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Senate Bill S1620

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Restricts amplified sound from vehicles

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Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Transportation Committee

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2025-S1620 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:
A782
Current Committee:
Senate Transportation
Law Section:
Vehicle and Traffic Law
Laws Affected:
Add §397-d, V & T L

2025-S1620 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Restricts amplified sound coming from motor vehicles; allows for exceptions for certain police vehicles and certain vehicles used for business or political purposes.

2025-S1620 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S1620 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1620
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 13, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by Sen. STAVISKY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation
 
 AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to  restricting
   amplified sound coming from motor vehicles
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The vehicle and traffic law is  amended  by  adding  a  new
 section 397-d to read as follows:
   §  397-D.  RESTRICTIONS  ON  THE  OPERATION OF SOUND MAKING DEVICES OR
 INSTRUMENTS IN MOTOR VEHICLES. 1. IT SHALL BE PROHIBITED FOR ANY  PERSON
 OPERATING OR OCCUPYING A MOTOR VEHICLE ON A STREET OR HIGHWAY TO OPERATE
 OR  AMPLIFY THE SOUND PRODUCED BY A RADIO, TAPE PLAYER, OR OTHER MECHAN-
 ICAL SOUND MAKING DEVICE OR INSTRUMENT FROM WITHIN THE MOTOR VEHICLE  SO
 THAT SUCH SOUND IS:
   (A) PLAINLY AUDIBLE AT A DISTANCE OF TWENTY-FIVE FEET OR MORE FROM THE
 MOTOR VEHICLE; OR
   (B) LOUDER THAN NECESSARY FOR THE CONVENIENT HEARING BY PERSONS INSIDE
 THE  VEHICLE  IN  AREAS IN PROXIMITY TO CHURCHES, SCHOOLS, HOSPITALS AND
 PUBLIC PARKS.
   2. THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION SHALL NOT APPLY TO ANY LAW  ENFORCE-
 MENT  MOTOR  VEHICLE EQUIPPED WITH ANY COMMUNICATION DEVICE NECESSARY IN
 THE PERFORMANCE OF LAW ENFORCEMENT DUTIES OR TO  ANY  EMERGENCY  VEHICLE
 EQUIPPED  WITH  ANY COMMUNICATION DEVICE NECESSARY IN THE PERFORMANCE OF
 ANY EMERGENCY PROCEDURES.
   3. THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION SHALL NOT APPLY  TO  MOTOR  VEHICLES
 USED  FOR  BUSINESS OR POLITICAL PURPOSES, WHICH IN THE NORMAL COURSE OF
 CONDUCTING SUCH BUSINESS USE SOUND MAKING  DEVICES.  THE  PROVISIONS  OF
 THIS  SUBDIVISION SHALL NOT BE DEEMED TO PREVENT LOCAL AUTHORITIES, WITH
 RESPECT TO STREETS AND HIGHWAYS UNDER THEIR JURISDICTION AND WITHIN  THE
 REASONABLE EXERCISE OF POLICE POWER, FROM REGULATING THE TIME AND MANNER
 IN WHICH SUCH BUSINESS MAY BE OPERATED.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD00965-01-5

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