Compton, CA Noise Ordinances: Vehicle Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Audibility threshold
- 25 feet = prima facie violation
- Applies on
- public and private property alike
- Muffler required
- on all combustion engines
- Motorcycle mod ban
- exhaust louder than stock
- Exemptions
- emergency and authorized City vehicles
Summary
Compton bans excessive vehicle stereo noise, altered mufflers and loud motorcycle exhausts under Municipal Code Sections 7-12.20, 7-12.21 and 7-12.27. A car stereo audible from 25 feet away, on public or private property, is treated as automatic evidence of a violation.
No person shall discharge into the open air the exhaust of any steam engine or stationary internal-combustion engine except through a muffler or other device which effectively will reduce such loud or explosive noises. ... Excessive Muffler and Exhaust Noise. Modification or alteration of motorcycle mufflers or exhaust chamber is prohibited where such modification or alteration produces noise in excess of the noise emitted when the motorcycle was new. ... It shall be unlawful for any driver, passenger in or owner of a vehicle to make, continue, or cause to be made or continued any excessive, unnecessary or unusually loud noise emanating from vehicle radios or other sound devices which either annoys, disturbs, injures or endangers the comfort, repose, health, peace or safety of others, within the limits of the City whether the vehicle is on private or public property. ... The operation of any such radio or sound devices in such a manner as to be plainly audible at a distance of 25 feet from the vehicle in which it is located shall be prima facie evidence of a violation of this subsection.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4952997; v15 updated 2026-07-14; through 07-14-2026).
Full Breakdown
20 requires every steam or internal-combustion engine to exhaust through a muffler or similar device that effectively cuts loud or explosive noise. 21 separately bans modifying a motorcycle muffler or exhaust chamber so it produces more noise than when the bike was new, and declares excessive idling noise at stoplights or while starting, stopping or parking a nuisance in its own right. 27, makes it unlawful for a driver, passenger or owner to make or continue excessive, unnecessary or unusually loud noise from a vehicle radio or other sound device that annoys, disturbs, injures or endangers others' comfort, repose, health, peace or safety, whether the vehicle sits on private or public property.
Enforcement looks at the volume and intensity of the noise, citizen complaints, and the distance from which it can be heard, but the ordinance sets a bright-line test too: any radio or sound device that is plainly audible from 25 feet away is prima facie evidence of a violation, shifting the burden to the driver to show otherwise. Emergency vehicles, law-enforcement functions and other authorized City operations are exempt, and the City Council can grant additional exemptions on its own motion or through an application process.
Violations & Fines
Violating the muffler, motorcycle or vehicle-stereo standards is a misdemeanor under Section 7-12.5, which covers all of Section 7-12 et seq. Under Chapter 1, Section 1-6.2 the maximum penalty is a $1,000 fine, six months in jail, or both, and each continuing violation may also be charged separately or addressed through a civil injunction abating the noise as a public nuisance.
Frequently Asked Questions
How loud can my car stereo be in Compton?
Are modified motorcycle exhausts illegal?
Does every vehicle need a muffler?
Is there any exception to the vehicle noise rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Compton
California rules heatmap·Compare Compton to another location·View the California noise ordinances overview
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