According to a new measure in the state legislature, drivers with commercial cars in Colorado might soon be subject to higher fines of up to $1,000 for not installing mufflers.
House Bill 1039 doubles the $500 punishment for cars without mufflers in an effort to address the problem of noisy trucks. By requiring that mufflers be readily visible and inspected, the measure also makes it easier for law enforcement to find non-compliant automobiles.
Many locals have voiced worries about the noise pollution these trucks generate, according to House Representative Brianna Titone, one of the bill’s sponsors. “A lot of people I talked to said, ‘I like to have my windows open in the morning, I like the fresh air at night, and then I hear these trucks coming down the highway at 5 in the morning and it wakes me up,'” Titone explained.
New York will now fine you $1000 for a noisy aftermarket exhaust: https://t.co/Fwct9hu2Iu pic.twitter.com/XfvuTwjzwB
— Car and Driver (@CARandDRIVER) January 15, 2022
Titone underlined that extended exposure to loud noises might have detrimental effects on one’s health, such as disrupted sleep cycles, hearing loss, and stress-related problems. “That’s not what we’re trying to promote for our communities,” Titone stated, adding, “We want safe, peaceful communities and this (bill) is what’s going to help get us there.”
Representatives Brianna Titone (D-Arvada) and Leslie Smith (D-Boulder), together with Senators Dylan Roberts (D-Frisco) and Marc Catlin (R-Montrose), are co-sponsoring the bill. Residents in Smith’s area, which includes Clear Creek, Gilpin, and Larimer counties, have complained to her that the noise has become a mental health issue. “It’s a huge issue,” Smith said.
According to an analysis by the neutral Legislative Council Staff, the state has averaged just 17 citations annually for the last three fiscal years, indicating that muffler violations seldom result in tickets.
Lilburn Police are cracking down on loud mufflers by increasing enforcement of existing noise laws.
Violators who get cited must repair their exhaust systems as required by Georgia law, which prohibits excessively loud or modified mufflers. cited. pic.twitter.com/dCFcJmVin7
— Everything Georgia (@GAFollowers) March 13, 2025
Stronger penalties, according to Representative Titone, will promote compliance with the state’s muffler laws. If an offender installs a new muffler within a month of receiving a citation, their fine will be reduced from $1,000 to $500.
“We’re not trying to just fine everybody, we want to actually solve the problem,” Titone remarked, “and by having a stiffer fine, maybe we can incentivize people to say, ‘I can’t keep getting $1,000 fines every time I get caught.'”
The law has been modified by the House to exempt farm vehicles, but Catlin thinks the Senate may need to make additional changes. Catlin is a representative of both quieter, rural places like Delta and Montrose as well as busy parts of Interstate 70 close to Glenwood Springs.
UNFIT: stopped this #Noisemaker in the Dundas/Ridgeway area. Exhaust venting through hood. No muffler, no catalytic converter, no wiper blades, no washer fluid system, no horn, validation expired 2018, no front plate & more.
Plates removed, permit marked unfit; driver charged. pic.twitter.com/luWZkonC8P
— Cst. Marc Taraso (@CstTaraso9345) September 26, 2020
He underlined that measures to reduce noise must be balanced without unjustly harming individuals who work in agriculture, such as drivers of 10-wheel trucks carrying gravel. “The people along I-70 want something done. We just have to be kind of careful about some of the people making a living up and down the highway,” Catlin noted.
The legislation still needs to clear the Senate before landing on Gov. Jared Polis’ desk. If it gets the green light, the new rules would kick in come July 2027.
