Fla. Stat. § 403.415 — Florida Code / Title XXIX / Chapter 403 / Part I / Section 403.415
403.415 Motor vehicle noise.
Status: in_force

(1) SHORT TITLE. — This act shall be known and may be cited as the “Florida Motor Vehicle Noise Prevention and Control Act of 1974.”

(2) LEGISLATIVE INTENT. — (a) The intent of the Legislature is to implement the state constitutional mandate of s. 7, Art. II of the State Constitution to improve the quality of life in the state by limiting the noise of new motor vehicles sold in the state and the noise of motor vehicles used on the highways of the state. (b) It is also the intent of the Legislature to recognize the proposed United States Environmental Protection Act Noise Commission Standards Regulations for medium and heavy-duty trucks as being the most comprehensive available and in the best interest of Florida’s citizenry and, further, that such regulation shall preempt all state standards not identical to such regulation.

(3) DEFINITIONS. — The following words and phrases when used in this section shall have the meanings respectively assigned to them in this subsection, except where the context otherwise requires: (a) “dB A” means the composite abbreviation for A-weighted sound level, and the unit of sound level, the decibel. (b) “Gross combination weight rating” or “GCWR” means the value specified by the manufacturer as the loaded weight of a combination vehicle. (c) “Gross vehicle weight rating” or “GVWR” means the value specified by the manufacturer as the loaded weight of a single vehicle. (d) “Motor vehicle” means any vehicle which is self-propelled and any vehicle which is propelled by electric power obtained from overhead trolley wires, but not operated upon rails. (e) “Motorcycle” means any motor vehicle having a seat or saddle for the use of the rider and designed to travel on not more than three wheels in contact with the ground, including an autocycle, as defined in s. 316.003, and excluding a vehicle in which the operator is enclosed by a cabin unless it meets the requirements set forth by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for a motorcycle. The term “motorcycle” does not include a tractor or a moped. (f) “Moped” means any vehicle with pedals to permit propulsion by human power, having a seat or saddle for the use of the rider and designed to travel on not more than three wheels, with a motor rated not in excess of 2 brake horsepower and not capable of propelling the vehicle at a speed greater than 30 miles per hour on level ground, and with a power-drive system that functions directly or automatically without clutching or shifting gears by the operator after the drive system is engaged. If an internal combustion engine is used, the displacement may not exceed 50 cubic centimeters. (g) “Sound level” means the A-weighted sound pressure level measured with fast response using an instrument complying with the specification for sound level meters of the American National Standards Institute, Inc., or its successor bodies, except that only A-weighting and fast dynamic response need be provided. (h) “Vehicle” means any device in, upon, or by which any person or property is or may be transported or drawn upon a highway, except devices moved by human power or used exclusively upon stationary rails or tracks. (i) “Department” means the Department of Environmental Protection.

(4) NEW VEHICLE NOISE LIMITS. — No person shall sell, offer for sale, or lease a new motor vehicle that produces a maximum sound level exceeding the following limits at a distance of 50 feet from the center of the lane of travel under test procedures established under subsection (5): (a) For motorcycles: Date of manufacture Sound level limit From January 1, 1973, to December 31, 1974 .......... 86 dB A On or after January 1, 1975 .......... 83 dB A (b) For any motor vehicle with a GVWR over 10,000 pounds, for any school bus, and for any multipurpose passenger vehicle, which is defined as a motor vehicle with motive power designed to carry 10 persons or less and constructed either on a truck chassis or with special features for occasional off-road operation: Date of manufacture Sound level limit From January 1, 1973, to December 31, 1976 .......... 86 dB A On or after January 1, 1977 .......... 83 dB A

(5) TEST PROCEDURES. — The test procedures for determining compliance with this section shall be established by regulation of the department and in cooperation with the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles in substantial conformance with applicable standards and recommended practices established by the Society of Automotive Engineers, Inc., or its successor bodies, and the American National Standards Institute, Inc., or its successor bodies, for the measurement of motor vehicle sound levels.

(6) CERTIFICATION. — The manufacturer, distributor, importer, or designated agent thereof shall file a written certificate with the department stating that the specific makes and models of motor vehicles described thereon comply with the provisions of this section. No new motor vehicle shall be sold, offered for sale, or leased unless such certificate has been filed.

(7) NOTIFICATION OF CERTIFICATION. — The department shall notify the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles of all makes and models of motor vehicles for which valid certificates of compliance with the provisions of this section are filed.

(8) REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT. — (a) No person shall sell or offer for sale for use as a part of the equipment of a motor vehicle any exhaust muffler, intake muffler, or other noise abatement device which, when installed, will permit the vehicle to be operated in a manner that the emitted sound level of the vehicle is increased above that emitted by the vehicle as originally manufactured and determined by the test procedures for new motor vehicle sound levels established under this section. (b) The manufacturer, distributor, or importer, or designated agent thereof, shall file a written certificate with the department that his or her products sold within this state comply with the requirements of this section for their intended applications.

(9) OPERATING VEHICLE NOISE MEASUREMENTS. — The department shall establish, with the cooperation of the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, measurement procedures for determining compliance of operating vehicles with the noise limits of s. 316.293(2). The department shall advise the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles on technical aspects of motor vehicle noise enforcement regulations, assist in the training of enforcement officers, and administer a sound-level meter loan program for local enforcement agencies.

(10) ENACTMENT OF LOCAL ORDINANCES LIMITED. — The provisions of this section shall be applicable and uniform throughout this state and in all political subdivisions and municipalities therein, and no local authority shall enact or enforce any ordinance on a matter covered by this section unless expressly authorized. However, this subsection shall not prevent any local authority from enacting an ordinance when such enactment is necessary to vest jurisdiction of violation of this section in the local court.

History: ss. 1, 2, 3, ch. 74-110; ss. 1, 2, ch. 75-59; s. 1, ch. 76-289; s. 1, ch. 78-280; s. 82, ch. 79-65; s. 98, ch. 79-164; s. 1, ch. 80-338; s. 1, ch. 82-49; s. 22, ch. 87-161; s. 381, ch. 94-356; s. 12, ch. 97-103; s. 11, ch. 2018-130.