Noise
Laws
From
Powerboat
Magazine
April
2002
STATE |
MAXIMUM NOISE LEVEL |
LEVELS AND STANDARD MUFFLING |
ALTERATION LAW |
Alabama |
Yes |
86 dB and Marine Police Standards |
Yes |
Alaska |
No |
NA |
No |
Arizona |
Yes |
86 dB, SAE J-1970 |
No |
Arkansas |
No |
NA |
No |
California |
Yes |
86 dB pre-January 1976; 84 dB pre-January 1978; 82 dB post-January 1978 |
No |
Colorado |
Yes |
86 dB(A scale) |
Yes |
Connecticut |
Yes |
SAE J-2005 90 dB(A scale) prior to January 1993;
|
Yes |
Delaware |
No |
NA |
No |
District of Columbia |
No |
NA |
Yes |
Florida |
Yes |
90 dB(A scale) at 50 feet |
No |
Georgia |
No |
NA |
Yes |
Hawaii |
No |
NA |
No |
Idaho |
Yes |
J-1970 75 dB(A scale), J-2005 90 dB(A scale) pre-November
1995; |
Yes |
Illinois |
Yes |
SAE J-2005 90 dB(A scale); J-1970 75 dB(A scale) |
No |
Indiana |
No |
NA |
Yes |
Iowa |
Yes |
86 dB(A scale) at 50 feet minimum |
No |
Kansas |
No |
NA |
No |
Kentucky |
No |
NA |
No |
Louisiana |
Yes |
Must be adequately muffled |
No |
Maine |
Yes |
SAE J-2005 90 dB(A scale); J-1970 75 dB(A scale) |
Yes |
Maryland |
Yes |
SAE J-2005 90 dB(A scale) |
Yes |
Massachusetts |
Yes |
Federal standards |
Yes |
Michigan |
Yes |
SAE J-2005 90 dB(A scale) or J-1970 75 dB(A scale) |
Yes |
Minnesota |
Yes |
82 dB(A scale) J-1970, post-January 1982; 84 dB(A scale)pre-January 1982 |
Yes |
Mississippi |
No |
NA |
No |
Missouri |
Yes |
90 dB(A scale) J-2005 at 1 meter or J-1970 86 dB(A scale) |
Yes |
Montana |
Yes |
86 dB, SAE J-2005 |
No |
Nebraska |
No |
NA |
No |
Nevada |
Yes |
86 dB(A scale) |
No |
New Hampshire |
Yes |
Manufactured before 1977, 86 dB(A scale) j-1970, manufactured between 1978 & 1981, 84 dB(A scale), manufactured after 1981, 82 dB(A scale) |
Yes |
New Jersey |
Yes |
90 dB(A scale) |
Yes |
New Mexico |
Yes |
Reasonable level |
Yes |
New York |
Yes |
SAE J-2005 90 dB(A scale); J-1970 75 dB(A scale) |
Yes |
North Carolina |
No |
NA |
Yes |
North Dakota |
No |
NA |
No |
Ohio |
Yes |
SAE J-2005 90 dB; J-1970 75 dB(A scale) |
No |
Oklahoma |
NA |
NA |
Yes |
Oregon |
Yes |
90 dB(A scale) J-2005 pre-January 1993; 88dB(a scale) post-January 1993 |
No |
Pennsylvania |
Yes |
J-2005 88 dB(A scale) |
Yes |
Rhode Island |
No |
Reasonable level |
Yes |
South Carolina |
No |
NA |
No |
South Dakota |
No |
NA |
No |
Tennessee |
Yes |
86 dB at 50 feet |
Yes |
Texas |
No |
NA |
No |
Utah |
Yes |
For boats 1993 or older, 90 dB(A scale); 1994 or newer, 88 dB(A scale) |
Yes |
Vermont |
Yes |
82 dB, J-1970 |
Yes |
Virgin Islands |
No |
NA |
Yes |
Virginia |
No |
NA |
Yes |
Washington |
Yes |
J-1970 75 dB(A scale); J-2005 90 dB before January 1994; 88 dB after January 1994 |
Yes |
West Virginia |
No |
NA |
Yes |
Wisconsin |
Yes |
86 dB(A scale) J-1970, J-2005 |
Yes |
Wyoming |
No |
NA |
Yes |