Illegal Exhaust ticket in Northen Virginia

[Jhouser]

So on my way home from work today I got pulled over. Initially officer asked if I was racing a Scion. Scion was behind another car next to me at the light but I did not race him. Heard radio traffic of them pulling over the Scion and confirming it was the right vehicle poor guy. Hope he did not get any tickets he was doing nothing wrong. Officer then asked why I accelerated so fast. I told him that I did not feel like I accelerated fast that I am in a light weight car and never broke traction or even launched at a high RPM also never even got up to the speed limit was 45 and I stopped accelerating at around 40. A few minutes later they come back (3 cops pulled me over) and ask if I have a stock exhaust or not. Told them I was not sure. They said they were writing a ticket for an aftermarket exhaust and no insurance. My fault for not having proof of insurance with me. So looks like I will be stuck with a stock exhaust. I looked online and appears nothing you can do about it in Virginia at this time. Either run stock or run the risk of getting a ticket and fine. Just gets me upset with the number of bikes and other cars with non stock exhaust running around. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
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Wonder if the turbo I want to get is technically illegal in Virginia. Can I run a turbo with the stock exhaust?<o></o>
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[Si Espanol4Yes]

Sounds identical to all the illegal/ non-stock exhaust tickets I have acquired thanks to Virginia police (in total 8 now). The best way to try and avoid those tickets are saying you don't know, or that you bought the vehicle that way. It's hit or miss on whether you get one.

Pay the $90 fine along with the court fees, and be done. Every domestic, truck, and bike can have the loudest damned exhaust and they all skate free. Pisses me off just as much as you.

 

[rebelsoldier1860]

I got the famous radar detector ticket and it was unplugged...

 

[blue_myriddn]

Hmm..

What sort of exhaust are you both running? The law is pretty vague on this, but I would be surprised to have it actually make it through a court if you contested it.

I see that back in January, the Transportation Committee voted to remove the proposed bill from the Docket, but this website seems to have some steady details on it: http://www.machv.com/virginia.html

My issue is that it is very unusual to have a discretionary law like this. The phrase "excessive" noise seems extremely subjective.

I may do some poking around in this with my lawyer friends.

 

[Honcho]

How the heck to they know if it is not stock? And moreover, how do they prove you replaced it with stock?

 

[tbnsxt]

a comptech or RM muffler looks awfully "stock" to me... and being that a c30 engine never sounds like it is at high rpm,from the interior at least, other people just dont get it. driving normally I usually hit 6k in first gear regularly.

 

[Vega$ NSX]

Man, I'm so glad I don't live in VA anymore. They secretly have the most militant police force and strictest laws, policing and enforcement in the entire US. It's worse than California. There's one state (and one "district") where radar detectors are illegal. Take a wild guess which state that is.

Personally I wouldn't even consider a turbo for you NSX in VA, unless you set aside a monthly "ticket" fund. Most turbos don't run with a catalytic converter and have a catch can so you won't even pass emissions. You mostly likely won't be able to run a stock exhaust and if you did, it would be in looks only. The sound will most likely be several dB's higher than stock. Not that it would matter since the cops in VA wouldn't even know what a stock exhaust looks like.

If it were me, I'd move out of VA and their Police-State, buy a radar detector, and slap a big ass turbo on that bad boy, and do donuts and burnouts all day long. Hey wait a minute, I am me! And guess what? That's exactly what I did. :smile: (well except for the donuts and burnouts part.)

 

[Si Espanol4Yes]

The law for a non-stock, modified, or illegal muffler ticket is determined, and completely left up to the officer's discretion. Nowhere within the law is there an exact dB level or amount in which one has to be under or above in order to receive a ticket. It is completely up to the officer's discretion for what may be a non-OEM exhaust.

And how do they know you have replaced your supposed illegal unit? You either take it to a shop for them to replace it and give you a receipt (Kind of like a sick note from your mother when you were in grade school). Or, if you wish to do it yourself, you must take a picture of the stock exhaust on the car while also capturing the license plate. Like a weird art-picture assignment.

The laws are unjust in just about every manner...

 

[NSXTACY111]

Virginia has the worst police officers in my opinion. They're more about making money than actually upholding the law. They were dying for you to run so that they can actually have something to do. Cop pulled me over on 66 once in my Subaru Impreza because he said my exhaust was too loud. I was in 5th gear cruising at 60 mph and it was too loud.

It's unfortunate that you have anything remotely close to aftermarket or exotic looking because your an immediate target for the police here. And don't even get me started on how it's illegal to own a radar detector in this state.

Still think that California maybe a little more strict though, because from what I heard in the past that anything remotely close to being modified would get sent to be crushed and disposed of.

Fuck the police...

 

[1991NSX]

It's good to live in the land of the free! Yea right. Man I feel for you guys in VA, heard many stories over the years. What a total crock. My heart goes out to you all having to deal with that BS.

 

[NA4Life]

Yea- VA is very strict-STAY OUT OF FAIRFAX- that county loves giving exhaust tickets- thank goodness i haven't gotten one in my nsx but in my supra and eve I've gotten plenty!!!!!

 

[jaybird]

I've lived here for about 30 years and didn't know about the possibility of getting pulled for an aftermarket exhaust (and I've had plenty of them over the years). I'm currently running the Angus AP/X, which is certainly throaty but not overly loud. Hey, it looks "stock" to me! :wink:

HAVE been pulled over in the past for a radar detector (shot from behind with "instant on" and he saw my brake lights illuminate, and no doubt some tire smoke.....) - that was no fun. And also pulled for no front license plate on a Miata. What I do notice is that fully half of the Corvettes in VA run no front plates - whats up with that??

Guess it really depend on the cop and what kind of mood he's in -- VA is a beautiful state, but the others are right about the state police here Jay

 

[Phoenix599]

It would seem to me the police in VA could make much more money pulling over HD riders with straight pipes on their bikes.

 

[PerformanceOne]

I had the same experience here in Chicago with my Apexi N1 exhaust on my 95' Civic. I contested the ticket and won. I told the arbitrator that the polished tip was factory Honda. A couple of friends here just get their exhausts coated flat black as not to attract attention.

 

[Nukem]

Passing through VA once and they tried to give me a ticket for an illegal spoiler on my 2004 Saturn Ion Redline back in 2005. It was a stock spoiler! Fought it and won, but still.

not my old car but its what it looks like from the factory

 

[gleibig]

If my car is 20+yrs old and I get historic tags, can't I do anything I want to it? (exhaust/cat delete...)

 

[Honcho]

If I were admitted to practice in VA, I would gladly challenge this law as unconstitutional. That's ridiculous.

The law for a non-stock, modified, or illegal muffler ticket is determined, and completely left up to the officer's discretion. Nowhere within the law is there an exact dB level or amount in which one has to be under or above in order to receive a ticket. It is completely up to the officer's discretion for what may be a non-OEM exhaust.

And how do they know you have replaced your supposed illegal unit? You either take it to a shop for them to replace it and give you a receipt (Kind of like a sick note from your mother when you were in grade school). Or, if you wish to do it yourself, you must take a picture of the stock exhaust on the car while also capturing the license plate. Like a weird art-picture assignment.

The laws are unjust in just about every manner...

 

[arista5]

I would have said yes it was stock, passes VA emissions without any problem.... DB cop.

I am glad i dont live in VA.