You may recall the upset earlier this year when drivers in California started receiving fines for having exhaust systems that were too loud to meet the requirements of a law passed in May 1998 that prohibited vehicle exhaust louder than 95 decibels.

Though the law had been on the books for more than 20 years, what changed was a bill passed in 2018 that required police officers to issue an immediate fine instead of the traditional 30-day repair notice.

Steps were taken in the California Assembly to stop the immediate fines and to return to the 30-day repair program, and SEMA reported this week that SB 112 has gone to Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk for his signature.

SB 112 is a budget implementation bill that restores the “fix-it” ticket instead of levying an immediate fine, SEMA said.

“SEMA thanks Assembly Members Grayson, Boerner-Horvath, Ting, and Chen, and Senator Mitchell for their tireless work on behalf of the over 1,700 member companies based in the Golden State,” SEMA’s vice president for legal and government affairs Daniel Ingber, was quoted in the organization’s news release.

As for the people who equipped their vehicles with aftermarket exhausts systems, Ingber added: “Thanks to their efforts, enthusiasts in California will continue to be afforded due process under the law.”