Kyle, TX Noise Ordinances: Vehicle Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Audibility threshold
- 30 feet from the vehicle
- Vibration threshold
- Felt 30 feet from the vehicle
- Fine range
- $1.00 to $500.00 per offense
- Enforcing agency
- Kyle Police Department
- Exhaust rule
- Muffled exhaust required, § 23-60(8)
- Governing section
- § 23-60(13); penalty § 23-64
Summary
In the City of Kyle, playing a vehicle stereo, radio or CD player audible 30 feet away, or loud enough to cause vibration felt at that distance, violates the noise nuisance ordinance. The rule also bars exhaust noise from vehicle and boat engines lacking a working muffler system. Kyle police cite violators under Code Chapter 23, Article IV, with fines up to $500 per day.
(8) The discharge into the open air of the exhaust of any fixed and stationary steam engine, stationary internal combustion engine, or motor vehicle or boat engine, except through an exhaust system in good working order and in constant operation to prevent excessive or unusual noise; provided that this subsection shall not apply to trains and locomotives; ... (13) Motor vehicle stereos. Any person operating or controlling a motor vehicle to operate any radio, stereo receiver, compact disc player, cassette player or other similar device in the motor vehicle in such a manner that, when operating, it is: a. Audible in a public place or on private property other than that owned or occupied by the person at a distance of 30 feet or more from the vehicle; or b. Causes vibration that can be felt at a distance of 30 feet or more from the vehicle. ... Any person, firm or corporation violating any provision of this article shall be fined not less than $1.00 nor more than $500.00 for each offense, and a separate offense shall be deemed committed on each day during or on which a violation occurs or continues.
Full Breakdown
The City of Kyle's noise ordinance, Code Chapter 23, Article IV, section 23-60, declares specific acts nuisances outright rather than leaving loudness to case-by-case judgment. Subsection (13), adopted by Ordinance 775 in 2014, targets vehicle stereos: it is unlawful to operate a radio, stereo receiver, CD player, cassette player or similar device in a motor vehicle so that the sound is audible 30 feet or more away in a public place or on someone else's private property, or so that it causes vibration that can be felt 30 feet or more from the vehicle.
The same article separately bans discharging vehicle or boat engine exhaust into the open air except through a working exhaust system that prevents excessive noise, under subsection (8); the muffler requirement covers stationary engines and motor vehicles alike, though trains and locomotives are excluded. Kyle's noise nuisances also cover honking horns for unnecessary purposes and loudspeakers between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Enforcement runs through the Kyle Police Department, which may issue citations for any of the article's enumerated nuisances. Section 23-61 also makes a property owner or occupant liable for failing to control a nuisance occurring on property they control.
A narrow exception under section 23-62 lets sponsored community events run louder before 10:00 p.m. on weeknights or 11:59 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, capped at 85 decibels measured at the property line after a warning.
Violations & Fines
Violating any Article IV noise provision, including the vehicle stereo and exhaust rules, is punishable under section 23-64 by a fine of not less than $1.00 nor more than $500.00 per offense, with each day a violation continues charged as a separate offense. Kyle Police Department officers issue citations directly; cases are heard in Kyle Municipal Court. Property owners who fail to control noise nuisances occurring on land they control face the same fine range under section 23-61.
Frequently Asked Questions
How loud can my car stereo be in Kyle?
Does Kyle require a muffler on my car?
What is the fine for a noise violation in Kyle?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kyle
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Kyle to another location·View the Texas noise ordinances overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.