The ROG Journal

Noise cameras and car noise enforcement in Europe: a country-by-country update (2026)

14 min read

Updated: 26 September 2026. Every figure on this page links to an official source or a reference outlet, accessed on that date. These systems are evolving quickly: the date of each piece of information is given.

Key points

  • France: the enforcement threshold is set at 85 dB(A) in built-up areas on roads limited to 50 km/h, for a fixed fine of €135. The devices still need to be type-approved: trials began on 16 and 17 December 2025 and approval is expected in 2026 (Cerema, Ministry for Ecological Transition).
  • Elsewhere in Europe: the countries studied are at the trial stage (Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Belgium, Austria, Sweden), the debate stage (Poland), or have rejected it at national level (Switzerland). In the United Kingdom, the national trial has ended and only one London borough backs an acoustic camera with a local order.
  • Type-approval of new cars: since 1 July 2026, new cars registered in the Union must meet phase 3 of Regulation (EU) No 540/2014, namely 68 dB(A) drive-by for most passenger cars (EUR-Lex).

Table: noise cameras country by country

Country Status Threshold in dB(A) Fine Cities or sites concerned Date Source
France Trial under way; automatic enforcement subject to type-approval of the devices (expected in 2026) 85 dB(A), moving vehicle, built-up area, road limited to 50 km/h €135 (fourth class); €90 reduced; €375 increased; up to €750 Paris (2 sites), Nice Côte d'Azur, Toulouse, Bron, Villeneuve-le-Roi, Rueil-Malmaison, Haute Vallée de Chevreuse Trial under way since January 2022; type-approval tests at the LNE on 16 and 17/12/2025 ecologie.gouv.fr, Cerema, Légifrance
Belgium One-off tests, no legal basis or approval for issuing fines Not set No automatic fine Brussels (Schaerbeek, Anderlecht); tests also reported in Wallonia and Ghent Update as of 06/08/2026: no rollout schedule; manual checks twice a month from May to October 2026 La DH, 06/08/2026, LENS, 16/09/2025
Switzerland Nothing at federal level: the Federal Council recommends noise displays rather than cameras; a trial was held in Geneva Not set Not applicable Geneva (trial) Report considered on 12/12/2025; motion 24.3696 closed on 18/06/2026 after rejection by the National Council admin.ch, parlament.ch, Lärmliga
United Kingdom National trial completed, no nationwide enforcement; acoustic camera used locally under a local order (PSPO) Not set at national level Kensington and Chelsea: fixed penalty of up to £100 Trial: Keighley, Bristol, Great Yarmouth, Rubery (Birmingham). Local: Kensington and Chelsea (London) Trial from 18/10/2022 to 01/02/2023, reports published on 17/03/2024; PSPO in force since 24/01/2025 for 3 years gov.uk, rbkc.gov.uk
Germany Scientific pilot project completed; no automatic enforcement Study threshold of 82 dB(A) LAFmax (not a legal threshold) No automatic fine; €80 for unnecessary noise recorded by an officer Berlin (Kurfürstendamm) From 04/06/2023 to 26/07/2023; report published in 2025 Berlin Senate (PDF), LENS
Italy None: no trial or specific regulation reported Not set Not applicable None Update as of 16/09/2025 LENS
Spain Municipal pilot projects; no automatic fine reported Not published No automatic fine; manual penalties of €90 to €600 according to LENS Barcelona (two systems tested) Tests from the fourth quarter of 2025, for about 18 months TOT Barcelona, 14/07/2025, LENS
Netherlands Trial with no fines; legal framework still to be built with the public prosecutor 80 dB (pilot camera trigger threshold) None during the pilot; only an officer on the scene can fine unnecessary noise Rotterdam: Haagseveer, Strevelsweg, then Laan op Zuid and Maasboulevard Launched on 28/05/2026, four weeks per site City of Rotterdam
Austria Pilot project: the measurement serves as an indicator, and the penalty follows a vehicle inspection by the Land's test centre Not published Penalties imposed under the rules on vehicle modifications (amount not published) Salzburg (city), extended to the Land's districts in 2026 Since August 2025; first sanctions announced on 29/09/2025 ORF Salzburg, Salzburger Nachrichten
Poland None: no legal basis; petition with more than 20,000 signatures filed with the Sejm Not set Not applicable None (petition brought by a Warsaw-based movement) July 2026 infoPłockTV, 07/07/2026
Sweden Experimental measurements; prosecution not possible under current law according to Malmö's analysis Not published Not applicable Malmö: Bergsgatan (since August 2025), Föreningsgatan and Amiralsgatan (since spring 2026) Answer from the Minister of Justice on 08/04/2026 City of Malmö, Riksdag

Note: "not set" means that no official source consulted mentions a legal threshold. Noise-camera thresholds apply to a moving vehicle, measured at a distance: they cannot be compared with the values on the registration certificate.

France: what the regulations say

  • Legal basis: France's 2019 mobility orientation law (Article 92) opened the way for the trial; decree No. 2022-1 of 3 January 2022 amended Article R318-3 of the Highway Code (ministry).
  • Threshold: the order of 7 July 2023 sets the sound emission level to be observed by motor vehicles travelling in built-up areas on roads with a maximum authorised speed of 50 km/h at 85 A-weighted decibels. Exemptions exist for older vehicles depending on their category and date of first registration (Légifrance).
  • Penalty: a fourth-class fine, €135 fixed, €90 reduced, €375 increased, up to €750 if it goes to judgment (ministry).
  • Where things stand: two manufacturers (MicrodB and Bruitparif) have entered the type-approval process; the first track trials took place on 16 and 17 December 2025 at Montlhéry, and "approval of the cameras is expected in 2026" (Cerema, 15/12/2025). As of the update date, we found no official source announcing that approval had been granted.

Roadworthiness test: how exhaust noise is checked

The European baseline. Directive 2014/45/EU sets the minimum content of the periodic roadworthiness test. For the noise reduction system (point 8.1.1 of Annex I), the method is a subjective assessment, unless the inspector judges the level to be borderline: in that case they may measure the vehicle's stationary noise with a sound level meter. Levels exceeding the permissible limits are penalised, as is any component "manifestly and adversely modified with regard to noise level" (EUR-Lex).

The reference value. On the harmonised registration certificate, field U.1 shows the stationary noise level in dB(A) and field U.2 the engine speed of the measurement (Directive 1999/37/EC). See our dedicated page: the noise level shown on your vehicle registration certificate (field U.1).

Country and test What is checked Reference value Official tolerance Source
France, roadworthiness test for cars (VL) Auditory check of the noise reduction system; "abnormally loud or excessive noise" = major defect (retest required) No numerical value Not applicable UTAC, IT VL F8 indice I, applicable from 01/07/2025 (PDF)
France, roadworthiness test for two-wheelers and quadricycles (category L) Sound-level-meter measurement, at the U.2 engine speed; "excessive noise level" = major defect Field U.1 +7 dB (official example: U.1 of 82 dB, limit 89 dB) UTAC, IT CL F8 indice F (PDF), cahier des charges CDC 8 indice B (PDF)
United Kingdom, MOT Inspector's judgement, during the emissions test or with the engine at about 2,500 rpm (or half of maximum engine speed if lower); excessive level = major defect Expected noise of a similar vehicle with an original silencer in average condition No value in dB MOT inspection manual, section 8
Germany, HU (TÜV, DEKRA, etc.) Condition and compliance of the silencer, subjective assessment; if the noise seems abnormal, stationary noise measurement as a supplementary check; defect = "erheblicher Mangel" (significant defect, no sticker) Type-approved stationary noise level Not specified by the source ADAC, "Geräusche von Pkw" fact sheet, updated 01/2026 (PDF)
Spain, ITV (cars, categories M and N) Measurement "where a procedure and legally established acceptance levels exist", plus a visual check; exceeding it = serious defect Regulation in force Not specified for M and N ITV manual v7.8, 28/04/2025 (PDF)
Spain, ITV (motorcycles and mopeds) Sound-level-meter measurement at 50 cm, 3 readings Value on the vehicle's documents +4 dB(A) Same manual, motorcycle section
Italy, revisione Sound-meter measurement Value shown on the carta di circolazione +2 dB only if the test takes place at an approved facility Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport (CSRPAD)

Not verified and therefore not detailed here: the Netherlands (APK) and the Czech Republic (STK). We were unable to confirm their procedures against an official source as of the update date.

Type-approval of new cars: the three phases of Regulation (EU) No 540/2014

Regulation (EU) No 540/2014 sets drive-by noise limits (moving vehicle) for new cars, in three phases. For passenger cars (category M1), the limit depends on the power-to-mass ratio (EUR-Lex, Annex III).

Category M1 Phase 1 (new types from 01/07/2016) Phase 2 (new types from 01/07/2020, all registrations from 01/07/2022) Phase 3 (new types from 01/07/2024, all registrations from 01/07/2026)
Power/mass ≤ 120 kW/t 72 dB(A) 70 dB(A) 68 dB(A)
120 < power/mass ≤ 160 kW/t 73 dB(A) 71 dB(A) 69 dB(A)
Power/mass > 160 kW/t 75 dB(A) 73 dB(A) 71 dB(A)
Power/mass > 200 kW/t, no more than 4 seats, driver's seat R-point ≤ 450 mm from the ground 75 dB(A) 74 dB(A) 72 dB(A)

Key point: sports cars with a high power-to-mass ratio have a 3 to 4 dB(A) margin over an ordinary car in phase 3. The regulation adds supplementary provisions (ASEP) so that noise under real driving conditions does not deviate significantly from the type-approval test (ADAC, EUR-Lex). These limits apply only to the type-approval of new vehicles: they do not make already registered cars non-compliant.

What this means for owners of sports cars with valved exhausts

On a valved exhaust system, closed-valve mode gives a sound close to the original, which matches the reference situation used by the tests described above (comparison with an original silencer at the MOT, the U.1 value elsewhere). A 200-cell sport catalytic converter keeps an after-treatment function; whether a 100-cell catalytic converter is accepted depends on the vehicle and local rules; a catalyst-free exhaust (decat) is for track use only. None of these choices alone guarantees passing a test: it is the rules of the country of registration and the vehicle's condition that decide. Rog makes made-to-order remote-controlled valved exhaust systems for sports cars, with a guide per model.

Frequently asked questions

Are noise cameras already issuing fines in France?
Not yet automatically. The 85 dB(A) threshold and the €135 fine have been set since 2023, but the devices must first be type-approved; approval trials began in December 2025 and approval is expected in 2026.

What noise threshold do French noise cameras use?
85 dB(A), measured on a moving vehicle, in a built-up area on a road limited to 50 km/h (French order of 7 July 2023). This value is not comparable to the stationary noise level recorded in field U.1 of the vehicle registration certificate.

Does the roadworthiness test measure a car's exhaust noise?
In France, for cars, the test is auditory: abnormally loud or excessive noise is a major defect. Sound-level-meter measurement against field U.1 applies to two-wheelers and quadricycles, with a 7 dB tolerance.

Sources

All accessed on 26/09/2026.

  1. Ministère de la Transition écologique, "Expérimentation de radars sonores" ("Noise-camera trial", updated 16/12/2025): https://www.ecologie.gouv.fr/politiques-publiques/experimentation-radars-sonores
  2. Cerema, "Radars sonores: le Cerema contribue aux expérimentations et à l'homologation des dispositifs" ("Noise cameras: Cerema contributes to trials and device approval", 15/12/2025): https://www.cerema.fr/fr/actualites/radars-sonores-cerema-contribue-aux-experimentations
  3. Légifrance, order of 7 July 2023 (85 dB(A) threshold): https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/id/JORFTEXT000047835904
  4. La DH, "Des radars méduses à Bruxelles… voici où en est ce dossier" ("Jellyfish-camera radars in Brussels: where the project stands", 06/08/2026): https://www.dhnet.be/regions/bruxelles/bruxelles-mobilite/2026/08/06/des-radars-meduses-a-bruxelles-pour-verbaliser-les-motos-voici-ou-en-est-ce-dossier-U2FNIDEWPVBNPI76IY6SGIQUIU/
  5. LENS (Horizon Europe project), "Tackling vehicle noise across Europe: a legislative overview of noise cameras" (16/09/2025): https://lens-horizoneurope.eu/news/legislative-overview-of-noise-cameras/
  6. Swiss Federal Council, press release of 12/12/2025 on the report on noise cameras: https://www.admin.ch/de/newnsb/QWgf9OVejSD-wDg5su44M
  7. Swiss Parliament, motion 24.3696 "Lärmradargeräte. Gesetzliche Grundlagen schaffen" ("Noise radar devices: creating a legal basis"): https://www.parlament.ch/de/ratsbetrieb/suche-curia-vista/geschaeft?AffairId=20243696
  8. Lärmliga, "Bis auf weiteres keine Lärmblitzer in der Schweiz" ("No noise cameras in Switzerland for the time being", 18/06/2026): https://laermliga.ch/weiterhin-keine-laermblitzer-in-der-schweiz/
  9. Bruitparif, page on the Hydre prototype (04/12/2024), trials in Geneva, Berlin, Basel, Brussels, Barcelona: https://www.bruitparif.fr/le-prototype-de-radar-sonore-hydre-mis-au-point-par-bruitparif-aux-fins-de-controle-sanction-des-vehicules-excessivement-bruyants1/
  10. GOV.UK, "Noise camera technology: roadside trial" (17/03/2024): https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/noise-camera-technology-roadside-trial
  11. Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Public Spaces Protection Order (nuisance vehicles) 2025: https://www.rbkc.gov.uk/community-and-local-life/community-safety/antisocial-behaviour-asb-nuisance-vehicles-public-spaces-protection-order-pspo-0/public-spaces-protection-royal-borough-kensington-and-chelsea-order-nuisance-vehicles-2025
  12. Senatsverwaltung Berlin and TU Berlin, "Lärmblitzer" report ("Noise cameras", 2025): https://www.berlin.de/sen/uvk/_assets/umwelt/laerm/laermminderungsplanung-berlin/projekte/laermblitzer-auswertebericht-berliner-pilotstudie_2025.pdf
  13. TOT Barcelona, pilot projects for detecting noisy vehicles (14/07/2025): https://www.totbarcelona.cat/societat/barcelona-intelligencia-artificial-reduir-contaminacio-acustica-638825/
  14. City of Rotterdam, "Pilot met geluidscamera's tegen verkeersaso's van start" ("Noise-camera pilot against traffic nuisance launched", 28/05/2026): https://persberichtenrotterdam.nl/persberichten/pilot-met-geluidscameras-tegen-verkeersasos-van-start/
  15. ORF Salzburg, "Erste Anzeigen durch Lärmblitzer" ("First reports filed via noise cameras", 29/09/2025): https://salzburg.orf.at/stories/3323701/
  16. Salzburger Nachrichten, extension of the pilot to all districts: https://www.sn.at/salzburg/chronik/laermblitzer-im-bundesland-salzburg-testprojekt-soll-auf-alle-bezirke-ausgeweitet-werden-art-642373
  17. infoPłockTV, petition to the Sejm (07/07/2026): https://infoplocktv.pl/2026/07/07/fotoradary-akustyczne-rowniez-w-polsce-do-sejmu-trafila-petycja/
  18. City of Malmö, "Buller" page ("Noise"): https://malmo.se/Bo-och-leva/Stadsmiljo-och-trafik/Laget-i-staden/Buller.html
  19. Riksdag, answer to written question 2025/26:678 (08/04/2026): https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/dokument-och-lagar/dokument/svar-pa-skriftlig-fraga/behov-av-lagandringar-for-anvandande-av_hd12678/
  20. EUR-Lex, Directive 2014/45/EU (periodic roadworthiness testing), Annex I, point 8.1.1: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/FR/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32014L0045
  21. EUR-Lex, Directive 1999/37/EC (registration certificate), codes U.1 to U.3: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/FR/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:31999L0037
  22. EUR-Lex, Regulation (EU) No 540/2014, Annex III: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/FR/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32014R0540
  23. UTAC, instruction technique IT VL F8 indice I (11/04/2025): https://www.utac-otc.com/METHODES%20DE%20CONTROLE/Instructions%20Techniques%20applicables/IT%20VL%20F8I-NUISANCES-20250411.pdf
  24. UTAC, instruction technique IT CL F8 indice F (20/05/2025): https://www.utac-otc.com/Categorie_L/Documents/IT%20CL%20F8F-NUISANCES-20250520.pdf
  25. UTAC, cahier des charges CDC 8 indice B (12/03/2024): https://www.utac-otc.com/Categorie_L/Documents/CDC8B%20-%20Dispositifs%20de%20mesure%20du%20niveau%20sonore%20-%2020240312.pdf
  26. GOV.UK, MOT inspection manual, section 8: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/mot-inspection-manual-for-private-passenger-and-light-commercial-vehicles/8-nuisance
  27. ADAC, "Geräusche von Pkw" ("Noise from cars", updated 01/2026): https://assets.adac.de/image/upload/v1768226943/ADAC-eV/Verkehrspolitik/PDFs/geraeusche-von-pkw-adac-infoblatt_vn9n7g.pdf
  28. Ministerio de Industria y Turismo, ITV procedure manual v7.8 (28/04/2025): https://industria.gob.es/Calidad-Industrial/vehiculos/itv1/Manual%20de%20procedimiento%20de%20inspecci%C3%B3n/Manual%20de%20procedimiento%20de%20inspeccion%20de%20estaciones%20ITV-V%207.8.pdf
  29. Ministero delle Infrastrutture e dei Trasporti (CSRPAD), limits in force at the revisione: https://www.csrpad.it/csrpad/it/revisioni/limiti-vigenti

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