Saint Paul, MN Noise Ordinances: Vehicle Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Citation
- Saint Paul Legislative Code § 293.02(e)(2)
- Audibility test
- Audible 50 feet or more away
- Liability
- Owner if present, else driver in control
- Related rule
- § 293.05 muffler; § 293.02(e)(4) MPCA limits
- Penalty
- Up to $1,000 fine or 90 days jail
Summary
Saint Paul Legislative Code § 293.02(e)(2) bans playing a car stereo, radio or other amplified-sound device loud enough to be heard 50 feet from the vehicle on a public street, alley, or parking facility: liability falls on the owner if present, or whoever controls the vehicle if not. Muffler and exhaust noise are policed separately under § 293.05.
(2)Amplified sound from motor vehicles. It is a violation of this section to play, operate or permit the playing, use or operation of any radio, tape player, disc player, loud speaker or other electronic device used for the amplification of music or other entertainment, which is located within a motor vehicle on a public street or alley, or in a commercial or residential parking facility, which is audible by any person from a distance of fifty (50) feet or more from the motor vehicle. When sound violating this section is produced or reproduced by any such device that is located in a motor vehicle, the motor vehicle's owner, if present when the violation occurs, is guilty of the violation. If the motor vehicle's owner is not present at the time of the violation, the person who has dominion, care or control of the motor vehicle at the time of the violation is guilty of the violation.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 133 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
02(e)(2) is Saint Paul's specific rule for car-stereo and amplified vehicle noise, distinct from the general "motor vehicles generally" clause in (e)(1) and the horn rule in (e)(3). It bans playing, operating or permitting the operation of "any radio, tape player, disc player, loud speaker or other electronic device used for the amplification of music or other entertainment" inside a vehicle parked or driving on a public street or alley, or in a commercial or residential parking facility, once the sound is "audible by any person from a distance of fifty (50) feet or more from the motor vehicle": a fixed, measurable distance rather than a subjective annoyance test.
Liability follows control of the vehicle: the owner is guilty if present when the stereo is playing, the person with "dominion, care or control" of the vehicle is guilty if the owner isn't there, and anyone who actually operates or amplifies the sound can also be charged. 05 requires every motor vehicle's exhaust to run through "a muffler or other device that effectively prevents loud or explosive noises," which is the section that reaches straight-piped exhausts and engine-braking noise. Saint Paul has no ordinance naming "engine brakes" or "Jake brakes" specifically; that conduct is captured through the muffler requirement and the general (e)(1) nuisance clause rather than a dedicated provision.
Violations & Fines
A § 293.02(e)(2) violation is a misdemeanor under the Chapter 293 penalty at subsection (f): up to a $1,000 fine, up to 90 days in jail, or both, and each day of a repeated stereo-noise pattern is a separate offense. Saint Paul police cite the vehicle's owner or driver on the spot.
Frequently Asked Questions
How loud does a car stereo have to be to violate the ordinance in Saint Paul?
Who gets the ticket if I loan my car to a friend and their stereo is too loud?
Does Saint Paul regulate loud exhaust or engine-braking noise?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Saint Paul
Compare Saint Paul 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.