Yuma, AZ Noise Ordinances: Vehicle Noise (2026)
Key Facts
- Conduct barred
- Intentional tire squealing from speed/accel/decel
- Standard
- Requires intentional driving, not accidental noise
- Enforced as
- Traffic offense, not a nuisance complaint
- Penalty class
- Class 3 misdemeanor, up to $500
- Origin
- Ordinance 1064, passed 7-5-1967
Summary
Yuma bars drivers from intentionally accelerating, braking or taking curves in a way that makes tires squeal loudly on the roadway. Section 211-05 targets deliberate tire noise and roadway damage together, giving police a specific traffic offense to cite for burnouts and hard launches near homes and businesses.
§ 211-05 Unnecessary Tire Noise. No person shall intentionally operate any vehicle at such a speed on a curve or turn, or intentionally accelerate or decelerate any vehicle in such a manner as to create loud or unnecessary noise through the squealing of tires on the surface of the roadway or to cause damage to the roadway.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-74: Current through May 20, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Section 211-05, unchanged since Ordinance 1064 (passed 7-5-67) and recodified by Ordinance 2181 in 1984, sits in Chapter 211's general traffic provisions rather than the city's noise chapter, framing loud tire noise as a traffic-safety offense, not a nuisance complaint. ' Because the standard hinges on intent and the resulting noise or roadway damage, an officer citing the section is expected to point to deliberate driving behavior such as a burnout, a hard launch from a stop, or squealing through a turn, not ordinary hard braking to avoid a hazard.
The section pairs naturally with the Police Department's general traffic-enforcement authority under § 211-06, which lets an officer stop and detain a person to investigate a suspected traffic violation and serve a complaint. Because § 211-05 sits in the traffic title rather than the general nuisance-noise chapter, it is enforced by traffic officers as a moving violation rather than by code enforcement responding to a noise complaint after the fact.
Violations & Fines
Violating § 211-05 is a class 3 misdemeanor under § 211-99, punishable by a fine of up to $500, up to one day in jail, or both, plus a possible civil sanction under A.R.S. § 28-626 unless the section's own penalty controls. Repeated tire-squealing stops can also draw scrutiny under the city's separate no-cruising ordinance, § 211-75.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it illegal to squeal your tires in Yuma?
What is the penalty for excessive tire noise in Yuma?
Does Yuma have a separate ordinance for car stereos or loud mufflers?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Yuma
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