The Vermont Senate has passed Senate Bill 66, which would crack down on vehicle noise in general and motorcycle noise in particular. It would eliminate existing legislation and replace it with more restrictive laws.
Loud Pipes Annoy Vermonters
It’s rather telling that the very first section of the bill specifically addresses loud pipes on motorcycles.
(b)(1) An individual shall not operate on a highway a motor vehicle equipped with a muffler lacking interior baffle plates or other effective muffling devices, a gutted muffler, a muffler cutout, or a straight pipe exhaust.
(2) An individual shall not operate on a highway a motorcycle manufactured after December 31, 1985 that is not labeled in compliance with 40 C.F.R. § 205.158 and equipped with a muffler that meets the requirements of 40 C.F.R. § 205.169.
An exception is carved out for racing, but that wouldn’t apply to bikes ridden on the street anyway. Vehicles not meeting these requirements would automatically fail Vermont’s mandatory vehicle inspections. The bill also provides for a public outreach campaign to inform Vermonters about the exhaust modifications that would no longer be allowed, giving them time to comply by the time this part of the law would go into effect on July 1, 2025.
A disturbing part of this bill is its general nature, covering all motorcycles, not just those registered in Vermont. While the provisions forcing non-compliant pipes to fail inspection are specific to Vermonters, a visitor from neighboring “Live Free or Die” New Hampshire could potentially be ticketed for an exhaust that is perfectly legal in their home state.
Overall Noise Limits
Senate Bill 66 would undoubtedly lead to the old practice of keeping an “inspection pipe” in the garage, installing it for the annual check, then putting their non-compliant exhaust back on for the rest of the year. That’s where another part of the bill comes in.
(a) On or before December 15, 2025, the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles shall submit a written report to the Senate and House Committees on Transportation with a proposal for limits on motor vehicle noise and proposed procedures for the enforcement of those limits.
(b) The report shall examine laws and procedures in Maine and other New England states regarding:
(1) maximum sound levels for motor vehicles and trucks;
(2) enforcement of maximum sound levels for motor vehicles and trucks;
(3) procedures for a person to challenge a determination that the person’s vehicle was operating in excess of the applicable maximum sound level; and
(4) procedures for a citizen to report a suspected violation of the maximum sound levels for motor vehicles and trucks to law enforcement.
That last part is particularly disturbing, enabling and even encouraging people to snitch on suspected loud pipes. At that point, the burden would likely be on the owner to prove they are in compliance, even if they are running an unmodified exhaust. The results of decibel testing can be unreliable, depending on many environmental factors that may or may not be controlled to obtain consistent readings. We’ll have to wait and see what methodology this report comes up with and how reasonable it is, or isn’t.
Senate Bill 66 passed a vote on March 19 and was referred to the House Committee on Transportation on March 21, where it has sat ever since. The aggressive timeline outlined in the bill will already have to be revised, as the public outreach campaign is required to begin two months before the law takes effect, which would have been May 1. While it has passed the Senate, it remains to be seen whether Vermont will actually execute Order 66.
