Two kinds of documents prescribe standards for noise measurements on machines and stationary equipment in the field. Fundamental methods of measurement are described in standards prepared by American National Standards Committee S1 for which the Acoustical Society of America serves as the Secretariat and by Technical Committee 43 of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Test codes applicable to specific types of equipment are prepared in the United States by engineering societies and trade associations. These two classes of documents should be mutually supportive and interdependent, but such is not always the case. The requirements of existing standards on noise measurementsin situare summarized, the shortcomings of these documents are described and the needs for new standards are reviewed.