Pueblo, CO Noise Ordinances: Vehicle Noise (2026)

Pueblo Municipal Code § 11-1-607(e) sets a numeric sound ceiling for vehicles driven or moved within the city. Under Table I, any vehicle greater than 10,000 pounds manufacturer's gross vehicle weight, other than an Interstate Motor Carrier, is held to 88 db(A). Motorcycles are held to 80 db(A), and so is any other motor vehicle, which covers ordinary cars, pickups and SUVs. Table I prints a single column, 25 feet (7.5 m), so every reading is taken at that distance.

On a public street, the sound level meter sits at least 25 feet from the near side of the nearest traffic lane being monitored and at least 4 feet above the immediate surrounding surface. For a vehicle located anywhere other than the public right-of-way, such as a parking lot or driveway, subsection (e)(2) measures from at least 25 feet away from the vehicle itself, again at a height of at least 4 feet. The meter must be of standard design and quality with characteristics established by the American National Standards Institute.

The prohibition reaches both the driver and the owner. Anyone who drives or moves a noisy vehicle commits the offense, and so does an owner who causes or knowingly permits it to be driven or moved. Subsection (e)(4) separately requires every vehicle to carry an adequate muffler in constant operation and properly maintained to prevent any unnecessary noise. No muffler or exhaust system may be modified or used with a cutoff, bypass or similar device, and no one may modify an exhaust to amplify the motor noise above the Table I figures.

Car stereos fall under their own subsection, (f), which makes a motor vehicle sound system unlawful when it is plainly audible at 25 feet unless the operator first holds a permit from the City License Officer. A permit covers the hours between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. on no more than three days in a calendar year. Authorized emergency vehicles, including their sirens and horns, are exempt under subsection (g), and speed or endurance events on property authorized for that use are exempt under subsection (d)(7) during the authorized period.