Noise Ordinance in Bangor, Maine
Noise in Bangor is regulated by Code of the City of Bangor, Maine, Chapter 194 (Noise), §§ 194-1 through 194-13. Quiet hours are varies by activity — see details. This page summarizes what the ordinance actually says, section by section, with links to the official code text.
What the Bangor Noise Ordinance Says
Bangor regulates noise through Chapter 194 of its city code, which is split into three targeted articles rather than a single general noise law. Article I (the "Sound Device Ordinance," §§ 194-1 to 194-5) covers radios, boom boxes, and car stereos on streets, sidewalks, and other public ways: sound is illegal if it is clearly audible more than five feet away, loud enough to interfere with normal conversation at that distance, and continues after someone asks the operator to turn it down. Police issue a written warning for a first offense; a repeat within 180 days means a court citation, a $50-$100 civil penalty, and possible impoundment of the device — or the vehicle it is installed in — for up to 30 days.
Article II (§§ 194-6 to 194-11) sets measurable decibel caps for vehicles, taken with a sound-level meter at 50 feet: 85 dBA for semis, trucks, and buses over 3.5 tons; 82 dBA for passenger cars, motorcycles, motor homes, and campers; 75 dBA for sound trucks; and 78-82 dBA for boats, snowmobiles, and ATVs (several cross-referenced to Maine statutes). Police can pull over and measure a suspect vehicle, order it towed if it exceeds the limits, and fines start at $100 for a first violation and $250 for each one after. Exemptions include emergency vehicles, aircraft, interstate trains, road construction, interstate highway traffic, farming, and Bangor State Fair events at Bass Park. Article III (§§ 194-12 to 194-13, added 2009) targets bars, taverns, and lounges: noise over 65 dBA in a neighboring building, on abutting property, or in the public right-of-way or any public area is automatic (prima facie) evidence of a violation, the owner is responsible for patron noise on the premises, and penalties run $50-$100.
Notably for residents: Bangor has no citywide "quiet hours" and no general residential noise ordinance — time of night is only one of six factors weighed in bar-noise cases. Loud-party or neighbor complaints outside these three categories are handled by police under other authority (the code separately addresses chronic problem properties in Chapter 99, Disruptive Property).
"It is the policy of the City of Bangor to prohibit unnecessary, excessive and annoying vehicle noise within the City of Bangor." — § 194-6
Quiet Hours in Detail
not specified in code — Chapter 194 sets no citywide quiet hours; time of day/night is only one factor considered for bar/tavern noise violations (§ 194-12A(4))
Decibel Limits
Vehicle limits (§ 194-9A table, measured per § 194-9B at 50 feet, dBA): semi/truck/bus over 3.5 tons GVWR = 85; passenger car/motorcycle/motor home/camper = 82; sound truck or powered motor vehicle (model planes/boats/cars/rockets) = 75; motorboat under 5 tons = 78; commercial boat over 5 tons = 82; airmobile = 78; snowmobiles 82 (pre-Feb 1975) / 78 (newer) and ATVs 82 (cross-referenced to state law, 12 M.R.S.A. §§ 13001, 7827); trains per federal 40 CFR 201 / 49 CFR 210 table (65-96 dBA depending on equipment and measurement site). If ambient noise is higher, limit is ambient + 5 dB. Bars/taverns/lounges (§ 194-12B): noise exceeding 65 dBA in any abutting structure, on abutting property, or within the public right-of-way or any public area is prima facie evidence of a violation. No zone-based (residential/commercial) dB limits exist.
Enforcement and Penalties
Art. I (radios/sound devices): Bangor Police Department; first offense gets a written warning, a repeat within 180 days goes to Maine District Court; civil penalty $50-$100 and/or impoundment of the device (or vehicle it is installed in) up to 30 days; $50 minimum waiver fine (§§ 194-4, 194-5). Art. II (vehicle noise): Code Enforcement Officer or any law enforcement officer with an approved sound-level meter; violating vehicles may be ordered towed at operator's expense; prosecuted in District Court as civil violations under 4 M.R.S.A. § 152; minimum $100 first violation, $250 each subsequent; railroads face an additional $250 minimum per day/observation until compliant test results are provided (§ 194-11). Art. III (bars): civil penalty $50-$100, $50 minimum waiver fine (§ 194-13).
Exemptions
§ 194-10 exempts from vehicle noise limits: aircraft operating under federal law or within the Airport Development District; aircraft in distress or emergencies; police/fire/emergency vehicles (including volunteer squads) responding to calls; interstate-commerce trains complying with EPA/DOT rules; public road construction projects; ambient traffic noise on federal interstate highways; farming under the Maine Agriculture Protection Act (7 M.R.S.A. § 151 et seq.); vehicles on the owner's own land (if property-line levels are met); and Bangor State Fair events at Bass Park (added by Ord. No. 02-46). No general construction-hours exemption or permit scheme exists because there is no general noise article.
Key Sections of the Code
| Section | What It Covers |
|---|---|
| § 194-1 | Title — "City of Bangor Sound Device Ordinance" (Art. I, Radios and Sound Devices) |
| § 194-2 | Definitions: radio, sound device, operate (includes car/motorcycle stereos) |
| § 194-3 | Operation restrictions — radio/sound device on public ways deemed a violation if audible beyond 5 feet, interferes with conversation, and continues after a request to lower volume |
| § 194-4 | Enforcement — Bangor PD; written warning for first offense, court citation and possible device impoundment for repeat within 180 days |
| § 194-5 | Penalties — civil penalty $50-$100 and/or impoundment up to 30 days; $50 waiver fine |
| § 194-6 | Vehicle noise findings and policy (Art. II) |
| § 194-7 | Definitions: dBA, ambient noise level, sound-level meter (ANSI standards), vehicle types |
| § 194-8 | Prohibited acts — noise exceeding § 194-9 limits deemed unreasonable |
| § 194-9 | Noise restrictions — dBA limits by vehicle type at 50 feet, distance-correction table, railroad noise table (40 CFR 201/49 CFR 210) |
| § 194-10 | Exceptions — aircraft, emergency vehicles, interstate trains, road construction, interstate highway traffic, farming, private land, Bangor State Fair at Bass Park |
| § 194-11 | Enforcement and penalties — CEO/police with sound meter, roadside stops, towing; minimum fines $100 first / $250 subsequent; railroad notice procedure |
| § 194-12 | Bars, taverns, lounges (Art. III) — disturbing/excessive noise prohibited; 6-factor test; 65 dBA at abutting property is prima facie violation; owner responsible for patron noise on premises |
| § 194-13 | Bar/tavern penalties — civil penalty $50-$100; $50 waiver fine |
Official Source
This summary is based on the official municipal code text. Always confirm current rules with the city before relying on them — ordinances are amended regularly.
- Code of the City of Bangor, Maine, Chapter 194 (Noise), §§ 194-1 through 194-13 — official code text (eCode360)
- Maine statewide noise ordinance guide
Last verified against the official code: 2026-07-08.
This page is an informational summary, not legal advice. For disputes or citations, consult the full code text or a local attorney.