Louisburg, KS Noise Ordinances: Vehicle Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Audibility threshold
- 50+ feet from the vehicle
- Measured by
- officer's hearing, direct line of sight
- Covers
- radios, tape/CD players, speakers
- Applies to
- parked, stopped, or moving vehicles
- Defenses
- emergencies, city vehicles, approved events
- Default penalty
- up to $499 or 179 days (§1-116)
Summary
Louisburg City Code § 11-203 makes it unlawful to operate or permit a vehicle's sound amplification system, radio, tape player, CD player, or speaker, so loudly that it is plainly audible fifty feet or more from the vehicle. The rule applies whether the vehicle is parked, stopped, or moving on any street, highway, alley, parking lot, or driveway in the City.
No person operating or occupying a motor vehicle on a street, highway, alley, parking lot, or driveway shall operate or permit the operation of any sound amplification system from within the vehicle so that the sound is plainly audible at a distance of fifty or more feet from the vehicle. ... “Plainly audible” means any sound produced by a sound amplification system from within the vehicle, which clearly can be heard at a distance of fifty feet or more. Measurement standards shall be by the auditory senses, based upon direct line of sight. Words or phrases need not be discernible and bass reverberations are included.
Full Breakdown
Section 11-203 defines 'plainly audible' by an officer's own ears rather than a decibel meter: any sound from a vehicle's system that clearly can be heard fifty feet away on a direct line of sight qualifies, and the code specifies that words need not be discernible and that bass reverberations count. The prohibition reaches any radio, tape player, compact disc player, loudspeaker, or other electronic device used to amplify sound from inside the vehicle. Five narrow affirmative defenses are written into subsection (d): the system was used to summon medical or vehicular help or to warn of a hazardous road condition; the vehicle was an emergency or public-safety vehicle; the vehicle was owned and operated by the City of Louisburg or a gas, electric, communications, or refuse company; the system gave instructions or addresses permitted under the City Code; or the vehicle was part of an approved public activity such as a parade, fireworks display, sports event, or musical production.
Section 11-203 does not set out its own fine schedule, so a violation defaults to the Code's general penalty at § 1-116: a fine of not more than $499, imprisonment of not more than 179 days, or both. The Louisburg Police Department enforces the section on patrol, and violations are prosecuted in Municipal Court under Chapter 9.
Violations & Fines
Louisburg does not attach a dedicated fine to § 11-203, so a conviction falls under the Code's general penalty in § 1-116: a fine of not more than $499, jail for not more than 179 days, or both. The five listed defenses, such as emergency use or a City-approved parade, must be shown by the driver to avoid conviction.
Frequently Asked Questions
How loud can a car stereo be in Louisburg?
Does the rule apply only to moving cars?
Are there any exceptions?
What is the penalty for a violation?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Louisburg
Compare Louisburg to another location·View the Kansas noise ordinances overview
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