Parma, OH Noise from Specific Sources: Car Alarm Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Codified Ord. 337.19(a)(2)
- Theft alarm allowed
- Yes, if not usable as a warning signal
- Siren/whistle/bell on private cars
- Prohibited outright
- Penalty
- Minor misdemeanor
- State authority codified
- ORC 4513.21
Summary
Parma allows vehicle theft alarms but bars any device that doubles as an ordinary warning signal, and separately outlaws sirens, whistles or bells on private vehicles. Violating either rule is a minor misdemeanor under Codified Ordinance 337.19.
No motor vehicle shall be equipped with, nor shall any person use upon a vehicle, any siren, whistle, or bell. Any vehicle may be equipped with a theft alarm signal device which shall be so arranged that it cannot be used as an ordinary warning signal.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-30: Local legislation current to August 3, 2026 | State legislation current to June 25, 2025).
Full Breakdown
" The same subsection bans equipping any motor vehicle with a siren, whistle or bell outright, reserving those to emergency vehicles under Director of Public Safety approval. Emergency vehicles may run a siren, whistle or bell audible from 500 feet, but only while responding to an emergency call or pursuing a violator, and only to warn pedestrians and other drivers of the approach. 19(a)(2) regardless of how often it actually sounds. 19(c), added by Ordinance 277-94 (passed October 3, 1994), separately bars using a vehicle horn for anything except warning other drivers or pedestrians, which reaches a car alarm's horn-relay circuit if it is triggered without cause. 19 codifies locally. 19 itself; the rule is a design and use restriction on the alarm equipment rather than a noise-level test.
Violations & Fines
Equipping a vehicle with a theft alarm that can function as an ordinary warning signal, or with any siren, whistle or bell, is a minor misdemeanor under Codified Ordinance 337.19(b), citing ORC 4513.21. Misusing the horn, including an alarm-triggered horn sounding without cause to warn drivers or pedestrians, violates 337.19(c). Minor misdemeanors in Ohio carry up to a $150 fine and no jail time for a first offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I install a car alarm in Parma?
Is there a decibel limit for car alarms in Parma?
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Parma
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