Did You Know Honking Your Horn in Texas Could End in Jail Time?

We all know that Texas drivers are a bit extreme, and by that I mean that a majority of drivers like to go over the speed limit as they attempt to reach their destination. And if you’re not keeping up with the flow of traffic or holding things up at a light because you’re not paying attention it’s not uncommon for a vehicle to honk their horn. But did you know that if you are using your vehicle’s horn and it causes multiple complaints you could end up in jail for causing a disturbance.  

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It was rather shocking when I started investigating all the laws regarding the use of your vehicle’s horn in the state of Texas. Obviously, the last thing that any law enforcement officer in Texas wants to do is arrest you for being annoying with your horn but they have the ability to do so. In fact, you could face jail time or a fine up to $500 for using your horn in a non-emergency situation according to Party Shop. A quick honk to get someone’s attention is not going to result in jail time, just don’t lay on your horn for 5 minutes. 

What Other Law Are in Place Regarding Vehicle Horns? 

There are videos of people that have replaced their normal vehicle horn with a ridiculously loud train horn, are those train horns allowed in Texas? It’s a simple answer, no.  

How Loud Can Your Horn Be in Texas? 

The maximum decibel level for a car horn on a passenger vehicle is between 100-110 decibels.  

Is It Illegal To Honk Your Horn During Certain Hours? 

It is illegal to use your horn on a restricted road, essentially any road with streetlights and a 30-mph speed limit between the hours of 11:30pm and 7:00 am. 

All of the details regarding using your vehicle horn in Texas seem very reasonable. Don’t be annoying with your horn and you won’t have any worries about the consequences from law enforcement. Click here if you want to see the exact laws from the Texas Transportation Code.