Manitou Springs, CO Noise Ordinances: Vehicle Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Section 6.08.020(C)
- Covers
- Radio, stereo, tape or CD player noise
- Meter needed?
- No, audible-without-meter noise is enough
- Applies when
- Vehicle stopped, standing, parked or moving
- Enforcement
- Police Department, Municipal Court
- Also a nuisance
- Classified under Section 6.08.010(E)(13)
Summary
Manitou Springs bans excessive vehicle noise under Municipal Code Section 6.08.020(C), covering sound amplification systems such as a car radio, stereo, tape player or CD player. The rule applies whether the vehicle is stopped, standing, parked or moving, and officers do not need a decibel meter to cite a driver.
C.It is unlawful for any person to operate, drive, or be in possession of a motor vehicle which is stopped, standing, parked or moving, and to make, create or permit an excessive or unusually loud noise, or a noise which endangers public safety, or is harmful to any person, which is caused by a sound amplification system, and which can be heard without the use of an electronic measurement device or heard and measured in the manner prescribed in this section. Words or phrases need not be discernible. For the purposes of this section, "sound amplification system" means any radio, stereo, tape player, compact disc player, or other electronic device used for the amplification of sound.
Full Breakdown
020 of the Manitou Springs Municipal Code makes it unlawful for anyone to operate a vehicle, whether stopped, standing, parked or moving, and create an excessive or unusually loud noise from a sound amplification system, including a radio, stereo, tape player or compact disc player, that can be heard without an electronic measurement device. The words playing do not need to be understandable for the violation to apply. This sits inside the broader nuisance-noise prohibition, which also bars operating any vehicle, machine, motor or device in a way that would violate the noise section generally.
The chapter's measurement rules apply to vehicle-noise complaints: officers can measure sound at least twenty-five feet from the source with an A-weighted meter, but a violation can also be proven without a meter by weighing volume, proximity to residential sleeping areas, time of night, duration and whether the noise carries at least one hundred feet. in residential or business zones is separately banned in the same section. 020(J), which is granted only for good cause and comes with city-set conditions. 010(E)(13), giving code enforcement an added abatement track beyond a court citation.
Violations & Fines
A citation is a municipal ordinance violation prosecuted in Manitou Springs Municipal Court under the general penalty at Section 1.01.100. Officers do not need a sound meter: audible, unreasonably loud amplified sound heard without an electronic device is enough to sustain a charge. Each stop or moving violation is charged separately, and because the noise is also classified as a public nuisance under Section 6.08.010(E)(13), the city can pursue abatement in addition to a court fine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my car stereo have to be measured with a decibel meter to get a ticket?
Does it matter if my car is parked or driving?
Can I get a permit to run loud sound equipment?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Manitou Springs
Compare Manitou Springs to another location·View the Colorado noise ordinances overview
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Vehicle Noise in Nearby Cities
How other cities in El Paso County handle vehicle noise.