Maui County, HI Noise Ordinances: Vehicle Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Stereo audibility limit
- Not heard beyond 50 feet
- First stereo fine
- $25 to $100
- Third stereo fine
- $250 to $500
- Muffler requirement
- Working muffler at all times
- Governing chapters
- Maui County Code Ch. 9.36, 10.20
- Enforcing agency
- Maui Police Department
Summary
Maui County bans car stereos loud enough to be heard fifty feet outside the vehicle in any public area, and requires every vehicle on a county highway to run a working muffler that keeps exhaust noise down to what the motor would produce with proper equipment. Fines climb from $25 to $500 for repeat stereo violations, enforced under Maui County Code Chapters 9.36 and 10.20.
No driver of a vehicle shall operate, or permit the operation of, any sound amplification system which can be heard outside the vehicle from fifty feet or more when the vehicle is parked or operated in a public area, unless that system is being operated to request assistance or warn of a hazardous condition. ... B.No person shall operate a motor vehicle on a public highway or street unless such motor vehicle is equipped at all times with a muffler or mufflers in good working order and of such length and size or of sufficient capacity for the motor and or exhaust system to prevent the escape of excessive or annoying fumes or smoke, and excessive or unusual noise.
Full Breakdown
36, adopted by Ordinance No. 1988 in 1990, targets sound amplification systems in motor vehicles after the council found amplified speaker systems create a nuisance and a safety hazard by drowning out sirens and horns. 020 to include any public street, highway, building, sidewalk or park; the only exception is a system used to request assistance or warn of a hazard. 050 exempts authorized emergency vehicles, utility vehicles, and sound systems on vehicles used for advertising, parades, or political and special events. 440 of the Maui Traffic Code requires every motor vehicle operated on a public highway or street to carry a muffler in good working order of sufficient size and capacity to prevent 'excessive or unusual noise', defined as noise beyond what the motor would produce when reduced to a minimum by a proper muffler.
The section also bars operating a vehicle whose motor or exhaust has been altered so it emits excessive or unusual noise, and prohibits dummy mufflers, cutouts, or bypass devices entirely. The chief of police enforces both chapters.
Violations & Fines
Stereo violations escalate under Section 9.36.040: $25 to $100 for a first offense, $100 to $250 for a second, and $250 to $500 for a third, each upon conviction. Muffler violations under Section 10.20.440 are enforced as Maui Traffic Code infractions; operating with a defective, altered, or bypassed exhaust system is a separate offense from the stereo noise rule.
Frequently Asked Questions
How loud can a car stereo legally be in Maui County?
What counts as an illegal muffler under Maui's traffic code?
What are the penalties for a loud car stereo?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Maui County
Compare Maui County to another location·View the Hawaii noise ordinances overview
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