← Ohio driving laws›Exhaust & Muffler

Ohio Exhaust & Muffler Laws (2026)

Info: 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.

InfoVerified Jun 19, 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 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).

Official source: codes.ohio.gov →

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

Exhaust & Muffler in states bordering Ohio

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

IndianaInfo
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).
Verified Jul 30, 2026 · Source: iga.in.gov · Full Indiana 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 →
PennsylvaniaInfo
Your vehicle needs a muffler. Cutouts, bypasses (which route exhaust around the muffler), and noise-amplifying changes are prohibited. Sound limits are set by Department regulation; the statute itself sets no fixed decibel number (75 Pa.C.S. § 4523).
Verified Jun 19, 2026 · Source: legis.state.pa.us · Full Pennsylvania rule →
West VirginiaInfo
Your vehicle needs a muffler — factory (OEM) or equivalent — in good working order, and a cutout, bypass or similar device (which routes exhaust around the muffler) is prohibited. West Virginia sets no fixed decibel limit (W. Va. Code § 17C-15-34).
Verified Jun 19, 2026 · Source: code.wvlegislature.gov · Full West Virginia 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 Ohio vehicle rules. If a tracked rule changes, you get one short email — never more than one a week. Free, unsubscribe anytime.