MN exhaust ticket info

Okay guys, so I finally (as in, just today) got the exhaust citation I was given taken care of. I figured I would share the information that I learned over the past few weeks with all of you, as its pretty interesting stuff.

We'll start with background for those of you who dont know how this got started. I was an idiot, and hadnt registered the car immediately after buying it, opting to spend my money fixing some things it needed. I got pulled over for not having a front license plate (as the car was previously registered in texas) and was cited for all of that mumbo-jumbo.

The officer then added a fix it ticket for my magnaflow.

This is important information for the point I'll make further down: My exhaust is borla headers, stock cat section, and a 2.25 catback with a magnaflow muffler. Many have heard my exhaust, and it is very quiet. In fact, its not much louder than the stock L exhaust I put on in order to get checked off.

Okay. Now here is what I learned. In the state of minnesota, an officer can pull you over for ANY exhaust. It doesnt matter if it is stock, or modified. It is then up to "officer discretion" to determine if your exhaust is too loud. If you cant prove that your stock exhaust system hasnt been altered, you can be issued a citation on the spot. Most officers will give you the chance to fix your exhaust, hence "fix it" tickets.

Here is the interesting thing about this. Upon my visit to the Mound Police Department, I found that in MN, ONLY the officer that cites the violation can check you off for said violation. This means, I had to wait for the officer that pulled me over to have a shift that worked with my schedule as well.

Interestingly enough, the cheif of police at mound was there, and even said he couldnt touch my fix it ticket, because while he could check me off on my paper, I could be pulled over and cited an ACTUAL ticket by any officer. That ticket would stick in court, there would be no way to fight it.

Me and the cheif then had the discussion of why the law on exhaust was flawed...etc. Finally arriving on the conclusion that one officers enterpretation of the law SHOULD be just as good as the next. We were both slightly confused, and he actually said he has sent in several recommendations himself in order to get the law reviewed, to no avail.

Anyways, figured this might help to all of you with aftermarket, or modified stock, exhaust systems. I'm not sure theres much else I can add to this. In my case, it was a long process...taking me almost 3 weeks to finally have the officer on duty, and having time, to check me off.

Summary=huge hassle.

Be careful out there! This will definately factor into my decision for the exhaust system on my next vehicle, whatever it may be.

 

So whats the citation if you do not fix it?

 

I have a tough time believing that they told you the truth. I got a fix it ticket for my old Talon in Minnetrista. (just 3 miles down the road from Mound) I never even changed the exhaust. I just reinstalled the stock cat. I ran a custom DP with silencer and a 3 inch Thermal R&D cat back. I went to the cop shop with my ticket, grabbed the nearest officer (didn't even go inside) and started up the car for him. He looked at me and asked me why I was there, the car wasn't that loud. (at idle ;P ). He signed off. That was the last of that. Who knows, maybe the laws changed. I would think that the officer that wrote the ticket wouldn't have time to go back and check your 'fix-it' when any idle badge can do it.

Derek

 

Well, if I could find the law written down (I was shown at the station) thats how it goes. The officer also has the right to have you rev your exhaust up to check the noise level. It all sounds very flimsy, but you MUSt have the officer that wrote the ticket, write it off.

Oh and I believe the fine is over $100 bucks.

You DID change your exhaust. Once again-Officer discretion. Maybe the cop didnt know how the law was written. Just fyi, my 3 week dilemna with the mound pd revolved around the fact the officers there were all aware of the law, and didnt want me to be pulled over and cited an actual TICKET for failure to take care of the original one correctly.

 

I meant that I didn't change the 'entire' exhaust.

 

yea, it's a very subjective law. i looked into it a few years back after getting a written warning

 

169.69 is the MN statute. 140 bucks. Trust me. :-(

 

Yes, it's alive.. it's alive!

Ok, that was fun.

Yeah, I got a ticket on Tuesday night for my exhaust and I was looking into it....

I got the ticket for violation of statute 169.69....

http://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/bin/getpub.php?pubtype=STAT_CHAP_SEC&year=2006&section=169.69

which I believe is actually 169.691

Here is statute 169.693....

http://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/bin/getpub.php?pubtype=STAT_CHAP_SEC&year=2006&section=169.693

When does that come into play, because that says they need to test your vehicle? You can read all that from page 19 to the end of this MPCA document....

http://www.pca.state.mn.us/programs/pubs/noise.pdf

I want to fight it for some reason. I know my car is loud, but I feel like the cop being able to just say "it's too loud" is FAR FAR too subjective.

Mind you I wasn't driving crazy. I was going to a movie from my house in St. Anthony with some friends in the car. I don't think I even broke 25 mph as a drove by the cop on the street.

What do you guys think?

 

How are you going to fight it? The law is on the officers side here. What's your case?

 

that is so dumb, what if you get a fix it ticket from an officer, then the next day he is fired. You go out and fix whatever it is that is needed to be fixed...come back and he is no longer there? You get a ticket? No, that is not right sorry

 

I am sure it is to make it so the officer can determine if it was actually changed and not skimped around the rules...


and how often is the scenario you are mentioning gonna happen.. its a little hard for law makers to blanket statement for all rules and regulations and be able to cover every single scenario...

 

True, but its a possibility.

I've had fix-it tickets where I just went to the court house or the police station, and the secretary marked it off being fixed....


but....


what if....
lol

 

ha ha ha.... yep.. what if the world ran out of red shoes... Rays would be put into a glass case held up by jackstands and trophied like his car...

 

well, what was an issue for me when I got my fix-it ticket for exhaust, was the fact that officers work shifts, and very select days of the week in busy precincts.

For example, the officer that pulled me over only worked tuesdays and thursdays at 3pm-2am (or something close to that, I cant remember EXACTLY).

It was very difficult to line up a time that worked for him, as well as my schedule, in order to get it looked at. Keep in mind that you are only given 7 days to prove you have fixed it.

Summary: I was given 7 days, but in reality, I was only given tuesday and thursday between 3pm and 2am.

 

I would also just like to repeat a point I put in the first post in this thread.

 

I didn't get a fix-it ticket. I just got a straight up ticket for my exhaust being too loud. My debate debate is why an officer, without using a device to measure it, can say that a particular exhaust is too loud. According to what I read, I believe my situation falls under 169.693, a noise violation. If anyone read that MPCA document, it gives a detailed description in sound dB what is leagal in different situations. It also says that the law needs to be upheld with a sound measuring device that is approved.

In my situation the cop never measured the sound level of my car. He specifically said that his "system" was, if he could hear the noise over his radio, with his windows rolled up and his car running, it is too loud. I think that I have a case their.

Opinions?

Maybe his method falls under this......

Subp. 5. Equivalent methods. Methods equivalent to those described in subpart 4 may be used provided they are approved by the commissioner of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. The commissioner shall approve an alternative method if the commissioner finds that the method will produce representative data and results which are as reliable as the methods specified in subpart 4.

 

bottom line. Any import car will be pulled over. Stupid loud ass moto's and gas guzzeling trucks are fine.

I was with shibbs when he got pulled over down on uni. It's total crap. The law is about as tightly written as a $2 french whore. Basicly it is how does the officer feel today.

My $.02 on it is that's fine if you wanna pull over some import for loud exhaust (because we all know there's some weed wacker honda's out there we would like to be a little quieter) but please pull over the moto that is 100 times louder also.

 

i agree with ryan, but as stated, bottom line is its the cops call. and cops suck

 

until someone steals your car, breaks into your home, beats the poop out of you... yada yada yada then you all cry mommy and wonder why they dont give a crap about it all when that attitude is written all over your forehead........