Kyle, TX Noise from Specific Sources: Low-Frequency Bass Limits (2026)
Key Facts
- Audibility threshold
- Audible 30 feet or more from vehicle
- Vibration threshold
- Felt as vibration 30 feet or more away
- Who is liable
- Person operating or controlling the vehicle
- Fine range
- $1.00 to $500.00 per offense
- Repeat violations
- Each day is a separate offense
Summary
In the City of Kyle, a motor vehicle stereo, radio or CD player is a noise nuisance under Kyle City Code § 23-60(13) once it is audible 30 feet away in a public place or on someone else's property, or once its bass causes vibration that can be felt at that same 30-foot distance.
(13) Motor vehicle stereos. Any person operating or controlling a motor vehicle to operate any radio, stereo receiver, compact disc player, cassette player or other similar device in the motor vehicle in such a manner that, when operating, it is: a. Audible in a public place or on private property other than that owned or occupied by the person at a distance of 30 feet or more from the vehicle; or b. Causes vibration that can be felt at a distance of 30 feet or more from the vehicle.
Full Breakdown
Kyle City Code § 23-60(13) sets a distance-based, rather than decibel-based, standard for vehicle sound systems: operating a radio, stereo receiver, compact disc player, cassette player or other similar device in the motor vehicle violates the section if it is audible in a public place or on private property other than that owned or occupied by the person at a distance of 30 feet or more from the vehicle, or if it causes vibration that can be felt at a distance of 30 feet or more from the vehicle.
The vibration clause is the code's specific answer to low-frequency bass, which can travel and be felt through a vehicle's stereo system even when it is not clearly audible as music at that distance. The subsection sits within the general § 23-60 nuisance declaration covering noise that causes material distress, discomfort or injury to persons of ordinary sensibilities, and applies to any person operating or controlling a motor vehicle, reaching a driver who parks and plays a stereo as well as one who drives past.
Section 23-61 separately makes whoever controls the property where the vehicle is stationed responsible for failing to stop the nuisance, and the penalty in § 23-64 applies the same as any other Article IV offense. The article dates to Ordinance 775, adopted February 4, 2014.
Violations & Fines
A vehicle stereo that is audible, or whose bass can be felt as vibration, 30 feet or more from the vehicle violates § 23-60(13) and exposes the driver or person controlling the vehicle to a fine of $1.00 to $500.00 under § 23-64, with each day or instance of the violation charged as a separate offense. The 30-foot measurement runs from the vehicle itself, not from a fixed property line.
Frequently Asked Questions
How loud can my car stereo legally be in Kyle?
Does bass that I can feel but not really hear count as a violation?
What happens if I get cited for a loud car stereo?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kyle
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Kyle to another location·View the Texas noise from specific sources overview
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