Woodbury, MN Noise Ordinances: Vehicle Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing sections
- City Code § 13-1(c)(2)b and (c)(4)
- Vehicle audio liability
- Driver and owner both guilty
- Exhaust rule
- Muffler required to prevent loud/explosive noise
- Standard used
- 50-ft night / 100-ft day audibility presumption
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor, fine up to $700, up to 90 days
Summary
Woodbury holds both the driver and the vehicle's owner liable when a car stereo or audio system is plainly audible and disturbing under City Code § 13-1(c)(2)b, and separately requires every vehicle exhaust to run through a muffler that prevents loud or explosive noise under § 13-1(c)(4).
b.When noise violating this section is produced by an electronic sound system or audio equipment that is located in or on a vehicle, the driver of the vehicle and the person who owns or is in control of the vehicle is guilty of the violation. ... (4)Exhausts. No person shall discharge or permit the discharge of the exhaust of any steam engine, stationary internal combustion engine, motor boat, motor vehicle, or snowmobile except through a muffler or other device which effectively prevents loud or explosive noises which complies with all applicable state laws and regulations.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 48).
Full Breakdown
Woodbury's noise chapter regulates vehicles two ways. ' That means a loud car stereo can result in a citation to the driver even if someone else owns the car, and the registered owner can be cited even if a different person was driving. The underlying violation is measured the same way as any other amplified sound: plainly audible at 50 feet at night or 100 feet during the day creates a presumption under (c)(2)a, and the general 'unreasonably disturb' standard in (b) applies at any hour.
' That folds Minnesota's own muffler and equipment standards into the city code, so a car, truck or snowmobile with a modified or removed exhaust that produces loud or explosive noise violates both the city ordinance and the state law it cross-references.
Violations & Fines
A car-stereo or muffler violation under § 13-1(c)(2)b or (c)(4) is a misdemeanor under § 13-1(d): a fine of up to $700.00, up to 90 days in jail, or both. Because vehicle owner and driver are both named in (c)(2)b, an owner can face the citation even after loaning the car to someone else.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who gets cited for a loud car stereo in Woodbury, the driver or the owner?
Does Woodbury regulate loud exhausts and modified mufflers?
Is there a decibel limit for car stereos?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Woodbury
Compare Woodbury to another location·View the Minnesota noise ordinances overview
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