Massachusetts: Is it legal to put a train horn on a car?
Massachusetts has no train horn ban, but sounding any horn to make a harsh, objectionable or unreasonable noise is illegal.
State law only requires a suitable bell, horn or other way of signaling. It doesn't ban air horns, set a decibel limit, or bar whistles. The limit is on use: a horn may not be sounded so that it makes a harsh, objectionable or unreasonable noise, and a train horn's blast is likely to fall under that. The state inspection rule says the horn must work as originally designed, but it doesn't say whether an added horn fails inspection.
Conditions
- Must not be sounded to make a harsh, objectionable or unreasonable noise
What the law says
Every motor vehicle so operated shall be provided with a muffler or other suitable device to prevent unnecessary noise and with a suitable bell, horn or other means of signalling, ... No person operating a motor vehicle shall sound a bell, horn or other device, nor in any manner operate such motor vehicle so as to make a harsh, objectionable or unreasonable noise
Sources
- Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 90, § 7 Official · malegislature.gov
- Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 90, § 16 Official · malegislature.gov
- 540 CMR 4.04 (inspection procedures) Mirror of official text · law.cornell.edu
Confirm with the state
- Agency
- Massachusetts State Police
- Website
- mass.gov
How bordering states compare
- Connecticut Allowed with limitsConnecticut has no train horn ban, but no horn may make an unreasonably loud or harsh sound or a whistle.
- New Hampshire No state limit foundNew Hampshire requires a suitable horn but sets no state limit on horn loudness or type, and bans only sirens.
- New York Allowed with limitsNew York has no express train-horn ban, but a car horn may not be unnecessarily loud or harsh.
- Rhode Island Allowed with limitsRhode Island has no express train-horn ban, but no horn may make an unreasonably loud or harsh sound or a whistle.
- Vermont No state limit foundVermont requires a working horn used only as a warning, but no state limit on horn loudness or type was found.
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