Maine Exhaust Noise: On the heels of similar laws enacted in California and Washington State, a version of SEMA-model legislation to create an enforceable motor vehicle exhaust noise standard was signed into law in Maine. Under its previous law, Maine deemed illegal all modifications that increased noise levels above that emitted by the vehicle’s original muffler. Under the SEMA model, an exhaust system modification is legal if it results in a sound level of 95-decibels or less as measured by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) test standard J1169.
