Littleton, CO Noise Ordinances: Vehicle Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Muffler requirement
- Working muffler required on all exhaust
- Stereo threshold
- Audible 25 feet from vehicle = violation
- Enforcement
- Summons issued immediately, no notice
- Max fine
- $2,650 under Sec. 1-4-1
- Effective date
- 8/29/2024 (Ord. 20, 2024)
Summary
Littleton bars unmuffled vehicle exhaust and car stereos loud enough to carry. City Code Section 7-3-5 requires every vehicle exhaust to pass through a working muffler and makes a stereo plainly audible 25 feet from a vehicle on a public right of way automatic proof of a violation.
A. Radios, Television Sets, Phonographs And Similar Devices: It shall be unlawful for any person to use, operate or permit to be played any radio receiving set, musical instrument, television, phonograph, drum or other machine or device for the production or reproduction of sound in such a manner as to cause to be made or continued any unnecessary noise as heard without measurement or as heard and measured in the manner described under sections 7-3-6 through 7-3-8 of this chapter. The operation of any such set, instrument, television, phonograph, machine or other device at any time in such a manner as to be plainly audible at either the property line or twenty five feet (25') in the case of a vehicle on public rights of way, shall be prima facie evidence of a violation of this section. ... B. Exhausts; Mufflers: No person shall discharge into the open air the exhaust of any steam engine, stationary internal combustion engine, air compressor equipment, motor boat, motor vehicle or other power device except through a muffler or other noise reducing device which is in good order and free of defects.
Full Breakdown
Section 7-3-5(B), Exhausts; Mufflers, makes it unlawful to discharge the exhaust of any motor vehicle, motor boat, stationary internal combustion engine or other power device into the open air except through a muffler or other noise reducing device that is in good order and free of defects. That covers straight pipes, removed baffles and blown mufflers alike. Section 7-3-5(A) separately reaches car audio: operating a radio, phonograph or similar sound device so that it is plainly audible at the property line, or at twenty five feet in the case of a vehicle on a public right of way, is prima facie evidence of a violation without any decibel measurement needed.
Both subsections sit inside Chapter 7-3, the city's noise code, last amended by Ordinance 20, Series of 2024, effective August 29, 2024. Enforcement runs through Section 7-3-11: because a vehicle is self-propelled, an officer can issue a summons and complaint immediately rather than first serving a correction notice, and the code separately allows a court to pursue injunctive relief under Section 7-3-11(C) where the noise causes ongoing discomfort or endangers residents' health or peace.
Violations & Fines
A first violation of either the muffler or the plainly-audible-stereo rule is a misdemeanor. Because Chapter 7-3 sets no separate fine, Section 1-4-1's general penalty applies: a fine up to $2,650, up to 364 days in jail, or probation up to one year, with each day a violation continues counted as a separate offense. Vehicle-noise cases go straight to a summons under Section 7-3-11(B)(2).
Frequently Asked Questions
How loud can my car stereo be in Littleton?
Is a straight-pipe exhaust legal in Littleton?
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Littleton
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