It's hard out there for a pimped out ride. As of this month, Rockford, Illinois will start seizing vehicles that play music too loudly. The kicker is that your car can be seized if someone merely accuses you of playing loud music, because "hearsay evidence shall be admissible."
The ordinance is worded in a way that actually disallows many OEM stereos: ""No person shall operate... any device used to... reproduce any recorded sound if the device is located... in any motor vehicle on the public way and the sound can be heard from 75 feet or more from the device." And you don't have to be playing music at the time -- someone could have heard you blasting tunes on your way down the street and reported it to the police. By the time the police show up your stereo's been silent for hours. But if the police determine there's probable cause that it was you, your car goes away.
The fine is $150 to $750, plus $75 for towing and $20 per day for storage. If the officer has to wait more than an hour for the tow truck, it's another $60 per hour for his or her time. And if you want to fight it, the city keeps your car while you go through the appeals process, charging you for storage fees, of course. Silent running might be the phrase to keep in mind while rolling through Rockford.
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