Blue Talon Boy
10+ Year Contributor
- 480
- 1
- Sep 22, 2010
-
Leesburg,
Virginia
Alright, if your car is registered in Virginia, listen up. I got a ticket for "improper exhaust" yesterday in my '91. I mentioned to the officer that the car had just been through state inspection the day before. He said it doesn't matter, its no longer part of the inspection process. State trooper mind you. I got curious on just what the law said regarding exhaust. It is as follows:
§ 46.2-1049. Exhaust system in good working order.
No person shall drive and no owner of a vehicle shall permit or allow the operation of any such vehicle on a highway unless it is equipped with an exhaust system in good working order and in constant operation to prevent excessive or unusual levels of noise; provided however, that for motor vehicles, such exhaust system shall be of a type installed as standard factory equipment, or comparable to that designed for use on the particular vehicle as standard factory equipment. An exhaust system shall not be deemed to prevent excessive or unusual noise if it permits the escape of noise in excess of that permitted by the standard factory equipment exhaust system of private passenger motor vehicles or trucks of standard make.
The term "exhaust system," as used in this section, means all the parts of a vehicle through which the exhaust passes after leaving the engine block, including mufflers and other sound dissipative devices.
Chambered pipes are not an effective muffling device to prevent excessive or unusual noise, and any vehicle equipped with chambered pipes shall be deemed in violation of this section.
Now, that being said, this law States that any aftermarket exhaust that is not factory style design, is illegal. Shortly after reading the law, I got curious. My exhaust is big, but not annoyingly loud to draw attention, so I thought. I did a quick google search for "Virginia exhaust ticket" and looked through ten pages of results. Of the ten pages, about a page were not actually vehicle related. Another page or so was American car forums complaining, though many referenced an import car. The remaining eight pages of results were import car forums (ie, dsmtuners.com, my350z.com, supra, subaru, honda, acura, miata) . It would seem to me, Virginia law officers are letting the majority of American cars slide and coming down on the imports.
Here is what I propose we do, surrounding States have adopted a noise emission level that should not be exceeded. 95 dbs seems to be the standard number. This would allow a non-stock style exhaust, but not obnoxiously loud. I have read many people complaining of this $91 ticket, but haven't seen any attempt at changing the law. We can petition the state to change the law.but we will need the support of not only the DSM community, but many others as well.
I have seen far too many straight piped trucks and Mustangs go unchecked, to be a target in a car that is so old, most cops don't even recognize it, and couldn't honestly tell if it was stock or not.
§ 46.2-1049. Exhaust system in good working order.
No person shall drive and no owner of a vehicle shall permit or allow the operation of any such vehicle on a highway unless it is equipped with an exhaust system in good working order and in constant operation to prevent excessive or unusual levels of noise; provided however, that for motor vehicles, such exhaust system shall be of a type installed as standard factory equipment, or comparable to that designed for use on the particular vehicle as standard factory equipment. An exhaust system shall not be deemed to prevent excessive or unusual noise if it permits the escape of noise in excess of that permitted by the standard factory equipment exhaust system of private passenger motor vehicles or trucks of standard make.
The term "exhaust system," as used in this section, means all the parts of a vehicle through which the exhaust passes after leaving the engine block, including mufflers and other sound dissipative devices.
Chambered pipes are not an effective muffling device to prevent excessive or unusual noise, and any vehicle equipped with chambered pipes shall be deemed in violation of this section.
Now, that being said, this law States that any aftermarket exhaust that is not factory style design, is illegal. Shortly after reading the law, I got curious. My exhaust is big, but not annoyingly loud to draw attention, so I thought. I did a quick google search for "Virginia exhaust ticket" and looked through ten pages of results. Of the ten pages, about a page were not actually vehicle related. Another page or so was American car forums complaining, though many referenced an import car. The remaining eight pages of results were import car forums (ie, dsmtuners.com, my350z.com, supra, subaru, honda, acura, miata) . It would seem to me, Virginia law officers are letting the majority of American cars slide and coming down on the imports.
Here is what I propose we do, surrounding States have adopted a noise emission level that should not be exceeded. 95 dbs seems to be the standard number. This would allow a non-stock style exhaust, but not obnoxiously loud. I have read many people complaining of this $91 ticket, but haven't seen any attempt at changing the law. We can petition the state to change the law.but we will need the support of not only the DSM community, but many others as well.
I have seen far too many straight piped trucks and Mustangs go unchecked, to be a target in a car that is so old, most cops don't even recognize it, and couldn't honestly tell if it was stock or not.