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City of Boston Municipal Code
CITY OF BOSTON CODE OF ORDINANCES
THE CHARTER OF THE CITY OF BOSTON
CHAPTER I: GENERAL PROVISIONS
CHAPTER II: FORM OF GOVERNMENT
CHAPTER III: ACQUISITION AND DISPOSITION OF PROPERTY
CHAPTER IV: CONTRACTS
CHAPTER V: ADMINISTRATION
CHAPTER VI: GENERAL SERVICES
CHAPTER VII: ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
CHAPTER VIII: DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER IX: BUILDING REGULATIONS
CHAPTER X: HOUSING SERVICES
CHAPTER XI: PUBLIC SERVICES
CHAPTER XII: PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE
CHAPTER XIII: NATURAL GAS
CHAPTER XIV: LICENSING AND CONSUMER BOARDS, COMMITTEES AND OFFICERS
CHAPTER XV: DIVISIONS OF THE MAYOR’S OFFICE
CHAPTER XVI: PROHIBITIONS, PENALTIES AND PERMITS
16-A1 LICENSE AND PERMIT DENIAL, REVOCATION OR SUSPENSION.
16-A1.1 Failure and/or Refusal to Pay Municipal Charges.
16-A1.2 Safety Concerns and History.
16-A2 FINGERPRINTING AND CRIMINAL HISTORY RECORDS CHECKS REQUIRED FOR CERTAIN LICENSES
16-1 HEALTH.
16-2 HAWKERS AND PEDDLERS.
16-3 RESERVED.
16-4 TAKING OF SHELLFISH.
16-4A PROHIBITED ACTS IN WETLANDS; PERMITS.
16-5 FIREARMS.
16-5A REGULATING THE SALE AND MARKETING OF REPLICA FIREARMS IN THE CITY.
16-5B REGULATING REPLICA FIREARMS IN THE CITY.
16-6 BONFIRES.
16-7 BRICK-KILNS.
16-8 INFLAMMABLE ARTICLES.
16-9 OBSTRUCTION OF FIRE FIGHTERS AND FIRE APPARATUS.
16-10 THE MARKET LIMITS.
16-11 FANEUIL HALL MARKET LIMITS.
16-12 USE OF STREETS.
16-13 BRIDGES AND WHARVES.
16-14 RESERVED.
16-15 USE OF ROADWAY FOR VEHICLES.
16-16 STREET CARS.
16-17 MOVING BUILDINGS AND BULKY MACHINERY.
16-18 SIDEWALKS.
16-19 PUBLIC GROUNDS.
16-20 WATER SUPPLY.
16-21 WARD-ROOMS; FANEUIL HALL.
16-22 NUMBERING OF BUILDINGS.
16-23 NOTICES AND PLACARDS.
16-24 JUNK AND SECOND-HAND ARTICLES.
16-25 OBSCENE AND PORNOGRAPHIC MATERIAL.
16-26 UNREASONABLE NOISE.
16-27 NUISANCE CONTROL.
16-28 JITNEY LICENSES.
16-29 OPEN-AIR THEATERS.
16-30 ABANDONMENT OF AUTOMOBILES.
16-31 RODENT AND INSECT PREVENTION MEASURES AT CONSTRUCTION SITES.
16-32 FINES.
16-33 SIGNS, AWNINGS AND THE LIKE.
16-34 UNLAWFUL TO TAKE REPRISAL AGAINST ANY INDIVIDUAL WHO TESTIFIES BEFORE THE BOSTON CITY COUNCIL.
16-35 WORKPLACE SMOKING POLLUTION CONTROL ORDINANCE.
16-36 CIGARETTE SALES BY VENDING MACHINES RESTRICTED.
16-37 NON-EMERGENCY REPAIR OF VEHICLES.
16-38 PLACEMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF NEWSRACKS.
16-39 SALE OF DANGEROUS INSTRUMENTS.
16-40 LIMITING TOBACCO ACCESS BY YOUTH.
16-41 REGULATING MANNER AND PLACE OF SOLICITATION.
16-42 LASER POINTERS.
16-43 TRESPASSING ON PRIVATE PROPERTY.
16-44 SALE OF MERCURY THERMOMETERS BANNED.
16-45 PROHIBITING THE CARRYING OF KNIVES OR SIMILAR WEAPONS.
16-46 NONCRIMINAL DISPOSITION OF ZONING VIOLATIONS IN THE CITY.
16-47 PROHIBITING THE SALE AND/OR INSTALLATION OF A MUFFLER CUT-OUT OR BY-PASS AND PROHIBITING CERTAIN MODIFICATIONS TO EXHAUST SYSTEMS.
16-48 BOAT SLIPS AND MOORINGS.
16-49 IDENTIFYING JACKETS FOR VALET PARKERS.
16-50 AFTER-HOURS PARTIES.
16-51 CRACK PIPES.
16-52 MAINTENANCE OF VACANT, FORECLOSING RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES.
16-53 CLEANING OF COMMERCIAL COOKING HOOD AND VENTILATION SYSTEMS.
16-54 PROHIBITION AGAINST SALVIA DIVINORUM.
16-55 UNPAID MUNICIPAL FINES.
16-56 PENALTIES FOR VALID COMPLAINT PROBLEM PROPERTIES.
16-57 PUBLIC NUISANCE PROPERTIES.
16-58 OVER-THE-AIR DEVICES (“OTARD”).
16-59 PROHIBITION OF THE POSSESSION OR SALE OF SYNTHETIC CANNABINOIDS AND ILLICIT SYNTHETIC DRUGS.
16-60 RECREATIONAL VEHICLES.
16-61 REGULATION OF LETTER GRADING OF FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS AND FOOD TRUCKS.
16-62 ORDINANCE BANNING FACE SURVEILLANCE TECHNOLOGY IN BOSTON.
16-63 ORDINANCE ON SURVEILLANCE OVERSIGHT AND INFORMATION SHARING
16-64 AN ORDINANCE REGARDING TARGETED RESIDENTIAL PICKETING.
16-65 SAFE CONSTRUCTION AND DEMOLITION OPERATIONS IN THE CITY.
16-66 UNLAWFUL CAMPING ON PUBLIC PROPERTY.
CHAPTER XVII: LICENSES AND REGULATIONS AFFECTING CERTAIN TRADES
CHAPTER XVIII: FEES AND CHARGES
CHAPTER XIX: SCHOOLS
CHAPTER XX: CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS
CHAPTER XXI: MISCELLANEOUS PUBLIC BUILDINGS
CHAPTER XXII: SUFFOLK COUNTY
CHAPTER XXIII: TRASH AND REFUSE DISPOSAL
CHAPTER XXIV: BOSTON JOBS, LIVING WAGE AND PREVAILING WAGE ORDINANCE
PARALLEL REFERENCES
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16-23.3   Posting in Public Places.
   No person shall, without the consent of the Mayor, post up, or affix in any manner, or paint, print or write, or cause to be painted, printed or written, a notice, advertisement or bill, upon a curbstone, sidewalk, tree, telegraph-pole, lamp-post or hydrant, in a street or public place, or upon a walk, fence or building belonging to the city.
(CBC 1975 Ord. T14 § 350; CBC 1985 16-23.3) Penalty, see Subsection 16-32.6
16-23.4   Reserved.
   [Reserved]
(CBC 1975 Ord. T14 § 351; CBC 1985 16-23.4; Recodified by Ord. 1991 c.5 § 41) Penalty, see Subsection 16-32.6
16-24   JUNK AND SECOND-HAND ARTICLES.
16-24.1   Business Hours.
   No person keeping a shop for the purchase, sale or barter of junk, old metals or second-hand articles shall purchase any of the aforesaid articles or have his or her shop open for the transaction of business, except between sunrise and 9:00 p.m. of any week day except Saturday, on which day such shop may be kept open, and such articles purchased, from sunrise until 10:00 p.m.; and no such person or junk collector shall, directly or indirectly, either purchase or receive by way of barter or exchange any junk, old metals or second-hand articles from a minor or apprentice, knowing or having reason to believe him or her to be such.
(CBC 1975 Ord. T14 § 352; CBC 1985 16-24.1)
16-25   OBSCENE AND PORNOGRAPHIC MATERIAL.
16-25.1   Fine for Selling.
   Whoever sells, or distributes, or imports, or loans, or possesses with the intent to sell, or exhibits, prints or publishes for the purpose of selling or distributing a book, pamphlet, ballad, printed paper, phonographic record, print, picture, figure, image or description which depicts or describes:
   (A)   Patently offensive representations or descriptions of ultimate sexual acts, normal or perverted, actual or simulated; or
   (B)   Patently offensive representations or descriptions of masturbation, excretory functions, lewd exhibition of the genitals, shall be subject to a fine of $50 for each day on which such violation occurs or during which such violation continues.
(CBC 1975 Ord. T14 § 353; CBC 1985 16-25.1)
Editor’s note:
   This Section was passed in 1973, under the guidelines established in Miller v. California, 441 U.S. 925, 37 L. Ed 2d 419, (June 21, 1973).
16-26   UNREASONABLE NOISE.
16-26.1   General Prohibition and Definitions.
   (A)   No person shall make, or cause to be made, any unreasonable or excessive noise in the city, by whatever means or from whatever means or from whatever source.
   (B)   For the purpose of this Section, the following definitions shall apply unless the context clearly indicates or requires a different meaning.
      dBa. A-weighted sound level in decibels, as measured by a general purpose sound level meter complying with the provisions of the American National Standards Institute, “Specifications for Sound Level Meters (ANSI S1.4 1971)”, properly calibrated, and operated on the “A” weighting network.
      LOUD AMPLIFICATION DEVICE OR SIMILAR EQUIPMENT. A radio, television, phonograph, stereo, record player, tape player, cassette player, compact disc player, loud speaker or sound amplifier which is operated in such a manner that it creates unreasonable or excessive noise.
      UNREASONABLE OR EXCESSIVE NOISE.
      (1)   Noise measured in excess of 50 dBa between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., or in excess of 70 dBa at all other hours; or
      (2)   In the absence of an applicable noise level standard or regulation of the Air Pollution Control Commission, any noise plainly audible at a distance of 300 feet or, in the case of loud amplification devices or similar equipment, noise plainly audible at a distance of 100 feet from its source by a person of normal hearing.
(CBC 1985 16-26.1; Ord. 714 § 354; Ord. 1991 c. 4 § 1) Penalty, see Subsection 16-32.6
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