# Montana SB 264: Eliminate a defense to the vehicle noise statute

Montana SB 264, Eliminate a defense to the vehicle noise statute, is a 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) Senate bill sponsored by Russ Tempel (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-05-08 (Chapter Number Assigned) (as of 2026-10-19).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB264-2025
- As of: 2026-10-19
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Montana SB 264
- State: Montana
- Session: 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025)
- Title: Eliminate a defense to the vehicle noise statute
- Status: signed
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2025-02-04
- Last action: 2025-05-08, Chapter Number Assigned
- Sponsor: Russ Tempel (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Subjects: Motor Vehicles
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 4 (194 yes, 105 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 1

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- No defense for loud vehicle exhaust: cost, low. The law bans driving a vehicle with exhaust noise over 95 decibels, measured by SAE J1169 (May 1998). Drivers can no longer claim they reasonably believed the vehicle met the limit. Officers and courts enforce the limit without that defense. This rule does not apply to motorcycles or quadricycles c…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Russ Tempel (Republican), Senate
- Cosponsor: Neil Duram (Republican), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2025-04-11 | House | Do Concur | pass | 52 | 47 |   |
| 2025-04-10 | House | Do Concur | pass | 73 | 27 |   |
| 2025-02-18 | Senate | Do Pass | pass | 33 | 17 |   |
| 2025-02-15 | Senate | Do Pass | pass | 36 | 14 |   |

## Actions (28)

- 2025-05-08: Chapter Number Assigned (Senate)
- 2025-05-05: Signed by Governor (Senate)
- 2025-04-25: Transmitted to Governor (Senate)
- 2025-04-25: Signed by Speaker (House)
- 2025-04-21: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2025-04-12: Returned from Enrolling (Senate)
- 2025-04-11: Sent to Enrolling (Senate)
- 2025-04-11: 3rd Reading (House)
- 2025-04-10: 2nd Reading (House)
- 2025-04-01: Committee Report (House)
- 2025-03-31: Committee Executive Action (House)
- 2025-02-28: Fiscal Note Printed (Senate)
- 2025-02-27: Fiscal Note Signed (Senate)
- 2025-02-26: Revised Fiscal Note Received (Senate)
- 2025-02-21: Hearing (House)
- 2025-02-19: 1st Reading (House)
- 2025-02-19: Referred to Committee (House)
- 2025-02-19: Fiscal Note Requested (Senate)
- 2025-02-19: Fiscal Note Requested (House)
- 2025-02-18: Transmitted to House (Senate)
- 2025-02-18: 3rd Reading (Senate)
- 2025-02-15: 2nd Reading (Senate)
- 2025-02-13: Committee Report (Senate)
- 2025-02-12: Committee Executive Action (Senate)
- 2025-02-07: Hearing (Senate)
- 2025-02-05: Referred to Committee (Senate)
- 2025-02-05: 1st Reading (Senate)
- 2025-02-04: Introduced (Senate)

## Bill text

- Enrolled, 2025-04-15: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=8022c33d-5faa-4e0f-ae1a-cb3ba110f62d)
- Introduced, 2025-02-04: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=8f45ec89-cd34-449f-90d0-0fcaafb51f37)

## Related bills

- SB 437: Revise definition of sex in Montana law (signed)
- HB 831: Increase elderly homeowner and renter income tax credit (vetoed)
- HB 628: Revise early literacy targeted intervention laws (vetoed)
- SB 410: Provide for Montana genomic security act (vetoed)
- SB 424: Revising the disabled veteran property tax assistance program (vetoed)
- SB 422: Generally revise laws relating to insurance coverage relating to cancer (vetoed)

## Sources
- [Enrolled (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=8022c33d-5faa-4e0f-ae1a-cb3ba110f62d)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=8f45ec89-cd34-449f-90d0-0fcaafb51f37)

## Related
- [SB 437: Revise definition of sex in Montana law](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB437-2025)
- [HB 831: Increase elderly homeowner and renter income tax credit](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB831-2025)
- [HB 628: Revise early literacy targeted intervention laws](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB628-2025)
- [SB 410: Provide for Montana genomic security act](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB410-2025)
- [SB 424: Revising the disabled veteran property tax assistance program](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB424-2025)
- [SB 422: Generally revise laws relating to insurance coverage relating to cancer](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB422-2025)
- [Montana bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/montana/bills)
- [Montana state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/montana)
- [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB264-2025 (as of 2026-10-19).