Florida vehicle owners can face fines for illegally modified mufflers

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Vehicle owners who have added the common modification of exhaust mufflers to their cars may face some hefty fines.

The Southwest Florida Noise Task Force has plans to increase enforcement and fines in a new Florida initiative to combat illegally modified mufflers for auto shops and drivers, NBC affiliate WBBH reported .

“Law enforcement is going to go after both the driver of the modified muffler vehicle as well as the company, the entity that’s modifying the definition,” Collier County Commissioner Burt Saunders said.

With an uptick in noise complaints, officials will visit numerous auto shops to conduct searches of illegal work.

Mary Tatigan, the creator of Quiet Florida, sent letters out on Wednesday to every mechanic in Collier County, reminding them that Florida roads are not raceways.

“Noise pollution is the new secondhand smoke. Noise pollution is detrimental to mental and physical health,” Tatigan told WBBH.

According to the 2024 Florida Statutes , drivers are not allowed to modify the exhaust system due to the “excessive or unusual noise” emitted from the vehicle.

Anyone found with illegally modified mufflers can face the following fines:

• First offense: $313
• Second and subsequent offenses: $613

“They do it mostly for the noise. You want to be seen. You want to be heard. It makes your car sound faster, and it’s an attention grabber,” Max Spoor, a mechanic at Windermere Sustainable Car Care told WBBH.

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