Bellevue, NE Noise Ordinances: Vehicle Noise (2026)

Bellevue regulates vehicle noise through two separate chapters. Section 20-18(A) and (B), part of the Chapter 20 offenses cluster adopted by Ordinance 4058 on October 19, 2021, bar discharging the exhaust of a steam engine, stationary internal combustion engine, motor boat or motor vehicle into the open air without a muffler or other device that effectively prevents loud or explosive noise, and separately bar operating an automobile, motorcycle or vehicle so out of repair, overloaded, or otherwise handled that it creates loud, unnecessary grating, grinding or rattling noise.

Article VI of Chapter 19, Motor Vehicles and Traffic, adds § 19-70, adopted by Ordinance 4029 on April 20, 2021, which targets engine braking systems, commonly known as jake brakes, on semi-tractors and commercial vehicles: using or operating a braking system that emits loud, excessive or disturbing noise violates the article, though the section builds in a defense for a driver who used the brakes to reasonably avoid a collision or respond to another emergency. Neither section sets a decibel meter reading or a time-of-day exemption; both hinge on whether the noise is loud, excessive or unmuffled.

The Bellevue Police Department enforces both provisions, and because neither section states its own fine, violations of § 20-18 default to the Code's general penalty, § 1-11, up to $500.00 or six months in jail, or both.