Upland, CA Noise Ordinances: Vehicle Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Covers
- noise from operation, condition, or modification
- Requirement
- muffler required on all vehicle exhaust
- Straight-pipe exhaust
- independently unlawful
- Horn misuse
- separately banned in Subsection (G)
- Governing section
- UMC § 9.40.100(F), (K)
Summary
Upland Municipal Code § 9.40.100 bars operating a motor vehicle that generates noise causing discomfort or annoyance because of how it is driven, its condition, or a modification, and separately requires every vehicle exhaust to run through a muffler that prevents loud or explosive noise.
F. Motor Driven Vehicles. It is unlawful for any person to operate any motor driven vehicle within the city that, due to the nature of the operation of the vehicle, or due to the operating condition of the vehicle, or due to any modification made to the vehicle, generates noise so that a reasonable person is caused discomfort or annoyance. ... K. Exhaust. It is unlawful for any person to discharge into the open air the exhaust of any steam engine, stationary internal combustion engine, motorboat, or motor driven vehicle except through a muffler or other device which will effectively prevent loud or explosive noises therefrom.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4480959; v4 updated 2025-09-22).
Full Breakdown
100. Subsection (F), Motor Driven Vehicles, makes it unlawful to operate any motor driven vehicle within the city that, due to the nature of the vehicle's operation, its operating condition, or any modification made to it, generates noise so that a reasonable person is caused discomfort or annoyance. That reaches an aggressively revved engine, a defective exhaust system, or an aftermarket modification built to be loud, whether or not a decibel meter is used. Subsection (K), Exhaust, separately requires that the exhaust of any steam engine, stationary internal combustion engine, motorboat, or motor driven vehicle be discharged only through a muffler or other device that effectively prevents loud or explosive noises, meaning a straight-piped or muffler-delete exhaust is independently unlawful even if the vehicle would otherwise pass the reasonable-person standard in Subsection (F).
Subsection (G) adds a horn-specific rule barring any horn or signaling device used to make an unreasonably loud or harsh sound, used for an unnecessary period, or run off engine exhaust rather than an electric or hand-operated unit, except as a genuine danger warning. 020 to include automobiles, trucks, vans, buses, motorcycles, minibikes, and go-carts, on or off road.
Violations & Fines
A vehicle-noise violation under Section 9.40.100(F), (G), or (K) is a misdemeanor under Section 9.40.110, punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, up to six months in city or county jail, or both, with each day of continued violation a separate offense. The Upland Police Department can cite a driver on the reasonable-person standard without a decibel measurement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a modified loud exhaust illegal on a car in Upland?
Does the city need a decibel reading to cite a loud vehicle?
Can I get cited for honking my horn unnecessarily in Upland?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Upland
California rules heatmap·Compare Upland to another location·View the California noise ordinances overview
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Vehicle Noise in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Bernardino County handle vehicle noise.