Answer: This is what the Minnesota State Statute lists: “Every motor vehicle shall at all times be equipped with a muffler in good working order which blends the exhaust noise into the overall vehicle noise and is in constant operation to prevent excessive or unusual noise, and no person shall use a muffler cutout, bypass, or similar device upon a motor vehicle on a street or highway. The exhaust system shall not emit or produce a sharp popping or crackling sound. Every motor vehicle shall at all times be equipped with such parts and equipment so arranged and kept in such state of repair as to prevent carbon monoxide gas from entering the interior of the vehicle. No person shall have for sale, sell or offer for sale or use on any motor vehicle any muffler that fails to comply with the specifications as required by the commissioner of public safety.”

This does not specifically answer how loud a motorized vehicle can be. It states that a vehicle must have a good working muffler period. So any cutouts or bypasses are NOT allowed. Straight pipes are also ILLEGAL. Rusted out mufflers or exhaust with holes – ILLEGAL. After market mufflers, sometimes called “glass packs” or “cherry bombs” can be an issue also for they may produce “a sharp popping or crackling sound”. So what is law enforcement looking for? I can assure you we are not out to split fine hairs and focus on the border line noises. It is the obvious ones that draw the attention. Someone once told me, “The loudest person in the room usually gathers the most unwanted attention”. A red light in the rear view mirror is not the attention you want. Again, when it is obvious, it’s obvious. Some counties and cities have local noise ordinances set up to be specific in there decibel level. Those are usually monitored with a decibel meter in conjunction with their policies and procedures. Some of these are created to pertain to the amount of noise, duration of noise, and source sound other than ambient noise that affect a community’s inhabitants. Basically, a noise ordinance defines which sounds are and are not acceptable at any given time so that residents can live comfortably with a community in terms of the sounds that they hear. Some of these are effective during certain times of the day, usually applying at night. So depending on where you live, I would check with the local authorities on their ordinances. Me, sure I have a spot for the sweet purr of a performance motor. But it’s all about the right time and place. My advice is that if you think that “loud pipes save lives”, save it for the off road or the race track.

If you have any questions concerning traffic related laws or issues in Minnesota send your questions to Trp. Jesse Grabow – Minnesota State Patrol at 1000 Highway 10 West, Detroit Lakes, MN 56501-2205. (Or reach him at, jesse.grabow@state.mn.us)