Yonkers, NY Noise Ordinances: Vehicle Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Stereo limit
- Audible 25+ feet from vehicle is illegal
- Idling limit
- 5 min per hour within 150 ft of homes
- Muffler
- Required on every public right-of-way
- Governing section
- Yonkers City Code § 66-4E
- Also barred
- Drag racing, tire squeal, false horn alarms
- Penalty
- Class II offense, $100-$5,000 or 15 days jail
Summary
Yonkers City Code § 66-4E bans unmuffled vehicles, straight pipes, and car stereos audible 25 feet away, and treats drag racing, tire-squealing and extended near-home idling as prohibited noise. A Class II offense under § 66-24 backs every clause, with liability falling on the registered owner or the person in control.
Motor vehicles: ... No motor vehicle may be operated without a properly functioning muffler on a public right-of-way. The operation of a vehicle which is unmuffled or is equipped with straight pipes is a violation of this code. It shall be unlawful to operate a car radio or car stereo so that the sound produced is plainly audible at a distance of 25 or more feet from the vehicle. Drag racing, acceleration tests, any excessive burst of speed in a motor vehicle, or motorcycle or the operating of any vehicle in such a manner as to cause the tires thereof to squeal, on any street or highway within the City of Yonkers, shall be considered an annoyance and a hazard to the safety of the public.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4745274; v31 updated 2025-10-28; through 10-28-2025).
Full Breakdown
§ 66-4E folds several distinct vehicle-noise rules into the Chapter 66 enumeration of prohibited noises. Every motor vehicle operated on a public right-of-way must carry a properly functioning muffler; operating an unmuffled vehicle or one fitted with straight pipes is itself a violation of the Code. ' The section separately bars extended idling: running a stationary vehicle's engine or attached equipment for more than five minutes in any sixty-minute period within 150 feet of a residential area is prohibited, unless the vehicle is stuck in traffic congestion or performing emergency work in the right-of-way.
' The section also reaches horn misuse, barring use of a vehicle's horn except as a danger or traffic warning signal, and requiring that use to stop once the danger passes; sounding a false alarm from the horn is likewise unlawful. Liability follows the registered owner if present at the violation, or the person in charge of the vehicle, or anyone who helped produce the sound if the owner is absent. A noise control officer or Yonkers police officer can issue an appearance ticket under § 66-23, and § 66-24 makes any violation a Class II offense carrying, per § 1-21, a fine of $100 to $5,000 or up to 15 days in jail, or a civil penalty of $250 to $5,000.
Violations & Fines
Operating a vehicle without a functioning muffler, with straight pipes, or with a stereo audible 25 feet away violates § 66-4E, as does drag racing, tire-squealing or improper horn use. The registered owner, or the person controlling the vehicle, is liable. Each is a Class II offense under § 66-24, punishable under § 1-21 by a fine of $100 to $5,000 or up to 15 days in jail, or a civil penalty of $250 to $5,000.
Frequently Asked Questions
How loud can a car stereo legally be in Yonkers?
Can I idle my car near homes in Yonkers?
Is drag racing or tire squealing illegal in Yonkers?
Who gets ticketed for an unmuffled or modified exhaust in Yonkers?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Yonkers
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