Bulloch County, GA Noise Ordinances: Vehicle Noise (2026)

Bulloch County's noise ordinance, adopted under the board of commissioners' police power (Sec. 10-135), lists specific banned noises in unincorporated Bulloch County at Sec. 10-137. Two of those prohibitions target vehicles directly. First, exhaust noise: discharging the exhaust of any internal combustion engine, steam engine or motor boat into the open air is unlawful unless it passes through a muffler or similar device that effectively prevents loud or explosive noise. The code goes further than most and bans the underlying equipment, not just the sound: installing special or modified standard equipment exhaust devices to increase or modify the sound from a vehicle's exhaust is itself prohibited, so an aftermarket exhaust built to be loud violates the section even before anyone measures the decibels.

Second, general vehicle defects: operating any automobile, motorcycle or other vehicle that is so out of repair, so loaded, or otherwise handled in a way that creates loud and unnecessary grating, grinding or rattling noise is also a violation. Both prohibitions sit alongside the county's horn rule in the same specific-prohibitions section. Sec. 10-140 makes any violation of the noise article punishable under the Code's general penalty, Sec. 00, up to 60 days in the county jail, or both, with each day a violation continues charged as a separate offense.

Bulloch County Sheriff's deputies and code enforcement officers write these citations, returnable to the Magistrate Court of Bulloch County. The rules apply county-wide in the unincorporated area; Statesboro, Brooklet, Portal and Register enforce their own municipal noise codes inside their limits.