Tuscaloosa, AL Noise Ordinances: Vehicle Noise (2026)

Tuscaloosa addresses vehicle noise in two ways. For car audio, Section 10.8-15 ('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. The general noise article's exemption for the 'normal and usual operation of motor vehicles and trains' (Section 10.8-14(i)) means ordinary engine and traffic noise is not cited under Chapter 10.8, but a blasting car stereo is reached by the dedicated rule in Section 10.8-15. 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. Sirens, horns and warning bells used to avoid collisions are exempt under Section 10.8-14(c).