Racine County, WI Noise Ordinances: Vehicle Noise (2026)

Sec. 13-27 of the Racine County Code is a single sentence that contains separate prohibitions joined by the word or. A rider can violate it either way.

One is an equipment rule. No person shall operate a snow vehicle, or any other recreational vehicle such as a dirt bike or trail bike, without a functioning muffler. The word functioning matters. A muffler that is mounted on the machine but no longer works does not satisfy the section.

The other is a conduct rule. Even with a working muffler in place, a person may not operate the vehicle in such a manner so as to create unreasonable or excessive combustion noise. The section sets no decibel figure. The standard is whether the engine noise produced by the way the machine is run is unreasonable or excessive.

The list of vehicles is open-ended. Snow vehicles are named outright. Dirt bikes and trail bikes are introduced with the words such as, which makes them examples of recreational vehicles and not the complete list. The duty falls on the person operating the vehicle.

The notes printed under the section point to related law. The provision derives from Code 1975, § 12.032. A cross reference sends readers to § 5-3 for the schedule of deposits for violation of this section. A state law reference identifies similar provisions at W.S.A. §§ 347.39 and 350.09(6).

Enforcement runs through the sheriff's department, with violations handled under the county's standard stipulation and deposit schedule referenced in § 5-3.