Drivers in Montgomery County will soon see “noise cameras” on local roads after the County Council unanimously passed legislation Tuesday that aims to reduce vehicular noise emissions.
The bill, sponsored by council Vice President Kate Stewart (D-Dist. 4) and councilmember Natali Fani-González (D-Dist. 6) with co-sponsorship from the rest of the council, is based on state legislation passed earlier this year by the Maryland General Assembly. That legislation was sponsored by Del. Julie Palakovich Carr (D-Dist. 17), who represents Rockville and Gaithersburg and chairs the Montgomery County House delegation. State law allows local jurisdictions to establish pilot programs to reduce excessive vehicular noise by implementing a noise abatement monitoring system, also known as noise cameras.
“Unfortunately, this has been an issue in our community, and we received a lot of inquiries about how we can address this,” Stewart said prior to the vote Tuesday. “It has been a difficult one, and we hope that by putting in these noise abatement cameras that this is one step forward to addressing this.”
The noise cameras are equipped with microphones to detect and measure degrees of noise. If volume is detected at least five decibels above the standard set by the state, the camera would capture a video of the vehicle causing the noise and a citation would be sent to the vehicle’s registered owner.
The county bill establishes a pilot program deploying three noise cameras. The location of those cameras will be determined by the county police department, which will be required to notify the public about their presence and display appropriate signage. The pilot program will expire June 30, 2026, unless the General Assembly extends that deadline. The cameras cannot be used by police for anything but their intended purpose, in accordance with state law.
“For anyone in the public who’s listening and might be skeptical of yet another automated technology for traffic enforcement, although this is new technology, emerging technology, it is proven technology,” Palakovich Carr said at a Sept. 17 public hearing on the legislation, “There have been programs in cities around the world that have implemented noise cameras.”
Palakovich Carr cited the example of New York City, which ran a pilot program involving 10 noise cameras in the city that was so successful that it’s being expanded to 100 cameras to be installed over the next few years.
During the public hearing in September, speakers unanimously voiced support for the program.
County resident Nell Rumbaugh said she was so pleased about the proposed program that she joked she would pay for a noise camera to be placed on her street.
“This bill attempts to address a much larger problem. I’m astounded by the recklessness on our roads, too,” Rumbaugh. “Exhaust systems are modified to truly mimic the sound of gunshots, and I find that pretty disturbing.”
Fani-González thanked community members Tuesday for their involvement in the process and sharing their experiences with vehicle noise.
“We hear you loud and clear,” she said.
Under Maryland law, no motor vehicles can have a modified muffler. According to Stewart, the noise cameras would make it easier to enforce this prohibition. An offense will be considered a civil violation and not a criminal charge. A first offense will result in a warning notice to the vehicle owner, according to the proposed legislation, the second and each subsequent offense will carry a fine of no more than $75. Collected fines can only be used to pay for the pilot program or for public safety purposes including pedestrian safety programs, according to the state law.
Research has found that noise from defective or altered mufflers and exhaust systems can interrupt sleep and create noise levels that prevent communication, according to documents prepared by Stewart’s office. The mufflers can also create continuous, high levels of noise, commonly referred to as “noise pollution,” that can lead to health issues including depression, heart disease, cognitive impairments and strokes, according to research.
“It’s not just a quality-of-life issue based on the noise and the disruption that it causes to communities, particularly with children trying to sleep and other issues in the late hours and early morning hours of the day,” Council President Andrew Friedson (D-Dist. 1) said prior to the vote Tuesday. “It’s also a safety issue … closely associated with extremely dangerous activities on the roadways, including drag racing and other things that we’re trying to move out.”
