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Nashville, TN Noise Ordinances: Vehicle Noise (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Muffler
Required, in good working order
Exhaust audibility limit
200 feet or into a dwelling
Stereo/amp audibility limit
50 feet from vehicle
Minimum fine
$50 per violation
Exempt
Emergency and Metro-owned vehicles

Summary

Metro Nashville bans loud mufflers, cut-out exhaust and car stereos audible 50+ feet from the vehicle or 200+ feet for exhaust noise.

It shall be unlawful for any person to:1.Operate any motor vehicle...not equipped with a muffler in good working order...to prevent excessive noise...3.Operate a motor vehicle if the exhaust noise is plainly audible at a distance of two hundred feet or more from the vehicle...B.No person operating or occupying a motor vehicle...shall operate or permit the operation of any sound amplification system...so that the sound is plainly audible at a distance of fifty or more feet from the vehicle...

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 53 | Charter: Republication 9).

Full Breakdown

Metropolitan Code of Laws § 9.20.020 requires every motor vehicle to run a working muffler, bars cut-out/by-pass exhaust and noise-amplifying exhaust devices, and makes it unlawful to drive if exhaust noise is plainly audible 200 feet or more away or inside a dwelling. Vehicle stereos and sound systems can't be plainly audible 50 feet or more from the vehicle, or past the property line if parked on private property. First-offense fine is a minimum of $50, with each incident a separate offense.

Violations & Fines

Minimum $50 fine per Metropolitan Code of Laws § 9.20.020(A)(7); each violation is charged as a separate offense, and police can cite both muffler and stereo-volume violations independently.

Frequently Asked Questions

How loud can my car stereo legally be in Nashville?
It cannot be plainly audible 50 feet or more from the vehicle, or beyond the property line if you're parked on private property, per § 9.20.020(B).
Are aftermarket exhaust cut-outs legal in Nashville?
No. § 9.20.020(A)(2) bans cut-out, by-pass or similar muffler-elimination devices and anything that amplifies exhaust noise.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Nashville

Quiet HoursSome RestrictionsConstruction HoursSome RestrictionsAircraft NoiseFew RestrictionsDecibel LimitsSome RestrictionsAmplified Music & Outdoor SoundSome RestrictionsBarking DogsSome RestrictionsParking Rules: EV ChargingSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Towing & Impound RightsSignificant RestrictionsParking Rules: Curb Color RulesSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Loading ZonesSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Preferential Parking DistrictsSome RestrictionsFence Regulations: Retaining WallsSome Restrictions

All Nashville rules

Compare Nashville to another location·View the Tennessee noise ordinances overview

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