Collierville, TN Noise Ordinances: Vehicle Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Muffler rule
- § 130.022(E)(2)(a): noise may not exceed the section's db(A) ratings
- Horns and sirens
- § 130.022(E)(2)(b): must be consistent with the muffler rule
- Test method
- Vehicle stationary, engine at one-half throttle
- Train warning devices
- 87 db(A) at 50 feet for no more than 30 sustained seconds
- Park rule
- § 90.07(I): stock muffler required in public parks
- Penalty
- Fine not to exceed $50, up to 30 days in jail, or both
Summary
In the Town of Collierville, § 130.022(E)(2) makes it unlawful to operate a muffler that produces noise above the section's db(A) ratings and to use a horn, siren, whistle, bell or electronic blast inconsistently with them. A moving vehicle's reading is confirmed with the vehicle stationary at one-half throttle.
(2) Measurement of noise levels caused by a moving vehicle shall be confirmed by a noise level measurement taken with the vehicle stationary. The driver of the vehicle shall be required to accelerate his or her engine to one-half throttle in order to conduct the noise level reading. (a) Mufflers. It shall be unlawful for any person to operate or cause to be operated any muffler attached to any motor vehicle or any other mechanized unit which produces noise levels within the corporation exceeding db (A) ratings as set out in the above table and accompanying the subsections above. (b) Horns and other warning devices. Generally, it shall be unlawful for any person to operate or cause to be operated any horn, siren, whistle, bell or any electronic blast which may be attached to any motor vehicle or other mechanized unit which is in any manner inconsistent with subsection (a).
Full Breakdown
Vehicle equipment noise in the Town of Collierville is regulated by the anti-noise chapter, § 130.022 of the Collierville Code of Ordinances. The muffler rule is division (E)(2)(a): it is unlawful for any person to operate or cause to be operated any muffler attached to any motor vehicle or other mechanized unit which produces noise levels within the corporation exceeding the db(A) ratings set out in the section. Those ratings are in division (D): vehicles under 10,000 pounds are held to 80 db(A) at 50 feet and 86 db(A) at 25 feet, and trucks and buses over 10,000 pounds to 87 db(A) at 50 feet and 93 db(A) at 25 feet.
Division (E)(2)(b) applies the same yardstick to warning devices. It is unlawful to operate or cause to be operated any horn, siren, whistle, bell or electronic blast attached to a motor vehicle or other mechanized unit in any manner inconsistent with subsection (a). Trains have their own rule in (E)(2)(c): a warning device may not exceed 87 db(A) at 50 feet for a sustained period of more than 30 seconds, except as federal safety regulations require sounding at grade crossings.
Testing is built into the text. Measurement of noise from a moving vehicle must be confirmed by a measurement taken with the vehicle stationary, and the driver is required to accelerate his or her engine to one-half throttle for the reading.
Vehicle noise has two further hooks. Division (E)(2)(f) lists the use of a vehicle so out of repair or loaded that it makes grinding or rattling noises, and § 90.07(I) of the park rules requires a person in a public park to use the stock muffler of the motor vehicle for which it was designed to adequately deaden the sound of the engine. Exempt emergency, garbage and tree-removal vehicles must still keep mufflers within the section's limits, except Town equipment.
Violations & Fines
Under § 130.022, violations are prosecuted like other misdemeanors of the Town Code, started by a traffic citation or, on a private citizen's complaint, by a summons after a police officer verifies the noise with a sound meter. The punishment is a fine not to exceed $50, or confinement in jail not to exceed 30 days, or both, in the discretion of the court. Park muffler violations carry the § 90.99 fine of not more than $50 or the state maximum, whichever is greater.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a loud aftermarket muffler illegal in Collierville?
How does an officer test a moving vehicle?
Are car horns covered?
Do the park rules add anything about mufflers?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Collierville
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Vehicle Noise in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle vehicle noise.