
  (1) On weekdays before eight a.m. and  after  seven  p.m.  or  sunset,
whichever occurs later; or
  (2)  On  weekends  and New York state and federal holidays before nine
a.m.  and after six p.m.; or
  (3) At any time in such a way as to create an unreasonable noise.  For
the  purposes of this section unreasonable noise shall include but shall
not be limited to  an  aggregate  sound  level  of  75  dB(A)  or  more,
attributable to the source or sources, as measured at any point within a
receiving  property. The provisions of paragraph (1) of this subdivision
shall not apply to an employee of the department of parks and recreation
or an agent or contractor of the department of parks and recreation  who
operates  or  uses or causes to be operated or used any lawn care device
between the hours of seven a.m. and eight a.m. in any location more than
three hundred feet from any  building  that  is  lawfully  occupied  for
residential use. The distance of three hundred feet shall be measured in
a  straight  line  from  the point on the exterior wall of such building
nearest to any point in the location at which such lawn care  device  is
operated or used or caused to be operated or used.
  (b) No person shall operate or use or cause to be operated or used any
leaf blower not equipped with a functioning muffler.

Section 24-243

Section 24-243

  §  24-243 Snow blowers. The provisions of this code shall not apply to
the operation of a  snow  blower  for  the  purpose  of  complying  with
subdivision a of section 16-123 of the administrative code.

Section 24-244

Section 24-244

  §  24-244 Sound reproduction devices. (a) Except as otherwise provided
in section 10-108 of the code, no person shall operate or use  or  cause
to be operated or used any sound reproduction device in such a manner as
to create unreasonable noise.
  (b) No person shall operate or use or cause to be operated or used any
sound  reproduction  device,  for  commercial  or  business  advertising
purposes or for the purpose of attracting attention to any  performance,
show,  sale or display of merchandise, in connection with any commercial
or business enterprise (including those engaged in the sale  of  radios,
television sets, compact discs or tapes), (i) outside or in front of any
building,  place  or  premises  or  in  or  through any aperture of such
building, place or premises, abutting on or adjacent to a public street,
park or place; (ii) in or upon any vehicle operated, standing  or  being
in  or  on  any  public  street,  park  or  place; (iii) from any stand,
platform or other structure; (iv) from any airplane or other device used
for flying, flying over the city; (v) from any boat on the waters within
the jurisdiction of the city; or (vi) anywhere on  the  public  streets,
public   sidewalks,   parks  or  places  where  sound  from  such  sound
reproduction device may be heard upon any public street, sidewalk,  park
or  place.  Nothing  in  this section is intended to prohibit incidental
sounds emanating from a sporting or an entertainment or a  public  event
for which a permit under section 10-108 of the code has been issued.