With the new noise pollution regulations going into effect this week, we’ll all be getting a little more peace and quiet.
Summary of noise regulations
Below is the summary, provided by the Ministry of Environmental Protection, of the primary components of the amended regulations.
- Limitation of hours for renovations and repairs in residential areas: prohibitions will be in effect between 10 pm and 7 [am] on weekdays and between 5 pm on a [day of rest] eve to 7 am on the day following the [day of rest].
- Limitation of hours for use of engineering equipment for excavation, construction and demolition work in residential areas: prohibitions will be in effect between 7 pm and 7 am on weekdays and between 5 pm on a [day of rest] eve to 7 am on the day following the [day of rest].
Prohibition on the use of firecrackers and detonators in residential areas and limitation on fireworks: fireworks will only be permitted at a distance of a kilometer from a residential area and between the hours of 7 am and 10 pm or on certain holidays (Independence Day Eve, Purim, Jerusalem Day Eve).
- Restriction on the use of noisy gardening equipment in residential areas: prohibitions will be in effect between 7 pm and 7 am on weekdays, between 5 pm on a [day of rest] eve and 9 am the following day, and between 2 pm and 4 pm on [days of rest].
- Prohibition on the operation of noisy leaf blowers in residential areas: since leaf blowers which do not cause noise do not exist, this prohibition is absolute.
- Prohibition on installing car alarms: the prohibition will enter into force on July 27, 2011. However, in the case of alarm systems installed prior to this date, a grace period of 6 years will be granted (July 27, 2017) in which to disconnect or remove the alarm.
Reporting violations
- Violations should be reported to the local municipality (by dialing 106) or to the police (by dialing 100)
- If local authorities are unresponsive, then complaints should be forward to the Ministry of Environmental Protection’s call center at *6911.
More information
Additional details of the noise prevention regulations can be found on the Ministry for Environmental Protection’s website in English or, with more details, in Hebrew.
Hi Guys
I have neighbours that every time there is party they have karoke parties loud which go on till 1pm in he night and disturbs our sleep in the nights.
please let me know what can be done.
Sorry to hear, Megha. Did you try reporting violations? Use the options listed in the article, and hopefully that will help.
Well, apparently these “new” laws are not enforced in Jerusalem. We just arrived here today, and I was more than a little incredulous to find that it was only 2am when I was awoken by loud construction noises. I went out on the balcony, and I could see a backhoe or some such working on a construction site on the corner of our block.
Back and forth, beep-beep-beep in reverse, bang as the bucket hits the ground, grumble-grumble of the engine, yelling of the construction crew – just a complete and relentless racket. Why this is allowed and how I’ll ever get back to sleep, jetlag notwithstanding, is beyond me.
That is rather unfortunate, Rona! Did you try reporting the violation to one of the bodies listed in the article above? In some localities, the municipal authorities are rather responsive.
Sorry it’s taken so long to reply, but I did want to update to say that it turned out it was overnight road repaving, not building construction, so while it was really bad for that one night, that was it, and the rest of the time, it was reasonably quiet at night for a city.