If you have been searching for California AB 46 expecting a law about exhaust modifications, window tint, or how officers conduct traffic stops, the short answer is that no enacted California bill with that number covers those topics. AB 46 in the 2023–2024 session dealt with a military income tax exclusion and did not pass; the 2025–2026 version addresses criminal diversion programs. The rules drivers associate with the “AB 46” label actually come from different statutes: Vehicle Code Section 2806.5 (created by AB 2773 in 2022) on traffic stops, Sections 27150 and 27151 on exhaust noise, and Section 40303.5 on fix-it tickets. Here is what each one actually says and what it means for your car.
Officers Have to Tell You Why You Were Stopped
Since January 1, 2024, any California peace officer making a traffic or pedestrian stop must state the reason for the stop before asking you questions about a possible crime or traffic violation.1California Legislative Information. California Code VEH 2806-5 The reason also has to be recorded on any citation or police report that comes out of the stop. This rule was created by AB 2773, not AB 46, and lives in Vehicle Code Section 2806.5.2California Legislative Information. AB-2773 Stops: Notification by Peace Officers (2021-2022)
There is one narrow exception. An officer can hold back the reason if saying it would endanger life or property because of an imminent threat, such as an active kidnapping or terrorism situation.1California Legislative Information. California Code VEH 2806-5 Outside that scenario, you should hear the reason before questioning begins.
In practice, if an officer pulls you over for a modified exhaust or tinted windows, that reason has to be stated upfront and documented. The paperwork then exists for review later if the actual conduct of the stop drifts from the stated reason. Officers can still make equipment-based stops; the change is that the reason goes on the record every time.
California Exhaust Noise Rules
Two Vehicle Code sections regulate exhaust noise together. Section 27150 requires every registered motor vehicle with an internal combustion engine to have a properly functioning muffler at all times. Cutouts, bypasses, and similar devices are not allowed.3California Legislative Information. California Code VEH 27150 If the muffler does not prevent excessive or unusual noise, the vehicle is out of compliance regardless of any specific decibel reading.
Section 27151 goes further and prohibits modifying an exhaust system in any way that amplifies engine noise beyond the limits set elsewhere in the code. You also cannot drive a vehicle whose exhaust has been modified that way. For non-motorcycle vehicles with a manufacturer’s gross vehicle weight rating under 6,000 pounds, which covers most passenger cars, trucks, and SUVs, the law sets a concrete threshold of 95 dBA measured using the current SAE International testing standard.4California Legislative Information. California Code VEH 27151 At or below that number under that test, your aftermarket exhaust complies with Section 27151. Above it, it does not. Motorcycles and heavier commercial vehicles have separate, lower limits in Vehicle Code Sections 27200 through 27207.
What Counts as a Modification
Section 27151 covers any change to the exhaust system that increases noise output: aftermarket mufflers, headers, catalytic converter replacements, and exhaust tip changes. The statute explicitly states that nonoriginal exhaust equipment falls within its scope.4California Legislative Information. California Code VEH 27151 A common misconception is that only the muffler counts. The entire system, from the engine to the tailpipe, is subject to the rules.
How the Noise Is Measured
The 95 dBA figure is tied to the most current SAE International standard, which measures sound at a specific distance under controlled conditions. An officer’s subjective opinion that a car “sounds loud” is not that standard. Even so, Section 27150’s broader “excessive or unusual noise” language does not require a decibel reading, so officers can cite under that section without a measurement. The 95 dBA threshold in Section 27151 is a measurable safe harbor: test at or below it and you comply with that section.
Window Tint and Other Equipment Rules
The same enforcement principles apply to other non-safety equipment issues. California requires any material applied to windows to allow at least 88 percent visible light transmission, and the glazing with the material applied must still meet the federal minimum of 70 percent light transmittance.5California Legislative Information. California Code VEH 26708 Those are strict numbers compared with most states, and aftermarket tint on front side windows is where most violations happen. Certain lighting modifications, license plate frames that obscure the plate, and underglow lighting all fall into the same Division 12 equipment category and are treated differently from moving violations.
Fix-It Tickets and the $25 Route
Most equipment violations under Division 12 qualify as correctable offenses under Section 40303.5. When an officer issues a correctable citation, you get a set period to fix the problem, prove the repair, and pay a $25 dismissal fee instead of the full fine.6California Courts. What to Do if You Got a Fix-It Ticket
The process has three steps:
- Fix the problem before the due date on the ticket. For an exhaust violation on a vehicle under 6,000 pounds GVWR, that means getting the noise level at or below 95 dBA.
- Have a law enforcement officer or other authorized person inspect the fix and sign the back of the citation as a certificate of correction.
- Send the signed ticket to the court listed on the citation along with the $25 fee.
The financial difference is large. A standard loud exhaust or modified exhaust system citation carries a base fine around $193 to $197, which climbs to several hundred dollars after California’s mandatory state and county surcharges. The $25 fix-it route saves most drivers hundreds of dollars.
Whether the officer writes the citation as correctable is partly discretionary. The Vehicle Code authorizes correctable treatment for equipment violations but does not always require it. If you receive a standard, non-correctable citation for an equipment issue you believe should have been correctable, you can raise that with the court.7California Legislative Information. California Code VEH 40150
What Happens If You Ignore the Ticket
Ignoring a correctable citation is one of the worst moves you can make. Miss the deadline to fix the problem and submit proof, and the ticket converts to a standard infraction with the full fine attached. Late fees pile on top. Keep ignoring it and the court can report a failure to appear, which can lead to a hold on your driver’s license and, in some cases, a bench warrant. A $25 problem can turn into a suspended license and a fine of $500 or more quickly.
Points and Insurance
A loud exhaust or illegal window tint ticket is not a moving violation. California’s DMV point system assigns points based on moving violations such as speeding, running stop signs, and reckless driving. A pure equipment citation that does not involve unsafe operation typically carries zero points, so it should not directly affect your insurance rates or push you toward a point-based license suspension.
Two things change that math. If an officer writes a moving violation along with the equipment issue during the same stop, the moving violation carries its own points. And if you let a fix-it ticket escalate into a failure to appear, the consequences on your record become more serious than the original equipment issue ever was.