Meriden, CT Noise Ordinances: Vehicle Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Motor vehicle noise standard
- C.G.S. § 14-80a
- Sound-amplifying device cap
- § 141-5 zone limits
- Muffler requirement
- Required on exhaust systems
- Horn while parked
- Barred except danger signal
- Base fine
- Up to $77
- Continuing fine cap
- $500 per day
Summary
Meriden Code § 141-7 subjects every motor vehicle operated in the city to the noise standards set by Connecticut General Statutes § 14-80a, bars motor vehicle sound-amplifying devices from exceeding the decibel limits in § 141-5, and bans unreasonably loud noise from unregistered recreational vehicles measured against that same table. A separate ban on honking a horn while parked, except as a danger signal, sits in § 141-6.B(2). The Police Department enforces all of it under § 141-9.
§ 141-7. Vehicle noise restrictions. The following activities are prohibited: A. Motor vehicle noise. All motor vehicles operated within the limits of the City of Meriden shall be subject to the noise standards and decibel levels set forth in the regulations authorized in § 14-80a of the Connecticut General Statutes. B. Motor vehicle sound-amplifying devices. No sound-amplifying devices on or within motor vehicles shall emit noise in excess of the noise levels as specified in § 141-5 of this chapter. C. Unregistered recreational vehicle noise. No person shall create or cause to be created any unreasonably loud or disturbing noise due to the operation of an unregistered recreational vehicle. A noise shall be deemed to be unreasonably loud and a violation of this chapter when the noise so generated exceeds the noise level standards set forth in § 141-5.
Full Breakdown
§ 141-7.A ties ordinary motor vehicle noise to the state standard in C.G.S. § 14-80a rather than setting its own decibel number, so a Meriden citation for a loud engine or exhaust turns on the state regulation's limits. § 141-7.B is stricter for sound-amplifying equipment: a car stereo or similar device on or within a vehicle cannot exceed the zone-based ceilings in § 141-5, the same table used for stationary sources, which caps at 51 dBA reaching a residential zone at night. § 141-7.C reaches unregistered recreational vehicles, defined in § 141-2 as nonregistered, internal-combustion-powered vehicles used for recreation, and again measures a violation against the § 141-5 table rather than a separate number.
Exhaust systems generally are covered by § 141-6.B(4), which bars discharging the exhaust of a motor vehicle, motorboat or stationary engine into the open air except through a muffler or device that effectively prevents loud or explosive noise. Horn use is separately restricted under § 141-6.B(2): sounding a horn while a vehicle is not in motion is unlawful except as a danger signal when another vehicle appears out of control or while braking to avoid a collision, and an unreasonably loud, harsh or unnecessarily prolonged horn signal is barred outright.
Violations & Fines
The Meriden Police Department cites vehicle noise violations under § 141-9.A. § 141-9.B fines a first violation up to $77, doubling for each day the violation continues past the deadline in a correction order, up to $500 per day. A vehicle exhaust discharged without an effective muffler under § 141-6.B(4) is enforced the same way as an amplified-sound or recreational-vehicle violation under § 141-7.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my car stereo get me cited in Meriden?
Does Meriden require mufflers on vehicles?
Is honking my horn while parked illegal in Meriden?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Meriden
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