Section 38370.
Cal. Vehicle Code - VEH § 38370.
in effect(a)
The Department of Motor Vehicles shall not identify any new off-highway motor vehicle, which is subject to identification and which produces a maximum noise level that exceeds the following noise limit, at a distance of 50 feet from the centerline of travel, under test procedures established by the Department of the California Highway Patrol.
(1)
Any such vehicle manufactured before January 1, 1973
92
dBA
(2)
Any such vehicle manufactured on or after January 1, 1973, and before January 1, 1975
88
dBA
(3)
Any such vehicle manufactured on or after January 1, 1975, and before January 1, 1986
86
dBA
(4)
Any such vehicle manufactured on or after January
1, 1986
82
dBA
(b)
The department may accept a dealer’s certificate as proof of compliance with this section.
(c)
Test procedures for compliance with this section shall be established by the Department of the California Highway Patrol, taking into consideration the test procedures of the Society of Automotive Engineers.
(d)
No person shall sell or offer for sale any new off-highway motor vehicle which is subject to identification and which produces a maximum noise
level that exceeds the noise limits in subdivision (a), and for which noise emission standards or regulations have not been adopted by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency pursuant to the Federal Noise Control Act of 1972 (P.L. 92-574).
(e)
No person shall sell or offer for sale any new off-highway motor vehicle which is subject to identification and which produces a noise level that exceeds, or in any way violates, the noise emission standards or regulations adopted for such a motor vehicle by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency pursuant to the Federal Noise Control Act of 1972 (P.L. 92-574).
(f)
As used in this section, the term “identify” is equivalent to the term “licensing” as used in Section 6(e)(2) of the Federal Noise Control Act of 1972 (P.L. 92-574).
(g)
Any
off-highway motor vehicle, when operating pursuant to Section 38001, shall at all times be equipped with a silencer, or other device, which limits noise emissions to not more than 101 dBA if manufactured on or after January 1, 1975, or 105 dBA if manufactured before January 1, 1975, when measured from a distance of 20 inches using test procedures established by the Society of Automotive Engineers under Standard J-1287. This subdivision shall only be operative until January 1, 2003.
(h)
On and after January 1, 2003, off-highway motor vehicles, when operating pursuant to Section 38001, shall at all times be equipped with a silencer, or other device, which limits noise emissions.
(1)
Noise emissions of competition off-highway vehicles manufactured on or after January 1, 1998, shall be limited to not more than 96 dBA, and if manufactured prior to January 1, 1998, to not more than 101
dBA, when measured from a distance of 20 inches using test procedures established by the Society of Automotive Engineers under Standard J-1287, as applicable. Noise emissions of all other off-highway vehicles shall be limited to not more than 96 dBA if manufactured on or after January 1, 1986, and not more than 101 dBA if manufactured prior to January 1, 1986, when measured from a distance of 20 inches using test procedures established by the Society of Automotive Engineers under Standard J-1287, as applicable.
(2)
The Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division of the Department of Parks and Recreation shall evaluate and reassess the dates specified in paragraph (1) and include the findings and recommendations in the noise report required in subdivision (o) of Section 5090.32 of the Public Resources Code.
(i)
Off-highway vehicle manufacturers or their agents prior to the sale
to the general public in California of any new off-highway vehicle model manufactured after January 1, 2003, shall provide to the Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division of the California Department of Parks and Recreation rpm data needed to conduct the J-1287 test, where applicable.
References
referencesCal. Public Resources Code - PRC § 5090.32.
referencesCal. Vehicle Code - VEH § 6.
referencesCal. Vehicle Code - VEH § 38001.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026