Grand Junction, CO Noise from Specific Sources: Low-Frequency Bass Limits (2026)

Grand Junction's vehicle sound-amplification rule does more than ban loud radios in the abstract: § 8.16.010(d)(1) pins down exactly what 'plainly audible' means for enforcement, and that definition expressly reaches the low end of the spectrum. The subsection defines plainly audible as any sound that can clearly be heard by unimpaired auditory senses along a direct line of sight of 50 feet or more, specifying that words or phrases need not be discernible and that the sound 'shall include bass reverberation.' In practice, that means a Grand Junction Police officer does not need to make out lyrics or even a recognizable melody from a vehicle's stereo to write a citation under § 8.16.010(d): a bass line or subwoofer thump that carries 50 feet from the vehicle satisfies the standard on its own.

The underlying prohibition in subsection (d) bars operating any sound amplification system, including a radio, tape player, CD player or loudspeaker, from within a motor vehicle on any street, alley, parking lot or driveway so that the sound is plainly audible outside the vehicle. The same exemptions apply here as to the rest of subsection (d): emergency and public safety vehicles, City and utility vehicles, unavoidable job-related noise, and vehicles in an authorized, permitted public activity. Because Chapter 8.16 sets no dedicated fine for a bass-reverberation violation, it is punished under the code's general penalty, GJMC § 1.04.090: up to $1,000 in fines and up to one year in jail for an adult, with each day counted separately.