I follow SEMA activities and contact my reps when necessary to get in my $.02. I got this msg yesterday... not happy.

Virginia Signs into Law Anti-Hobby Exhaust Noise Bill

Governor Glenn Youngkin (R) signed into law SAN-opposed legislation (H.B. 632) to reform enforcement of Virginia's exhaust noise laws. H.B. 632 repeals a 2020 bill which prevented law enforcement from stopping motorists solely for exhaust noise violations. Virginia prohibits mufflers that use an “excessive or unusual level of noise” and mandates that mufflers must be identical to their factory setting, comparable to factory equipment, approved by the Superintendent, or meets or exceeds standards of SAE International, ANSI, or the U.S. Department of Transportation.

In the next legislative session, the SEMA Action Network (SAN) will be seeking to implement a fair testing procedure and decibel limit for vehicle owners accused of unreasonable exhaust noise violations. Accordingly, please encourage others to get involved now by signing-up with the SAN without cost or obligation.

Thank you to those who voiced concerns with lawmakers about this effort.

If you're not already involved in SEMA legal efforts, please sign up HERE

This is sad. My town has looked at this numerous times and so far cannot find a testing procedure that would withstand a court challenge. What a mess. Especially the part with "mufflers must be identical to their factory setting, comparable to factory equipment," So what was the original dBa level of a '69 Roadrunner? Are there records of this? And under what conditions, idle, cruise, WOT? And what is comparable to factory equipment? Any oval muffler is an acceptable choice as it is "comparable" to the stock muffler? This is a can of worms that Virginia has opened up.

It is a can of worms and hardly enforcable. Most agencies don't have decibel meters and under what circumstances and criteria are the systems tested? It would have to be uniformly applied. This is really just another way to harrass someone, give LE probable cause or collect more state revenue from fines, because they know most people won't fight it.

years ago, dad got a ticket in his 69 z28, for un-necessary noise. it had chambered exhaust on it. he fought it and won. he called the illinois epa and found out that the z decibels allowed was up to 85. also it had to be measured no more than 25 feet from rear of car and no more than 2 ft lt/rt of the centerline of vehicle. also no more than 30 mph speed. at that time, the only place that had a decibel meter was the shell refinery. he has all his paperwork in hand when he went to court and the judge threw it out. funny that the officer that gave him the ticket later became the chief of police and him and dad are really good friends. epa should have all the info and procedures for measuring noise.

This was the purpose of the SEMA-supported bill. I don't know if it's still in play (i.e., is this SEMA's next step?), though.

Virginia has introduced SAN-supported legislation (S.B. 180) to implement a fair testing procedure for vehicle owners accused of unreasonable exhaust noise violations. This bill applies to motor vehicles with a gross weight of 6,500 pounds or less. A vehicle cannot be in violation of the 85-decibel exhaust noise limit unless it has been tested under these fair standards. The bill currently awaits consideration in the Senate Transportation Committee.

S.B. 180 implements an objective testing procedure for determining if a vehicle’s installed exhaust system is in excess of 85 decibels, measured at a distance of at least 50 feet.

S.B. 180 supplies inspectors with an enforcement standard, replacing a system that relies on subjective judgments on whether an exhaust system amplifies the noise emitted by the motor vehicle.

S.B. 180 allows the operator of a vehicle to defend an exhaust noise violation, recognizing that the best way to address exhaust noise is by establishing a fair and reasonable exhaust noise decibel limit.


What passed is totally subjective and can be applied in a punitive manner.

New york state passed almost the same bill,effective 4/1/22, for all vechiles stock type exhaust only.Fines starting at $750&up for repair shops installing,modified exhaust,multiple infractions loose your repair&inspection license,plus hefty fines.state of taxes&commies.

Enforcement will be tough. Back in 78 my bro bought a Z28 brand new. They pulled him over for lack of a front plate(required in WI) and while he was stopped the cop says"thing's kinda loud too" My brother said" Not sure what ya mean...it has 200 miles on it....if it's too loud you should talk to Chevrolet" lol Cop let him go. This is a huge unenforceable can of worms. They going after Harleys too?

Brad the biggest problem is there is no coloration between the Federal EPA "drive by" test procedure that is done on every on-highway vehicle and the "20 inch" test done for say motorcycle enduro and pro motocross and numerous other stationary sound testing. They have been trying to get some kind of standard between the two but it always ends up being skewed by something. The Federal sound test is done basically as a 50' foot drive/ride by with the meter at 25' or the middle of the test area and at 50' perpendicular to the middle of the drive by area. Probably the easiest way to see this is to watch the On Any Sunday motorcycling movie and watch Malcolm Smith at the ISDT in Spain do the "acceleration test". He comes off of the line and just about ten or twenty meters/yards off of the line where he is tapped out in second gear and about to hit third there's a sound meter sitting about 50' on the side. It not only reads the exhaust sound level but ALL of the noise generated by an accelerating motorcycle or vehicle. Everything, including tire noise, chain noise, air intake noise, engine noise and expansion chamber thin wall and muffler/exhaust noise. That's what the Federal EPA and EU/TUV test does almost exactly to all vehicles and that level is usually around 82dba at 50' drive/ride by. Now try to stick a sound meter at a 45 degree angle at 20 inches from the end of a tail pipe at get it to read 82 dba and it's not going to happen with any EPA legal On-Highway vehicle. One of the most Apples to Oranges comparisons that exists.

Go to the 4:20 minute mark here and that's how the EPA/TUV/Transport Canada/SAE/etc. sound test is basically conducted around the world. 50 foot drive/by full throttle at 50 foot.

Yes motorcycles too including harleys.

i agree 10,000% on the Harley exhaust noise enforcement.
i live down the street from a biker bar. the exhaust noise gets pretty bad.

i do live next to a county highway. i accept SOME of the noise from living next to the highway. but there should be limits.
there are a LOT of cars drive by my house WFO 75+ mph, yet the limit is 35mph and no one seems to get a ticket, straight piped with no mufflers. the noise is extreme.

i would suggest a law anyone with a loud muffler should be required to sit 10' directly behind their car, no ear plugs allowed, in a chair and someone runs it thru thru rpm range and hold it at WOT for 10 seconds. they go thru the cycle for 5 min. they will be required to do this every week as long as they drive the car.
there will be a LOT of people with severe hearing problems or a bunch of quiet cars.

I paid money to put my car on the Dyno for the specific reason of hearing my exhaust at wide open throttle lol.

Some cars are annoying and obnoxiously loud I get that.

Think this should be for the obnoxiously loud Harley and ricer owners. That was probably the inspiration for the bill. How many "performance" V8 cars with loud exhaust do you see on the streets compared to ricers and Harley's? Then you got people with loud Harley's and they need to put a stereo on it louder than the exhaust!

You obviously don't live in my 'hood where the ricers and fart pipes running up and down the street CONSTANTLY and FAR outnumber the Harley's! I would rather hear a straight piped Harley ANYDAY than one of those P O S's...

The real problem in my area

Id love if they enforced whatever laws are already in place for excessively loud exhaust. Some cars around here you can hear them at WOT from blocks away and it's annoying. But it needs to be done within reason because all you need is that one police officer who's having a bad day to cause a lot of problems for someone who isn't intentionally doing anything wrong at all.

Why does anti-noise legislation equate to anti-hobby? Does one ASSume that all gearheads love obnoxious noise like those cited above?

Complaining about an event that lasts about ten seconds, quite harmless and soon forgotten doesn't make a lot of sense either.

LOL Last year I told one of my old friends that many pickup trucks around here have bigger tires and louder exhaust than my Barracuda. I have to do something about that. Will soon have more room for bigger tires and then i'll be looking for bigger exhaust.

My brother has collected 2 of those excessive noise tickets. Both were dismissed as there was no documentation on what 'too loud' was as no decibel test was performed at the time the tickets were issued.