What's the dB limit?
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TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2005
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From: In a cave
What's the dB limit? Just wondering what the maximum decibel limit your car can go before the cops start to harass you or something? I tried searching at the DOT website but couldn't find anything. Any of you all know what it is or something close to it? Also, how do they go about testing your car to see if it is too loud or not?
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 525
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From: Benbrook, Texas/ Las Vegas, NV
There is no legal limit in Texas, it is up to the individual officers judgement. You'd probably get a ticket for faulty exhaust if you were much louder than 80-85 decibels at 50 feet. I know regarding radios if the officer can hear yours in his car it's too loud and he can write you a ticket.
In California though there is a standard for cars, it's around 76 decibels measured at 50 feet at freeway speeds and around 62 decibels at 30mph. Remember the old automatic LT1 Camaros with the 1 or 2 on the shifter? The ones with 2.73 gears couldn't be pulled into 1 low because at 30mph they were louder than the standard, the 3.23 geard cars would be in second gear at that speed so they were cool.
In California though there is a standard for cars, it's around 76 decibels measured at 50 feet at freeway speeds and around 62 decibels at 30mph. Remember the old automatic LT1 Camaros with the 1 or 2 on the shifter? The ones with 2.73 gears couldn't be pulled into 1 low because at 30mph they were louder than the standard, the 3.23 geard cars would be in second gear at that speed so they were cool.
By law, the sound decible level law can only be enforced and measured at the location where the complaint comes from (who ever calls the cops on you) . I do not believe that this implies to cars because they are always moving. A car would be extremely hard to enforce and prosecute in my opinion. If you get a citation for this I would fight it in court and you are almost guaranteed to win.
Just realized it was for exhaust and not sound so there is no way you anywhere near the noise level unless you are driving a pro street outlaw.
Just realized it was for exhaust and not sound so there is no way you anywhere near the noise level unless you are driving a pro street outlaw.
Ginger Hater
Joined: Mar 2004
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From: College Station, Tx
In Fort Worth, back in the high school days, it was something like, the cop could write you a ticket for disturbing the peace, but was rare, unless it was after dark.
In my current situation, i peak about 104db in a closed room 50x25ft for a live venue.
In a bigger auditorium we push around the same maybe 1-3 db higher.
120db for an extended period of time is when permenant damage can happen.
In my current situation, i peak about 104db in a closed room 50x25ft for a live venue.
In a bigger auditorium we push around the same maybe 1-3 db higher.
120db for an extended period of time is when permenant damage can happen.
Originally Posted by Spazdout
In Fort Worth, back in the high school days, it was something like, the cop could write you a ticket for disturbing the peace, but was rare, unless it was after dark.
In my current situation, i peak about 104db in a closed room 50x25ft for a live venue.
In a bigger auditorium we push around the same maybe 1-3 db higher.
120db for an extended period of time is when permenant damage can happen.
In my current situation, i peak about 104db in a closed room 50x25ft for a live venue.
In a bigger auditorium we push around the same maybe 1-3 db higher.
120db for an extended period of time is when permenant damage can happen.
i think he was talking about how loud can the exhaust get, not the stereo.....just a guess, since he was talking about looking at the D.O.T. website.
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Thread Starter
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 676
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From: In a cave
Just curious because I was driving around saturday night in my s-10 and we had just put dumps on it and low and behold a state trooper is cruising right behind me. I didn't crap my pants but I was thinking about it. He didn't do anything, but as for that pro street outlaw remark, that's another reason I was asking because of the camaro that I'm working on 
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