Boston, MA Noise Ordinances: Vehicle Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Banned
- Muffler cut-outs and by-passes
- Banned
- Exhaust mods that amplify noise
- First offense fine
- $100–$250
- Third+ offense fine
- $500–$1,000
- Motorcycle rule
- Federal EPA exhaust label required (post-1982)
- Missing-label fine
- $300 flat
Summary
Boston bans selling or installing a muffler with the baffles removed, an exhaust system modified to amplify noise, or any muffler cut-out or by-pass, under City Code § 16-47(A). Fines climb from $100–$250 for a first offense to $500–$1,000 for a third. Post-1982 motorcycles must also carry the required Federal EPA exhaust label to be driven in the city.
(A)(1) No person shall sell, offer for sale or install on or in any motor vehicle or trailer: (a) A muffler from which the baffle plates, screens or other original internal parts have been removed and not replaced; (b) An exhaust system which has been modified in a manner which will result in an amplification or an increase in the noise emitted by the exhaust system; or (c) A muffler cut-out or by-pass. (2) A first violation of this Section shall be punishable by a fine of not less than $100 and not more than $250... a third and all subsequent violations shall be punishable by a fine of not less than $500 and not more than $1,000. (B)(1) No person shall park, use or operate a motorcycle, within the city, manufactured subsequent to December 31, 1982 that does not bear the required applicable Federal EPA exhaust system label pursuant to the 40 C.F.R. Volume 24, Part 205, Subparts D and Subpart E.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-2: Current through Ordinance 2025 C. 14, passed 11-5-2025).
Full Breakdown
Section 16-47(A)(1) prohibits selling, offering for sale, or installing on any motor vehicle or trailer: a muffler with its baffle plates, screens or other internal parts removed and not replaced; an exhaust system modified in a way that amplifies or increases the noise it emits; or a muffler cut-out or by-pass. Penalties escalate with each offense under (A)(2): $100 to $250 for a first violation, $250 to $500 for a second, and $500 to $1,000 for a third and every one after that.
Subsection (B) targets motorcycles specifically: no one may park, use or operate a motorcycle made after December 31, 1982 within the city unless it carries the Federal EPA exhaust system label required under 40 C.F.R. Volume 24, Part 205, Subparts D and E. A violation of the label requirement carries a flat $300 fine, and the Commissioner of the Boston Police Department, or a designee, enforces it. The Section traces to Ordinances of 1982, was recodified as 16-47 in the 1985 Code Book, and was last amended by Ordinances of 2009, Chapter 4. Together the two subsections target both the mechanical modification of a vehicle's exhaust and continued operation of an unlabeled, non-compliant motorcycle, closing off both the point-of-sale and the on-street enforcement angles for illegally loud vehicle exhaust.
Violations & Fines
A first muffler cut-out or exhaust-modification violation costs $100 to $250, rising to $250–$500 for a second and $500–$1,000 for a third or later offense (§ 16-47(A)(2)). Operating a post-1982 motorcycle without the required Federal EPA exhaust label is a flat $300 fine per violation (§ 16-47(B)(2)), enforced by the Boston Police Department Commissioner or designee.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it illegal to remove my muffler's baffles in Boston?
Can I install a muffler cut-out or by-pass on my car in Boston?
Do motorcycles need special exhaust labeling in Boston?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Boston
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Vehicle Noise in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle vehicle noise.