New Exhaust Law in California

[Solid Red 98]

So..., California is at it again. Has anyone been hassled by cops for noise yet? I run a Corsa on my 98 and know that it is too loud for Laguna Seca, as well as the street, after Jan 1. Now frickin what? Between smog, front plates, pothole ridden roads, electric/hybrids cars, proliferation of SUVs and x-overs causing manufacturers to drop whole segments of offerings, and now exhaust noise. It seems that the 21st century is closing in on our love of cars, and the truly fun and "free spirited" days may be behind us soon. In any event, I wonder if they will buy the, "I bought this car with this exhaust" line will work on the dickhead cops that have time to screw with us out there. Just for giggles, can you still even get a stock exhaust for a Gen 2 anymore?

[99RT10]

I foresee a lot of exhaust systems going up for sale in California. I should drive my loud ass 99 to Cali to let them try to ticket me. that would be fun to see them try and collect.

[RedTanRT/10]

I foresee a lot of exhaust systems going up for sale in California. I should drive my loud ass 99 to Cali to let them try to ticket me. that would be fun to see them try and collect.

Mike, I'll call the "tip" line and give then your address!!

Maybe I'm getting to old but half the 20 year old here runs without mufflers. Nothing like a pack of 200 hp cars emitting 110 decibels at 2 am on a weeknight in your neighborhood. A redneck like you would be in jail by now if you lived on my block!!

[Fatboy 18]

I guess my 127db Viper wouldn't fair well in California?

[1ststrike]

Sorry to hear that. It seems what happens their happens to the rest of the states eventually.

[TOMBOTT2014]

So..., California is at it again. Has anyone been hassled by cops for noise yet? I run a Corsa on my 98 and know that it is too loud for Laguna Seca, as well as the street, after Jan 1. Now frickin what? Between smog, front plates, pothole ridden roads, electric/hybrids cars, proliferation of SUVs and x-overs causing manufacturers to drop whole segments of offerings, and now exhaust noise. It seems that the 21st century is closing in on our love of cars, and the truly fun and "free spirited" days may be behind us soon. In any event, I wonder if they will buy the, "I bought this car with this exhaust" line will work on the dickhead cops that have time to screw with us out there. Just for giggles, can you still even get a stock exhaust for a Gen 2 anymore?

Not to bring politics into this but its funny how California is worried about loud exhausts from Americans that have fun with their cars while illegals jump the border and costs the people of California a billion a year in medical costs and ect...

[dave6666]

Wait till Occasional Kotex passes her green bill.

[SilverACR]

wait till occasional kotex passes her green bill.

lmfao

[Desert Venom Racer]

Time for you Californians to move to Arizona:

Arizona does place some restrictions on modifications to your vehicle that can affect the sounds that it produces, such as the stereo system and muffler. While the state does not put any restrictions on the decibel levels of the sounds, there are requirements that may be subjective on the part of any officer called or who hears the sounds.
Sound system
Radios can’t be played at a volume that disturbs the quiet, disturbs sleep or annoys those who hear it, especially between the hours of 11 PM and 7 AM
Mufflers
Arizona muffler laws include:
Vehicle mufflers must be equipped and in good repair so as not to produce “unusual or excessive” noise levels.
Bypasses, cutouts, and similar devices are not allowed on vehicles driven on the highways
Exhaust systems must not permit excessive smoke or fumes to be released into the air

[Creatre]

Time for you Californians to move to Arizona:

Arizona does place some restrictions on modifications to your vehicle that can affect the sounds that it produces, such as the stereo system and muffler. While the state does not put any restrictions on the decibel levels of the sounds, there are requirements that may be subjective on the part of any officer called or who hears the sounds.
Sound system
Radios can’t be played at a volume that disturbs the quiet, disturbs sleep or annoys those who hear it, especially between the hours of 11 PM and 7 AM
Mufflers
Arizona muffler laws include:
Vehicle mufflers must be equipped and in good repair so as not to produce “unusual or excessive” noise levels.
Bypasses, cutouts, and similar devices are not allowed on vehicles driven on the highways
Exhaust systems must not permit excessive smoke or fumes to be released into the air

Never had an officer care or hear about an officer caring about exhaust sound in Arizona. These "rules" I think are the norms for most states and up to the officer discretion.

[river rat]

Dibs if you decide to sale the Corsa!

[BLRDViper]

Mike, I'll call the "tip" line and give then your address!!


Maybe I'm getting to old but half the 20 year old here runs without mufflers. Nothing like a pack of 200 hp cars emitting 110 decibels at 2 am on a weeknight in your neighborhood. A redneck like you would be in jail by now if you lived on my block!!

Stay the hell out of my neighborhood also. As the exhaust and Stereo sytems keep getting louder, guess what the rules regulating them will get tighter.
If you need to have a ground shaking window rattling exhaust system then you will be the one that forces the change in the laws.
I understand that the OP thinks he should be able to run whatever he wants to and to do it with no regard to anyone within ear shot he goes, but I do not agree.
BLRD

[GTS Dean]

If you need to have a ground shaking window rattling exhaust system then you will be the one that forces the change in the laws.

My 383 Challenger R/T was awesome back in the 80's! It had good mufflers, but didn't have resonators. With the Holley's idle jets adjusted optimally, it would vibrate the crap out of the windows in my college apartment complex as I slowly and carefully idled through.

[99RT10]

Time for you Californians to move to Arizona:

Arizona does place some restrictions on modifications to your vehicle that can affect the sounds that it produces, such as the stereo system and muffler. While the state does not put any restrictions on the decibel levels of the sounds, there are requirements that may be subjective on the part of any officer called or who hears the sounds.
Sound system
Radios can’t be played at a volume that disturbs the quiet, disturbs sleep or annoys those who hear it, especially between the hours of 11 PM and 7 AM
Mufflers
Arizona muffler laws include:
Vehicle mufflers must be equipped and in good repair so as not to produce “unusual or excessive” noise levels.
Bypasses, cutouts, and similar devices are not allowed on vehicles driven on the highways
Exhaust systems must not permit excessive smoke or fumes to be released into the air

You guys that voted dummycrat stay in that screwed up state and take it. We don't need your idiotic voting in the other 49 states. WA, CO and OR are already lost.

[harley56]

You guys that voted dummycrat stay in that screwed up state and take it. We don't need your idiotic voting in the other 49 states. WA, CO and OR are already lost.

Seriously, Not all of us are "You Guys."

[99RT10]

Seriously, Not all of us are "You Guys."

Maybe not all, but willing to bet most are. Hope it bite those that are in the ass............. hard.

[drewsss]

Maybe not all, but willing to bet most are. Hope it bite those that are in the ass............. hard.

Nah. Most aren’t, actually.

I’ll take my fine toasty state, even with a few dummycraps, over that far western state of fruits, nuts and flakes, any day of the week.

[Solid Red 98]

Nah. Most aren’t, actually.

I’ll take my fine toasty state, even with a few dummycraps, over that far western state of fruits, nuts and flakes, any day of the week.

Excellent! One less person crowding things. I wish more felt this way. lol

[nrs1]

You guys that voted dummycrat stay in that screwed up state and take it. We don't need your idiotic voting in the other 49 states. WA, CO and OR are already lost.

Yes...and AZ is turning colors due in part to blues trying to get away from the idiocracy, but bringing their views to our state.

[AustinK]

SEMA just published a resource that clears up this law. It contains three notable points:

• Exhaust noise level: The 95 dbA level is not new, and it did not change. This has been around since 2003.
• Aftermarket exhaust legality: It is perfectly legal to modify and install aftermarket exhaust, so long as it does not exceed the 95 dbA level.
• $1,000 fine: There's more to the story. While it looks like the $1,000 fine is possible, it doesn't start there. From SEMA: "According to the Judicial Council of California’s Uniform Bail and Penalty Schedules for 2019, the suggested base fine/fee for a first conviction is $25 with a total fee of $193."

I find the "base fine of $25 with a total fee of $193" to be a hilarious example of the shear size, scale, and inefficiency of California's corrupt bureaucracy, but I digress...

Yes...and AZ is turning colors due in part to blues trying to get away from the idiocracy, but bringing their views to our state.

This really frustrates me. People in the Bay Area complain all the time about the cost of living, taxes, barriers to opening and running a company, and limits on personal freedoms here. They rant and rave about how "cheap" and "open" states like Texas are. Then they move there...and vote exactly the same way they did in California.

[Bryan Savage]

So..., California is at it again. Has anyone been hassled by cops for noise yet? I run a Corsa on my 98 and know that it is too loud for Laguna Seca, as well as the street, after Jan 1. Now frickin what? Between smog, front plates, pothole ridden roads, electric/hybrids cars, proliferation of SUVs and x-overs causing manufacturers to drop whole segments of offerings, and now exhaust noise. It seems that the 21st century is closing in on our love of cars, and the truly fun and "free spirited" days may be behind us soon. In any event, I wonder if they will buy the, "I bought this car with this exhaust" line will work on the dickhead cops that have time to screw with us out there. Just for giggles, can you still even get a stock exhaust for a Gen 2 anymore?

http://www.californiacarlaws.com/exhaust-noise/

Vehicle Code 21750. Adequate muffler required
27150. (a) Every motor vehicle subject to registration shall at all times be equipped with an adequate muffler in constant operation and properly maintained to prevent any excessive or unusual noise, and no muffler or exhaust system shall be equipped with a cutout, bypass, or similar device.

Vehicle Code 27151. Modification of exhaust systems
(a) No person shall modify the exhaust system of a motor vehicle in a manner which will amplify or increase the noise emitted by the motor of the vehicle so that the vehicle is not in compliance with the provisions of Section 27150 or exceeds the noise limits established for the type of vehicle in Article 2.5 (commencing with Section 27200). No person shall operate a motor vehicle with an exhaust system so modified.
(b) For the purposes of exhaust systems installed on motor vehicles with a manufacturer’s gross vehicle weight rating of less than 6,000 pounds, other than motorcycles, a sound level of 95 dbA or less, when tested in accordance with Society of Automotive Engineers Standard J1169 May 1998, complies with this section. Motor vehicle exhaust systems or parts thereof include, but are not limited to, nonoriginal exhaust equipment.

So The interpretation is that all exhausts need to have a muffler installed that's in "working condition", and you can't install an exhaust that's louder that 95 dbA.

No doubt this might be tough, but 95 dbA is pretty loud. You are just going to have to add some muffling.

According to the SAE, J1169 1998 was revised in 2007, and SAE's website says that J1169 2007 and was canceled and replaced by J1492.
https://www.sae.org/standards/content/j1169_200707/

SAE J1169 is titled "Measurement of Light Vehicle Exhaust Sound Level under Stationary Conditions". The Abstract of the spec says "Technology changes have occurred that make the SAE J1169 procedure inadequate." J1492 is titled "Measurement of Light Vehicle Stationary Exhaust System Sound Level Engine Speed Sweep Method".

But don't you worry about that. California uses the 1998 version by reference. This might be something that can be checked on the roadside by a police officer. You can buy a copy of J1169, but it's $81 and I'm not spending that. lol

My IHS summary mentions "SAE J1169 is a legacy test that specifies 3/4 maximum rated engine speed (MRES) as the test condition."

My guess is that if you get pulled over for a suspected out-of-compliance exhaust, the cop might be able to make you rev it to 3/4 of redline and hold it there while they measure the decibel level at some distance. I do not read this law to say "all aftermarket exhausts are illegal". It just sounds like you can't install one that make it louder than 95 dbA during a roadside test. J1169 has nothing to do with vehicles under load, so keep that in your pocket if you wish to argue.

[AustinK]

No doubt this might be tough, but 95 dbA is pretty loud. You are just going to have to add some muffling.

Does anyone have a reference for how loud 95 dbA would be? I found this video, but it's not quite translatable to a Viper.

[thetalonguy]

Million dollar question will be if they eventually make it a mandatory pass/fail test during inspection.

[dave6666]

Get an SPL meter app for your cell phone. Or move to a non communist country that doesn't mess with your car. Like Texas.

[AustinK]

So upon further research, it looks like the core law hasn't largely changed, but the enforcement has. Here's what I gather:

• The noise limitation is not new. A limitation of 95 dbA has always existed and that did not change with this law.
• The citation has changed. You're now guaranteed a $1,000 fine (though some sources say it could be as "low" as $200) and a trip to the State Referee. In the past, the officer could choose to issue a Fix It ticket instead, but the fine was still an option. Now the Fix It ticket is gone and the fine is guaranteed. With that said, the officer could still choose to issue a warning instead.
• The enforcement has been broadened. It gives a lot of power to the officer, is deliberately vague, and targets modified exhausts.

Supposedly, this is intended to crack down on street racers in LA, and I think there's some truth to that. But it doesn't change the fact that the law could be enforced in other ways (ie. to harass a Viper owner).

However, because the noise limitation has not changed, I'm inclined to believe that this law won't affect us much. If you haven't been pulled over in the past for loud exhaust, you likely wouldn't be pulled over in the future. This doesn't change what gets you pulled over. It changes what happens after you get pulled over. At least, that's how I'm interpreting it. But time will tell.

Has anyone here been pulled over for loud exhaust in the past?

Get an SPL meter app for your cell phone. Or move to a non communist country that doesn't mess with your car. Like Texas.

LOL trust me, I plan to do that. The SPL Meter app will be helpful for now though. Thanks.