Kansas City, MO Noise Ordinances: Vehicle Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Nighttime exhaust limit
- audible 300 ft (cars), 350 ft (trucks)
- Daytime stereo limit
- audible past 50 ft
- Nighttime stereo limit
- audible past 25 ft
- First-offense fine
- $100
- Engine brakes
- banned on signed roads
Summary
Kansas City bans plainly-audible exhaust noise from cars and motorcycles at night on slow streets, caps vehicle stereo volume, and requires working mufflers on every motor vehicle citywide.
No person shall operate, cause or permit to be operated a motor vehicle with a maximum gross weight of 10,000 pounds or less, where the muffler, exhaust or other component on the motor vehicle generates a sound that is plainly audible at a distance of 300 feet or more from the motor vehicle... between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. the following day on public right-of-way where the speed limit is 35 miles per hour or less.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 139 | Zoning and Development Code: Supplement 38).
Full Breakdown
City Code § 46-16 makes it unlawful to operate a car or light truck (10,000 lbs. or less) whose muffler or exhaust is plainly audible 300 feet away between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. on roads with a 35 mph or lower speed limit; heavier vehicles get a 350-foot threshold. Motorcycles face the same 300-foot nighttime standard under § 46-17. Car stereos can't be plainly audible past 50 feet from 8:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m., dropping to 25 feet overnight (§ 46-5(6)). Every motor vehicle and motorcycle must keep its factory muffler or sound-dissipative device in constant working order (§ 46-18), and engine (compression-release) brakes are barred on any road posted "Noise Ordinance Enforced" (§ 46-20).
Violations & Fines
Enforced by the director of health as an administrative citation under § 46-39: $100 for a first offense, $100-$300 for a second, $300-$500 for a third, and $500-$1,000 for a fourth or later violation within 12 months, with each additional day a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Kansas City police cite me just for a loud exhaust they hear?
How loud can my car stereo be at night in Kansas City?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kansas City
Compare Kansas City to another location·View the Missouri noise ordinances overview
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Vehicle Noise in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Jackson County handle vehicle noise.