A”quiet” bill, Just Sitting on California’s Hills – California’s New Exhaust Law Details
As everyone was partying hard into the new year, a new rule very quietly (it effect January 1, 2019 for Californians. Known as Assembly Bill 1824.
So before you start cracking out your sharpies, head over to Michaels lets lay down what is going down with this new Bill and why the internet is up in arms about it.
It is no news that California has been and will continue to be a strict state when it comes to exhaust laws. Under the existing law (prior to Assembly Bill 1824) exhaust systems installed on motor vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating of less than 6,000 LBS cannot exceed a sound level of 95 decibels when tested. None of which has actually changed under AB 1824.
Now when it comes to looking at what Assembly Bill 1824 actually does we see it is only amending how excess exhaust noise violations are handled by law enforcement. Before Jan 1 2019, a vehicle that was cited for being in violation of said law will no longer get one of those cherished “fix it” tickets as they have become to be known.
So how bad can this little bill be?
Well it has gone from a “fix it” ticket to an immediate fine.
I am sure this is dating us but Schoolhouse rock sure didn’t prepare me for this. I mean how bad could these fines be?
If we take a look at the base fines on the Uniform Bail and Penalties Schedule it does not look too bad but once you start looking closer at the numbers these violations add up pretty quick and soon you start to see tickets north of $1,100 for certain violations.
How loud is too loud?
The limit is 95 db which is outlined in subheading b of Article 2 section 27151 for those book worms who wish to read the whole Bill. Ok 95 db. Great…wait what is a db? And is 95 loud or not? Aka how screwed am I?
Obviously this is subjective as we all know those friends who think their straight pipe exhaust isn’t loud enough but if we were to look into some form of comparison here are some things and how loud they are:
- Aircraft Carrier Deck – 140 db
- Leaf Blower ~ 115 DB
- Ambulance Siren Inside with window down – 100 DB
- Power Lawn Mower – 94 DB
So if you are living in California you may want to reconsider that exhaust modification and maybe check our some exterior styling parts instead. As they say you gotta pay to play, well the price to play has gotten far more expensive with the implementation of Assembly Bill 1824 in California.
Looking to modify your exhaust and want to keep it on the mild side? Here at Modded Euros we offer filtering on our exhaust pages. No matter what type of system you are looking for we offer the ability to quickly filter down to just what you need.
Switchpath Remote
Looking for a recommendation? Here at Modded Euros, we are a big fan of the AWE Tuning exhaust lineup. And for those of you in California looking to keep it tame, AWE offers their touring exhaust suite which is a more mild form of their track exhaust suite. Or if you want full control check out their Switchpath exhausts which are available for specific models. Head over to AWE Tuning at ModdedEuros.com to learn more!
