Vehicle noise in Iowa City is governed by Iowa Code §321.436 (state muffler law) and Title 6 Chapter 4 of the City Code. Section 321.436 prohibits operating any motor vehicle on the highway without a working muffler or with a cutout, bypass, or similar device.
Iowa Code §321.436 is the foundational rule: every motor vehicle on Iowa highways must have a muffler in good working order and constant operation to prevent excessive or unusual noise; muffler cutouts and bypasses are unlawful. The Iowa Supreme Court reads §321.436 as a reasonableness test that does not require a numeric decibel measurement. Iowa City Code §6-4-1 treats vehicle audio as a 'noise disturbance' when plainly audible at a distance. Iowa City Police and Iowa State Patrol both enforce. After the 2022 State v. Cyrus ruling reaffirming the reasonableness test, ICPD continues to use §321.436 against modified-exhaust and loud-stereo complaints.
An Iowa Code §321.436 muffler violation is a scheduled traffic offense under §805.8A, fine currently $135 plus surcharge and court costs. A separate §6-4-1 city violation is a municipal infraction. Iowa Code §723.4(2) can also apply.
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