Minneapolis, MN Noise Ordinances: Vehicle Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Stereo audibility distance
- 50 feet or more from the vehicle
- Where it applies
- Public streets, alleys, and commercial or residential parking facilities
- First violation
- Misdemeanor, fine up to $500
- Second violation
- Fine up to $700
- Third violation
- Fine to the maximum amount
- Exhaust rule
- No exhaust louder than the factory original (section 389.190)
- Enforcing officials
- Commissioner of health, chief of police, or designees
Summary
Minneapolis bans car stereo sound that anyone can hear from 50 feet away while the vehicle is on a public street, alley, or commercial or residential parking facility. Section 389.65(a)(5) makes it a misdemeanor with a fine of up to $500 for a first violation and up to $700 for a second. Section 389.190 separately bars exhaust systems altered to run louder than the factory original.
Amplified sound from vehicles. Except as provided in section 389.105 , the operation of any electronic device used for the amplification of music or other entertainment, which is located within a motor vehicle being operated on a public street or alley, or in commercial or residential parking facilities, which is audible by any person from a distance of fifty (50) feet or more from the vehicle. ... Violation of this subsection is a misdemeanor. A first violation of this subsection is punishable by a fine not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500.00), a second violation is punishable by a fine not to exceed seven hundred dollars ($700.00), and a third violation is punishable by a fine to the maximum amount. ... No person shall operate, nor shall its owner permit the operation of, a vehicle on a traffic way with a motor the exhaust system of which has been altered, modified or repaired in such a way that the noise emitted by said motor's exhaust system is increased above that emitted by the exhaust system with which said motor came originally equipped from the manufacturer.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 72).
Full Breakdown
The core stereo rule sits in Minneapolis Code of Ordinances section 389.65(a)(5). It covers any electronic device used to amplify music or other entertainment inside a motor vehicle that is being operated on a public street or alley, or in commercial or residential parking facilities. The test is distance, not a decibel reading: if the sound is audible by any person from 50 feet or more from the vehicle, the violation is complete. The rule opens with the words "Except as provided in section 389.105," which is the permit section for outdoor sound amplifying equipment issued by the commissioner of health or a designee.
The code also says who answers for the noise. If the owner is present when the violation occurs, the owner is in violation. If the owner is not present, the person in charge or control of the vehicle is in violation. On top of that, any person who controls or assists with the production of the sound is in violation, so a passenger working the volume or the playlist is covered along with the driver.
Exhaust noise is handled by section 389.190. No person can operate a vehicle on a traffic way, and no owner can permit its operation, with a motor whose exhaust system has been altered, modified or repaired so that it emits more noise than the system the motor came with from the manufacturer. The burden of proof sits on the owner or operator of the vehicle to submit evidence that the system complies, which reverses the usual order of proof.
Article II of Chapter 389 adds numeric limits. A light vehicle rated at 10,000 pounds or less is capped at 69 dB(A) measured at 25 feet on a street posted 25 mph or less, rising to 83 dB(A) at 25 feet on a street posted 60 mph or more. Heavy vehicles above 10,000 pounds face limits such as 83 dB(A) at 20 feet in daytime on streets posted 35 mph or less, dropping to 73 dB(A) at night, on holidays and on Sundays. Section 389.150 lets the city hold the owner and the operator responsible separately or jointly. Vehicle warning devices authorized under the traffic code and back-up alarms built to SAE recommended practice J994 are exempt under section 389.160.
Enforcement belongs to the commissioner of health and the chief of police, or their designees, under section 389.40.
Violations & Fines
A violation of the stereo rule in section 389.65(a)(5) is a misdemeanor. The first violation carries a fine of up to $500, the second up to $700, and a third violation is punishable by a fine to the maximum amount. Section 389.120 also allows administrative citations under Chapter 2, injunctions and abatement, and adverse action against any license or permit the offender holds. Under section 389.125 every violation of the chapter is a public nuisance, so the city attorney can seek declaratory or injunctive relief in court.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far away can my car stereo be heard before I break the Minneapolis rule?
Who gets cited if the car owner is not in the vehicle?
What is the fine for a loud car stereo in Minneapolis?
Is a loud aftermarket exhaust illegal in Minneapolis?
Can I play amplified sound from a vehicle with a permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Minneapolis
Compare Minneapolis to another location·View the Minnesota noise ordinances overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Vehicle Noise in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Hennepin County handle vehicle noise.