Georgetown County, SC Noise Ordinances: Vehicle Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Horn rule
- § 13.8-2(c)(1), no unnecessary signaling
- Exhaust rule
- § 13.8-2(c)(5), muffler required
- Related section
- § 13.8-5(b)(5), no engine racing while stationary
- Enforcing agency
- Georgetown County Sheriff's Office
- Penalty
- $250-$500 fine or up to 30 days jail
Summary
Georgetown County's noise ordinance bars unnecessary horn use and excessive engine or exhaust noise on any street or public place in the unincorporated county. Code § 13.8-2(c)(1) targets horns and signaling devices, while (c)(5) requires a muffler or equivalent device on any engine or motor vehicle exhaust, with sheriff's deputies enforcing both.
(1)Horns, signaling devices, etc. The sounding of any horn or signaling device on any automobile, motorcycle or other vehicle on any street or public place within the unincorporated areas of the county, except as a danger warning; the creation by any means of any such signaling device of any unreasonably loud or harsh sound; and the sounding of any such device for an unnecessary and unreasonable period of time. The use of any signaling device, except one operated by hand or electricity; the use of any horn, whistle or other device operated by engine exhaust; and the use of any such signaling device when traffic is for any reason held up. ... (5)Exhausts. The discharge into the open air of the exhaust of any steam engine, stationary internal combustion engine, motor boat or motor vehicle except through a muffler or other device which will effectively prevent loud or explosive noises therefrom.
Full Breakdown
Two of the ten enumerated noise violations in Georgetown County's Code § 13.8-2(c) target vehicles directly. Subsection (c)(1) makes it unlawful to sound a horn or other signaling device on an automobile, motorcycle or other vehicle on any street or public place in the unincorporated county except as a genuine danger warning; it separately bars any signaling device that creates an unreasonably loud or harsh sound, sounding a device for an unnecessary or unreasonable period, and using a horn, whistle or exhaust-operated device, or sounding a signal simply because traffic is backed up.
Subsection (c)(5) covers exhaust noise from steam engines, stationary internal combustion engines, motor boats and motor vehicles, requiring a muffler or other device that effectively prevents loud or explosive discharge into the open air; a car or boat running without a working muffler, or with an aftermarket exhaust that removes that suppression, falls under this rule. A related section outside the noise chapter, Code § 13.8-5(b)(5), separately makes it unlawful to race a vehicle's engine on a public road so as to create loud unnecessary noise while the vehicle is stationary, with the same underlying $500 fine or 30-day jail exposure.
Both noise-chapter subsections sit under the general excessive-noise standard in subsection (b) and the enforcement factors in subsection (d), including whether the vehicle's mufflers meet the suppression level the manufacturer originally installed. Georgetown County Sheriff's Office deputies patrol for and cite vehicle noise violations in the unincorporated area only.
Violations & Fines
Unnecessary horn use, an unreasonably loud signaling device, or a motor vehicle, boat or engine running without an effective muffler is a misdemeanor under subsection (i), fined $250 to $500 or punishable by up to 30 days in jail, or both, with each occurrence a separate offense. Racing an engine while stationary on a public road under § 13.8-5 carries the same $500 fine or 30-day jail exposure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it illegal to lean on a car horn in traffic?
What does the muffler requirement cover?
Can I be cited for revving my engine while parked?
Where do these vehicle noise rules apply?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Georgetown County
Compare Georgetown County to another location·View the South Carolina noise ordinances overview
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