Hey I was just wondering how much noise can car audio put out before it is too loud? And also is there a time limit or something?

Thanks

Noise laws vary from area to area. Generally they refer to noise that other people are subjected to. I doubt if there is any laws about how loud a car radio can go. The issue would be blasting any radio to the point it bothers others.

I know that disturbing the peace is a subjective thing...

We had a neighbor that we had some noise issues with (actually a group home) and were told when we talked to the police that if we were disturbed by noise enough to call the police, then its disturbing the peace. Just took a phone call and a few questions to find out what they would respond to. Luckily, the neighbor changed their ways and we never had to call the p.d. again.

Obviously they are human too, and are going to use reasonable judgement. Some noise at 2pm shouldn't be as big a deal as at 10pm. Call the local police dpt if you are unsure... simply tell them you want to understand the law better and someone can help define it for you.

Hello boothy:

Noise, is a local problem and the law varies. Some localities have no noise ordinance, while others have quite restrictive ones, and the means to enforce it. On the more anal end, there is a distance and amplitude maximum and the cops have noise meters.

How do you know which one you're in? Look around. If you see million dollar houses and a lot of Volvos, you better not make a squeak.

excon

The time limit is the most significant thing. If you're cruising down a street in a residential neighborhood at 3 AM blaring your car's sound system then you are definitely guilty of noise pollution. On the other hand, you might not be guilty if it were 3 PM. It depends on the decibel level and the standards set by the laws of your state or municipality.

In my municipality, the bylaw states that the audio system of the car cannot be "clearly audible" at a distance of 25 feet. Again, "clearly audible" is a subjective measure.