How to file a noise complaint in Jersey City

Last updated: October 5, 2026

Documenting this? A dated log of when the noise started, when it stopped and how loud it got is what Jersey City acts on. Log noise levels for a complaint — free, runs in your browser, records no audio.

Jersey City noise complaint at a glance
Quiet hours	10:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. (50 dBA outdoors, 40 dBA indoors at homes)
How it is enforced	Decibel limits for some sources, audibility for others
Emergencies	911
Ordinance	Code of Jersey City

Official text: Code of Jersey City, New Jersey, Chapter 222 "Noise," Article I "Noise Restrictions," §§ 222-1 through 222-5.7 (added 1-25-2017 by Ord. No. 17-007, which repealed the former Article I and adopted revisions to local noise-control regulations recommended by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection; the editor redesignated the ordinance's §§ 222-6 to 222-12 as §§ 222-5.1 to 222-5.7; § 222-5D amended 9-23-2020 by Ord. No. 20-074): 222-1 findings and policy, 222-2 definitions, 222-3 applicability, 222-4 exemptions, 222-5 enforcement officers, 222-5.1 measurement protocols, 222-5.2 maximum permissible sound levels (Tables I to III), 222-5.3 sound production devices (Table IV), 222-5.4 restricted uses and activities, 222-5.5 motor vehicles, 222-5.6 enforcement, 222-5.7 severability; Article II "Sound Trucks," §§ 222-6 to 222-8 (1971 Code, readopted 9-19-1978 by Ord. No. S-128); with §§ 157-2, 157-3, 157-4C and 157-10.1 (entertainment license decibel limits, hours and no variance), § 242-11 (disturbing the peace, Ord. No. 19-047), § 242-11.1 (outdoor industrial work hours, Ord. No. 21-046), §§ 255-3 and 255-6D (short-term rentals), §§ 67-4C(3) and 67-14C(3) (pedestrian malls), § 160-1W (noise fees) and § 1-25 (general penalty). Text read on Municode (the City's code host; "Covering Ordinances through 25-054, adopted May 7, 2025 (Supp. No. 52)") on 2026-10-05..

Where to file in Jersey City

The City's Office of Code Compliance page says: "Report complaints to the Resident Response Center 201-547-4900 or SeeClickFix form below." The Resident Response Center page lists phone (201) 547-4900, offices at 280 Grove Street (Basement) and 4 Jackson Square (39 Kearney Ave), hours "Monday-Friday; 9AM-5PM", and encourages residents to use SeeClickFix for quality-of-life reports. For police response, the Division of Police page says "Emergency: Call 911" and "Police Non-emergency: Call 201-547-5477" (contact box: "Non-Emergency: (201) 547-5477"); the City Directory lists the same number with "9am - 5pm Mon - Fri" beside the Police Department entry, while the police page itself gives no hours. Under § 222-5 the chapter is enforced by noise control officers (certified in noise enforcement; any section), noise control investigators (only sections that need no sound level meter, such as plainly audible, time-of-day and distance rules), and code enforcement inspectors and police officers who have completed the Rutgers Noise Technical Assistance Center noise enforcement certification. The Hudson Regional Health Commission, which § 222-5.6D names alongside the City, says it enforces the state noise regulations (N.J.A.C. 7:29) for fixed commercial and industrial sources under delegation from NJDEP and "does not have jurisdiction over construction noise, intra-building noise, or residential noise sources (such as loud neighbors or boom boxes)"; its page lists 201-223-1133. Sources: https://www.jerseycitynj.gov/cityhall/public_safety/prosecutor/officeofcodecompliance, https://www.jerseycitynj.gov/residentresources/rrc, https://www.jerseycitynj.gov/cityhall/public_safety/police, https://www.jerseycitynj.gov/cityhall/citydirectory and https://www.hudsonregional.gov/programs/environmental.

From the city's official pages and code, verified 2026-10-05. Numbers and departments change; if a line does not answer, the city's main switchboard or 311 can redirect you.

Before you call

Log it. Date, start and end time, what the noise was and where you heard it from. Three dated entries carry more weight than one angry call.
Measure it if you can. Jersey City sets measured limits, so a reading near the limit is direct evidence. The free noise log runs in your browser, records nothing, and saves a dated report.
Check the rule. Quiet hours in Jersey City are 10:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. (50 dBA outdoors, 40 dBA indoors at homes). The Jersey City noise ordinance page quotes the code verbatim, so you can cite the section.
Try the source once. A neighbour, landlord or venue manager often fixes it faster than the city does, and telling them first strengthens a later complaint.

What happens after you file

Non-emergency noise reports are queued, not dispatched, so a first call rarely ends the noise that night. What it does is start a record against the address. Repeated reports, a dated log and a reading are what move a case from a warning to a citation. Where the city needs an officer to witness the noise, as most audibility rules require, file while it is happening rather than the next morning.

How loud is Jersey City in general? The Jersey City noise map shows the federal transportation-noise data for every neighbourhood, and the apartment quiet hours page compares every city's night rule.

Who do I call for a noise complaint in Jersey City?

What are the quiet hours in Jersey City?

10:00 p.m. – 7:00 a.m. (50 dBA outdoors, 40 dBA indoors at homes). The full rule, quoted from the code, is on the Jersey City noise ordinance page.

Should I call 911 for noise in Jersey City?

Only if there is danger, a threat or a crime in progress. For ongoing noise use the non-emergency police line or the department named above; repeated calls build an official record tied to the address, which is what code enforcement acts on.

What evidence helps a noise complaint in Jersey City?

Jersey City uses both decibel limits and audibility rules, so keep a dated log and take readings when you can; which rule applies depends on the source of the noise.

This page is a plain-language guide to the reporting route, not legal advice. Ordinances and contact numbers get amended; check the linked official sources before relying on a specific provision.