Clarkstown, NY Noise Ordinances: Vehicle Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Trigger
- Missing, defective, or altered muffler/exhaust noise
- Standard used
- 'Unreasonable noise' effect, not a decibel number
- Hours covered
- No time limit, applies at all hours
- First-offense fine
- Up to $2,500 or 15 days
- Enforcing agency
- Clarkstown Police Department
Summary
Clarkstown treats a gasoline or diesel vehicle running without a proper muffler, with defective exhaust equipment, or making a sound unusual for that kind of vehicle, as unnecessary noise under § 205-4C whenever the sound rises to an unreasonable level. There is no time-of-day exemption: the rule applies around the clock, any day, anywhere in the unincorporated Town.
The sound of any gasoline or diesel engine or the sound produced by the operation of any motor vehicle, as defined by the Vehicle and Traffic Law of the State of New York, when said engine or vehicle is not properly equipped with a muffler, or which has defective equipment, or is operated so as to produce a sound not commonly associated with the operation of such vehicle, which is of a level that constitutes unreasonable noise.
Full Breakdown
Section 205-4C, part of the Noise chapter's list of sounds 'deemed unnecessary,' targets vehicle noise from three angles: an engine or vehicle lacking a proper muffler, one with defective equipment, and one producing a sound not commonly associated with that type of vehicle, such as a car or motorcycle with an altered exhaust. Each of the three triggers is qualified by the same threshold the chapter uses throughout: the sound must be 'of a level that constitutes unreasonable noise,' defined in § 205-3 as sound that threatens to or actually annoys, disturbs, injures or endangers the comfort, repose, health, peace or safety of a reasonable person of normal sensitivities.
That ties the vehicle-noise rule to the general 'unreasonable noise' standard rather than a decibel number, so enforcement turns on the effect of the sound on a reasonable listener, not a meter reading. Unlike the yard-equipment and construction provisions in the same section, § 205-4C carries no hours-of-operation limit at all; a defectively muffled vehicle or one modified to sound louder than normal violates the section at any hour, weekday or weekend. Section 205-6's exceptions, sirens, permitted utility repairs, authorized public events and permitted blasting, do not cover ordinary vehicle traffic.
The Clarkstown Police Department enforces the chapter under § 205-8 on its own initiative or on a resident complaint, and violations are punished under § 205-7.
Violations & Fines
Driving a vehicle with a missing or defective muffler, or one modified to sound louder than normal, so that the noise is unreasonable violates § 205-4C and is punished under § 205-7: up to $2,500 or 15 days for a first offense, rising to $5,000-$7,500 for a third offense within 18 months and $10,000-$15,000 for a fourth. Each day of continued violation is a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a loud aftermarket exhaust illegal in Clarkstown?
Does Clarkstown's vehicle noise rule use a decibel limit?
Can I be ticketed for car noise at any time of day in Clarkstown?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Clarkstown
New York rules heatmap·Compare Clarkstown to another location·View the New York noise ordinances overview
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