Hammond, IN Noise Ordinances: Vehicle Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Stereo audibility limit
- Plainly audible past 50 feet
- Heavy-vehicle idling limit
- 3 minutes per hour
- Governing sections
- § 97.21(J), (N), (O)
- Stereo enforcement tool
- Vehicle seizure/towing by Police
- First-offense fine
- Not less than $100
Summary
In the City of Hammond, Indiana, the Common Council's noise chapter separately bans altered exhaust mufflers, prolonged idling of heavy vehicles, tire squealing and blaring vehicle stereos. Hammond Police and the Air Pollution Control Department enforce each of these under § 97.21's prohibited-acts list.
It shall be unlawful to discharge into the open air, the exhaust of any stationary internal combustion engine, or motor vehicle except through a muffler or other device which will effectively prevent loud or explosive noises therefrom. ... No person shall modify or change the exhaust muffler, intake muffler or any other noise abatement device of a motor vehicle in a manner that the noise emitted by the motor vehicle is increased above that emitted by the vehicle as originally manufactured. ... (N) (1) The squealing of automobile or truck tires in a manner as to create a noise disturbance.
Full Breakdown
21 addresses vehicle noise through several separate divisions. Division (J) bars running the exhaust of a stationary internal combustion engine or motor vehicle except through a muffler or device that prevents loud or explosive noise, and bars modifying an exhaust or intake muffler so the vehicle emits more noise than as originally manufactured. Division (J) (labeled ahead of it in the code) also caps idling of any motor vehicle whose manufacturer's gross weight exceeds 10,000 pounds, or its auxiliary equipment, at three minutes per hour while stationary outside a fully enclosed structure, with an exception for buses and taxis idling in established turnarounds or terminals.
Division (N) makes tire squealing that creates a noise disturbance a violation, exempting emergency accelerating, stopping or swerving. 21(O)(2) through (4), with towing to a facility approved by the Board of Public Works and release only after paying towing, impoundment and storage costs. 99 penalty schedule.
Violations & Fines
Under § 97.99, a first violation in any 12-month period draws a mandatory fine of not less than $100, a second not less than $300, and a third or subsequent not less than $1,000, with a $2,500-per-day cap and every day a separate offense; stereo violations can additionally trigger vehicle seizure, towing and impoundment under § 97.21(O).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Hammond police tow my car for a loud stereo?
How long can a semi truck idle in Hammond?
Is a loud aftermarket exhaust illegal in Hammond?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hammond
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