Shenandoah, TX Noise Ordinances: Vehicle Noise (2026)

Section 47-3, "Noisy vehicles generally," enacted by Ord. No. O-03-023 in 2003, targets mechanical vehicle noise citywide. Subsection (b) bans discharging engine exhaust into the open air except through a muffler or similar device that effectively prevents loud and raucous noise. Subsection (c) specifically bans operating an engine so as to "brake" or slow it through the use of gears, commonly known as jake braking, or by any other method producing noise beyond normal engine operation, exempting only authorized official emergency vehicles. Subsection (d) bars idling any vehicle's engine for more than one hour, except emergency equipment or vehicles at a permitted public event or parade.

A companion rule in Article II, § 47-7, targets vehicle sound systems: it is unlawful to operate a sound amplifier connected to a radio, stereo receiver, CD player, cassette player or similar device in a motor vehicle in a manner that is audible at a distance of 30 feet, or that causes a person 30 feet away to notice the vibration accompanying the sound. 201(1). Both sections fall under chapter 47's general enforcement provision, § 47-6, assigning responsibility to the city administrator or a designee, and both carry the chapter-wide penalty in § 47-8: a class C misdemeanor with a fine of up to $500 per occurrence, each instance charged separately.