States where open headers are street legal?

I don't know of any state where mufflers are an option. Most of the time it comes down to decibels. But if you don't have a muffler or mufflers of some sort you can bet you are above the decibel limit.

A lot of places they just sort of turn a blind eye to the whole muffler thing if you are in a rod and not causing other problems.

Funny thing I discovered about the seatbelt law. In a lot of states seat belts are not required in a vehicle that didn't come stock with them. but the law still requires you to be wearing a seatbelt when you are operating or riding in a motor vehicle. it kind of falls into a gray area.

 

Here in Virginia they would be semi legal. Here they go by db, so if you are over the noise limit you can get a ticket.

 

I found this link on motorcycle exhaust, but nothing about cars;
http://www.cmsnl.com/community/misc/law.php?subject=Muffler

 

The rethorical question is;

What is a legal hot rod anyhow? Mine complies with the registration/insurance requirements. The busybody assholes on "that" side of the isle in the state legislature are constantly attempting to push off their bullshit on us, but the OCC (Old Car Council) helps lobby "this" side of the isle here in Colorado.

I cannot imagine living in a town/county where the police would have time to worry about missing mufflers, with (real) crime to fight. Oh yes, I know, such lame-brained activity exists in Liberutopia Busybody USA. But you can bet your sweet ass I'll never live in that town.

I don't have a muffler on either jalopy. One has straight pipe, the other has dual straight pipes. The one with duals is louder, I have baffles, for my own comfort and respect for my neighbors.
I have never been stopped for the lack of a muffler. If it became an issue, where local law enforcement even had the time to waste stopping people for such bullshit, I would be worried that they weren't concentrating on crime. If it became a big deal, I would certainly have a sale and move.

I choose to put baffles in, whilst driving in the residential, with respect for my neighbors, not for worrying about getting a ticket. As for what I'd do if I got a ticket? I'd grin and bear it. They need money to pay the cops in this slow economy anyhow.

When driving down the highway or to a meet, I take the baffles out.

 

The exhaust I'm going to run on my Plymouth is going to exit right behind the front wheel. I'm going to buy a baffle out of respect for my neighbors and so my kids don't go deaf! Carchemistry.com has baffles for just about every exhaust set you can think of.

 

down here in ga. as long as you don't drive like an idiot they leave you alone, this ain't the wild west but it is country and most police like seeing the old cars

 

I had a friend with a 396 El Camino with headers. It would not run worth a crap until you bolted on an 18" extension to the headers. Now you see the extensions offered at most race suppliers.

 

While most of the vehicle laws in Mass suck, I've seen old rods with valid stickers that ride around with open headers. Overall, I think they're fairly lenient with old cars.

 

Straight from the California DMV website,

Mufflers and Exhaust systems;
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d16_5/vc38365.htm

Noise Limits;
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d16_5/vc38370.htm

 

Talked to a guy whose family ran the Palmer House Hotel in Manchester, VT a few years back, who said he legally ran no mufflers on an old Porsche he had. I don't know the particulars, or exactly how it was registered, but since you are in Western New England, go check it out.

 

i think its because we have alot of "billy badasses" and "hot rod holligans" here that think that laws do not apply to them. one guy i knew wanted me to drive my car with no windows, tail lights, rear brakes, or no reguard for others safety, when i told him NO, he called me a fake hotrodder and a loser. i know im going to run baffles in my headers, because i dont want some dick cop giving me tickets, or try to seize my car because he wants it.

 

I run open Lakes all the time, and always get a thumbs up here in Alabama.....I have also driven it to Pigeon Forge and Bowling Green with no problems either...

 

I have a stock exhaust manifolds with straight pipes on my truck. Never been stopped. Guess it just goes with the look.

 

I run a set of lake pipes from Matt, (who by the way just rocks), with a baffle that I drilled the snot out of. It just takes the edge off of the noise and to me it's perfect. Apperently so do all the cops that I have came across.

Although I did get pulled over because I downshifted and nailed it at 2 am to pass someone as a cop was sitting near by. He pulled me over & asked if I had the proper paperwork which I did and he told me, "have a good night" and away I went.

I have heard horror storied about county cops going over your car like it's a crime scene but when they do they tend to throw around that "R" word.

 

Never gotten pulled over and questioned for it but if I had my ears would have been ringing anyway. The ringing never goes away. I have since baffled both of my open exhaust cars, but the ringing is still there.

 

From what I've heard, it's not legal in Texas, but I drive by fuzz all the time in my truck, and they just give me the thumbs up.

 

I have been driving my car for the last two weeks here in Tempe AZ and never got pulled over even with a cop next to me at the light. I am driving with an open exhaust straight out.

Frenchy

 

I have been driving my car for the last two weeks here in Tempe AZ and never got pulled over even with a cop next to me at the light. I am driving with an open exhaust straight out.

Frenchy

 

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I seriously doubt that there are. The states are forcing the race tracks to have their racecars run mufflers. There are a few outlaw tracks that might let you run open headers, most don't/can't. Anyone can drive a car on the street with open headers with hopes of not getting caught

 

My understanding of the law around here is that any modification to the exhaust is considered illegal, but that law isn't enforced, as where I live there are no emisions tests or safty inspections. I ran an O/T F-body with open shortys for about two years as my daily, and never got a ticket tell I pissed off one cop in our town (long non-car related story) and got a fix it ticket, no fine, just had to send it back in when the muffler shop sighned off on it.

 

99% of the Harleys around here are louder than any hot rod.
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Like I told the kid, "Your music's not too loud its just like OKC, it sucks.

 

What are you doing crossinf the scales anyhow? Every story you hear about a scale house something bad was happening to The driver! Here is a pic of the rig i drive Has a million miles has been across the scale mabey a dozen times not any times when i was driving!OldWolf

 

You can not run straight headers ANYWHERE legally on the roads in the US. Legally, you have to have exhaust pipes, mufflers, and tailpipes, or sidepipes, as long as the exhaust exits out the side in front of or behind the rear axle, or exits behind the rear bumper or tailgate. That's everywhere! I defy anyone to find a statute or State law that permits open headers on the street.

Even a "quiet" exhaust can still be illegal if it does not look and sound according to any given State law or local ordinance. Most of you guys running lake pipes or straight pipes must not be loud enough for the local constabulary to ticket you.

The Harley owners seem to get away with it, I know that.

 

Good call.

 

You can get away with a lot here in California just as long as you're not driving around like an ass.

Hell, they even have a provision for hill climbs! Gotta love that!

Sam

 

It's pretty much that way in Hawaii too. They have noise levels for the older cars, but not really enforced unless someone is being stupid! My rigs all have pretty open straight through glass packs, usually 2.5" or 3" all the way. Stay pretty quiet with a very nice rumble for just cruising, but a very satisfying rap when I get on it and go through the gears. Always use good headers too, that really helps develop a healthy sound. Just put a set of electric cutouts on one of my rigs, that is pretty sweet, but they hung down pretty low, so took them back off and have to redo the cutout Y's to give me more clearance. All fifty states have laws on sound levels for the older rods, but how they get inforced varies a lot from one area to another. I've never had a muffler or sound ticket here in 42 years of driving some rods with pretty loud exhaust. But I'm usually pretty careful about it.
Aloha,
Willy
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iv got the loudest damn harley you've ever heard and run open lake pipes on my roadster, flathead,
man i fly by the popo all the time here, no worries ever.
i think in texas as long as your not robbing a bank, they dont give a shit what your doing ..

 

Baffles are mufflers right?

 

Around here there's lots of loud bikes and cars.If you're driviing sanely and vehicle looks nice,usually the police just look.A beat up junker with a rotted exhaust will get unwanted attention.
I rode open pipe Brit bikes for years,now I'm 62 and I say 'Huh" a lot more when people talk to me.Younger guys might want to think that noise and hearing loss.If looking at ugly stuff made your eyesight worse,you wouldn't look at it.......

 

Some counties and even cities have noise ordinances. Kenosha County and Kenosha, WI have them as a way to target the unmuffled motorcycles. It is really up to the entity having jurisdiction.

Reality is, that unless you are doing something dumb, the cops around here won't screw with an old hot rod. We kind of get a pass on a lot....