← Indiana driving laws›Exhaust & Muffler

Indiana Exhaust & Muffler Laws (2026)

Info: Your vehicle needs a muffler in good working order, and cutouts and bypasses (which route exhaust around the muffler) are banned — the system can't leak or have altered parts.

InfoVerified Jul 30, 2026

Vehicle rules change at the state line — and in your state.Track them in the free LawLert iPhone app: it alerts you when you cross into a state where they differ, and when they change in your state. No account.Get the app

Your vehicle needs a muffler in good working order, and cutouts and bypasses (which route exhaust around the muffler) are banned — the system can't leak or have altered parts. Indiana sets no fixed decibel limit (Ind. Code §§ 9-19-8-2, 9-19-8-3).

Official source: iga.in.gov →

General legal information, not legal advice — verify important decisions with a licensed attorney.

Exhaust & Muffler in states bordering Indiana

The same rule in each neighboring state LawLert has verified, from that state’s own official source.

IllinoisInfo
Your vehicle needs an adequate muffler and exhaust so it doesn't make excessive or unusual noise, and cutouts and bypasses (which route exhaust around the muffler) are prohibited, as are changes that increase noise. Illinois sets no fixed decibel limit (625 ILCS 5/12-602).
Verified Jun 19, 2026 · Source: ilga.gov · Full Illinois rule →
KentuckyInfo
Your vehicle needs a suitable, efficient muffler; running with the cutout removed is prohibited, and so is any change that makes the exhaust louder than the factory setup. Kentucky sets no fixed decibel limit (KRS § 189.140).
Verified Jun 19, 2026 · Source: apps.legislature.ky.gov · Full Kentucky rule →
MichiganInfo
Passenger vehicles can't exceed 82 decibels above 35 mph, or 76 decibels at 35 mph or below, measured at 50 feet, and cutouts, bypasses (which route exhaust around the muffler), and amplifiers are banned (MCL § 257.707c).
Verified Jun 19, 2026 · Source: legislature.mi.gov · Full Michigan rule →
OhioInfo
Your vehicle needs a muffler in good working order, and a cutout or bypass (which routes exhaust around the muffler) is prohibited, along with devices that produce excessive smoke or gas. Ohio sets no fixed decibel limit (Ohio Rev. Code § 4513.22).
Verified Jun 19, 2026 · Source: codes.ohio.gov · Full Ohio rule →

Don't get caught off guardCross into a state where this law is different and the free iPhone app tells you what changed, even with the app closed. It also alerts you when a law you track changes where you live. No account.Get the free app

Track this law — get alerted when it changes

We watch the official sources behind Indiana vehicle rules. If a tracked rule changes, you get one short email — never more than one a week. Free, unsubscribe anytime.