Tuscaloosa, AL Noise Ordinances: Vehicle Noise (2026)

Tuscaloosa addresses vehicle noise in two ways. 8-15 ('Noise on public streets generally') makes it unlawful to use or operate in a motor vehicle any sound-amplifying equipment, 'including, but not limited to, radios, compact disc players and cassette tape players,' that produces sound exceeding 75 dB(A) on any public street or right-of-way in the corporate limits of Tuscaloosa or its police jurisdiction. 8-15. Loud or modified exhaust is controlled by state law: Alabama Code Section 32-5-216 requires every motor vehicle to be equipped with a muffler in good working order and in constant operation to prevent excessive or unusual noise, and prohibits muffler cut-outs, bypasses or muffler-defeating devices on a highway. 8-14(c).