Cherokee County, GA Noise Ordinances: Vehicle Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Engine brake ban location
- Knox Bridge Highway, two segments
- Signage required
- Yes, at each restricted stretch
- Horn use
- Only as a warning signal
- Emergency exemption
- Emergency braking/equipment exempt
- Max penalty
- $1,000 fine / 60 days jail
Summary
Cherokee County bans engine brakes and compression brakes on two segments of Knox Bridge Highway, with signage marking the restriction, and separately prohibits non-warning vehicle horn use countywide.
Prohibited on certain roadways. The use of engine brakes or compression brakes shall be prohibited for use on the following roadways:(1)Knox Bridge Highway (Bartow County line to Fields Chapel Drive).(2)Knox Bridge Highway (Fields Landing Road to Marietta Highway at Herndon Lane).(c)Posting of signage. Each roadway identified in subsection (b) shall be marked with appropriate signage indicating that the use of engine brakes and compression brakes are prohibited.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 39 | Zoning: Supplement 35).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 26-44 defines an engine brake or compression brake as a mechanical exhaust device that aids braking, decompression, or deceleration and results in excessive, loud, unusual, or explosive vehicle noise. Subsection (b) prohibits their use on Knox Bridge Highway from the Bartow County line to Fields Chapel Drive, and again from Fields Landing Road to Marietta Highway at Herndon Lane. Each restricted roadway must be posted with signage indicating engine brakes and compression brakes are prohibited, per subsection (c). The ban does not apply where using such a brake is necessary to protect persons or property and cannot be avoided with an alternative braking system, nor to sounds from emergency equipment used for emergency purposes, per subsection (d).
Separately, Sec. 26-40(a)(2) makes it unlawful to sound a horn on any automobile, motorcycle, or other motor vehicle on any street or public place in the county except as a warning signal. Both provisions were adopted as part of the 2023 noise article overhaul, with the engine-brake section itself amended by Ord. No. 2024-O-010 on 8-6-24.
Violations & Fines
A violation of either the engine-brake ban or the horn restriction is treated as a declared public nuisance under Sec. 26-45(a)(1), subject to injunctive abatement. The county can pursue citation in magistrate's court under Sec. 1-12, carrying a fine up to $1,000.00, up to 60 days imprisonment, or both, with each day of a continuing violation charged as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where are engine brakes (Jake brakes) banned in Cherokee County?
Can I honk my car horn any time in Cherokee County?
Is there an exception to the engine brake ban?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cherokee County
Compare Cherokee County to another location·View the Georgia noise ordinances overview
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