Auburn, AL Noise Ordinances: Vehicle Noise (2026)

For vehicle and exhaust noise, Auburn relies on Alabama state motor-vehicle law rather than a local decibel rule. Under Ala. Code Sec. 32-5-216(a), every motor vehicle must at all times be equipped with a muffler in good working order and in constant operation to prevent excessive or unusual noise, and no person may use a muffler cut-out, bypass, a muffler without baffles, or a similar device on a highway. Subsection (b) requires the engine and power mechanism to be equipped and adjusted to prevent the escape of excessive fumes or smoke. This statute is the primary basis for stopping loud exhausts and modified mufflers. For loud car stereos and amplified sound from vehicles, officers can also use the state disorderly-conduct provision, Ala. Code Sec. 13A-11-7(a)(2), 'makes unreasonable noise,' a Class C misdemeanor, when the sound unreasonably disturbs others. Auburn does not publish a separate local fine schedule or a numeric decibel limit for vehicle noise; enforcement follows the state traffic and criminal codes. Because these are state standards, they apply on public roadways throughout the city, including the busy student-housing and downtown corridors near Auburn University.