Section 215-A:12 Manufacturing Specification Requirements.
I, II. [Repealed.]
III. No person shall sell or offer for sale in this state any trail bike manufactured on or after January 1, 1973, or before January 1, 1983, which produces a sound level in excess of the following limits, when measured in accordance with the provisions of the Society of Automotive Engineers Recommended Practice J-331a, ""Sound Levels for Motorcycles'':
(a) If manufactured between January 1, 1973, and December 31, 1974, inclusive, of 88 decibels on the A scale.
(b) If manufactured between January 1, 1975, and December 31, 1982, inclusive, 86 decibels on the A scale.
(c) On or after January 1, 1983, newly manufactured trail bikes and exhaust systems and exhaust system components for trail bikes shall comply with the federal noise emission standards and testing procedures required by Title 40 of the United States Code of Federal Regulations, Part 225, as follows:
(1) Effective January 1, 1983: Displacement of 170 cc and below, not to exceed 83 decibels on the A scale. Displacement of more than 170 cc, not to exceed 86 decibels on the A scale.
(2) Effective January 1, 1986: Displacement of 170 cc and below, not to exceed 80 decibels on the A scale. Displacement of more than 170 cc, not to exceed 82 decibels on the A scale.
(d) Each federally regulated trail bike and exhaust system newly manufactured on or after January 1, 1983, sold or offered for sale within the state, shall display noise emission control information labels in accordance with the above referenced federal noise emission regulation, to indicate that the vehicle and exhaust system meets United States Environmental Protection Agency noise emission requirements by the federal test procedure for that particular model product.
(e) The labeling of newly manufactured trail bikes and exhaust systems or exhaust components, with the appropriate noise emission control information labels as prescribed in this chapter, constitutes a certification by the manufacturer of such vehicles and products sold within the state that they comply with federal regulations and the sound levels established in this section.
(f) Vehicles designed, constructed, and sold solely for use as racing vehicles at facilities constructed for closed-course racing are exempt from the provisions of this section, but only when used at such racing facilities.
(1) Each trail bike and exhaust system or exhaust system component newly manufactured on or after January 1, 1983, that is designed, constructed and sold solely for competition shall be labeled, as required by the above referenced federal noise emission regulation, that the vehicle and exhaust system or exhaust system component is designed for closed-course competition only.
(2) The labeling of such products by the manufacturer in accordance with the federal regulation constitutes a certification by the manufacturer that they do not conform to federal noise standards or New Hampshire sound levels established in this section.
IV. No person shall operate in this state a trail bike or all terrain vehicle which produces a sound level in excess of 96 decibels on the A scale, when measured in accordance with the provisions of the Society of Automotive Engineers Recommended Practice ANSI/SAE, J-1287, Mar 82, ""Measurement of Exhaust Sound Levels of Stationary Motorcycles''.
V. No person shall operate in this state any trail bike or other OHRV which is designed, constructed, and sold solely for closed-course competition and is without a headlight and a taillight. The provisions of this paragraph shall not apply to trail bikes or OHRVs operated at approved OHRV competitions, or when the exhaust system is modified to comply with the provisions of RSA 215-A:12, IV and RSA 227-L:20.
VI. Sound pressure levels in decibels shall be measured on the ""A'' scale of a sound level meter having characteristics defined by American National Standards Institute S1.4-1971, ""Specification for Sound Level Meters.''
VII. No person shall modify the manufacturer's specified exhaust system of any OHRV in any manner which will increase or amplify the noise emitted above that emitted by the original muffler.
VIII. No person shall operate, sell, or offer for sale in this state any ATV manufactured after January 1, 1990, which does not have a working headlight, except that an ATV with an engine size of 90 cubic centimeters or less, having 3 or more tires designed to hold not more than 10 pounds per square inch of air pressure, shall not be required to be equipped with a headlight.
IX. [Repealed.]
X. No person shall operate, sell or offer for sale in this state any ATV manufactured after January 1, 1990, which is not equipped with a location on the front and rear of the ATV specifically for the placement of registration plates or decals, which measure 3 1/2 inches by 6 inches.
Source. 1981, 538:3. 1982, 12:6. 1983, 449:7. 1985, 261:3, 4. 1987, 56:1. 1988, 208:4. 1993, 320:2. 1994, 124:1. 1995, 55:1, 2, eff. July 8, 1995; 299:10, eff. Jan. 1, 1996. 2003, 295:2, eff. July 1, 2003. 2005, 210:64, VII, eff. July 1, 2006.