Lighting Safety Guide

The information provided on this page regarding vehicle lighting guidelines for each state is intended for informational purposes only. While we strive to ensure accuracy, laws and regulations may change over time, and it is the responsibility of users to verify the current regulations in their respective states. We do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of the information provided. Users should consult official state sources or legal professionals for the most up-to-date information regarding emergency vehicle lighting guidelines.

Alabama

Alabama Vehicles Permitted to Use Emergency Vehicle Lights

32-1-1(3)

(3) Authorized emergency vehicle. Such fire department vehicles, police vehicles and ambulances as are publicly owned, and such other publicly or privately owned vehicles as are designated by the Director of Public Safety or the chief of police of an incorporated city.

32-5A-115(C)

a) Upon the immediate approach of an authorized emergency vehicle equipped with at least one lighted lamp and audible signal as is required by law, the driver of every other vehicle shall yield the right-of-way and shall immediately drive to a position parallel to, and as close as possible to, the right-hand edge or curb of the roadway clear of any intersection and shall stop and remain in such position until the authorized emergency vehicle has passed, except when otherwise directed by a police officer.

(b) This section shall not operate to relieve the driver of an authorized emergency vehicle from the duty to drive with regard for the safety of all persons using the highways.(c) Authorized emergency vehicles shall be equipped with at least one lighted lamp exhibiting a colored light as hereinafter provided visible under normal atmospheric conditions from a distance of 500 feet to the front of such vehicle and a siren, exhaust whistle, or bell capable of giving an audible signal. The color of the lighted lamp exhibited by police vehicles may be red or blue and the color of the lighted lamp exhibited by the fire department and other authorized emergency vehicles, including ambulances, shall be red. No vehicle other than a police vehicle will use a blue light. An amber or yellow light may be installed on any vehicle or class of vehicles designated by the Director of Public Safety, but such light shall serve as a warning or caution light only, and shall not cause other vehicles to yield the right-of-way. This provision shall not operate to relieve the driver of an emergency vehicle from the duty to drive with due regard for the safety of all persons using the highway nor shall it protect the driver of any such vehicle from the consequences of an arbitrary exercise of such right-of-way.

Alaska

Alaska Vehicles Permitted to Use Emergency Vehicle Lights

13 AAC 04.090

Authorized emergency vehicles (a) Every authorized emergency vehicle must, in addition to other equipment required by this chapter, be equipped with a signal light mounted as high as practicable, and which is capable of displaying to the front and rear flashing red color of sufficient intensity to be visible at 500 feet in normal sunlight. The flashing light must be sufficiently spaced from the headlights so that it will not be blacked out when the headlights are illuminated. An authorized emergency vehicle may display rotating beams of red light or of red and white light meeting the requirements of this subsection. (b) Repealed 6/28/79. (c) A police vehicle, when used as an authorized emergency vehicle, may but need not be equipped with alternately flashing red lights as specified in (a) of this section. (d) Repealed 6/28/79. (e) Repealed 6/28/79. (f) Repealed 6/28/79. (g) If, in addition to the light required in (a) of this section, a second or subsequent light is mounted on the authorized emergency vehicle, the light must be mounted as high as practicable and at the same level as the first light. The lights must be as widely spaced laterally as practicable, and must meet the spacing and visibility requirements of (a) of this section. The second light may display flashing blue color in accordance with sec. 100 of this chapter.

13 AAC 04.095

Flashing yellow vehicular hazard warning lights (a) Repealed 6/28/79. (b) Repealed 6/28/79. (c) The following vehicles must be equipped with a flashing yellow warning light visible at 500 feet in normal sunlight to either the front, rear or sides or from all positions: (1) a vehicle of the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities, a municipality, or a contractor used in highway maintenance, inspection, survey or construction when working upon or within eight feet of a roadway; (2) a vehicle of a public utility company, when actually engaged in the construction, removal, repair, maintenance or inspection of a public utility facility and when parked or moving slower than the normal traffic flow upon or within eight feet of a roadway; (3) a motor vehicle engaged in towing a house or a building upon a highway; (4) a pilot car as provided in 17 AAC 25.090; and (5) a motor vehicle engaged in snow removal from private property when it moves onto, across or within eight feet of a roadway while removing the snow, or a motor vehicle engaged in snow removal from subdivision streets. (d) The lights required in this section must be used to warn drivers of other vehicles of the presence of a vehicular traffic hazard requiring the exercise of unusual care in approaching, overtaking or passing the hazard. (e) After January 1, 1978, every bus, truck, truck-tractor and trailer 80 inches or more in overall width or 30 feet or more in overall length, and every motor vehicle manufactured after January 1, 1978, must be equipped with lights meeting the requirements of (f) of this section. (f) Vehicular hazard warning lights must be mounted at the same level and as widely spaced laterally as practicable, except that on vehicles less than 80 inches overall width, only one warning light need be mounted on the rear of the vehicle. The lights must display simultaneously flashing yellow color to the front of the vehicle, except that on vehicles manufactured before January 1, 1969, the light showing to the front may display simultaneously flashing yellow or white color, or any shade of color between yellow and white. The lights displaying warning to the rear of the vehicle must show simultaneously flashing red or yellow color, or any shade of color between red and yellow. The lights authorized by this section must be visible from a distance of not less than 500 feet in normal sunlight. (g) A tow car must be equipped with a flashing yellow warning light visible at 500 feet in normal sunlight to the front, rear and both sides. The tow car must illuminate the yellow warning light during preparation at the location from which a disabled vehicle is to be towed, and the yellow warning light must be illuminated when the tow car is towing a vehicle at a speed slower than the normal flow of traffic, during the hours of darkness when the towed vehicle does not have tail lights illuminated to the rear, or when the tail lights, stop lights or turn signals on the tow car are obscured by the towed vehicle. The flashing warning light may not be illuminated except as provided in this section. (h) A vehicle used for the purpose of mail or other delivery along a highway must illuminate the lights required by this section at least 100 feet, but not more than 500 feet, before making a stop as required in the official performance of the duties of the driver of the vehicle. Display of the lights must continue for as long as the conditions specified in (d) of this section exist. The lights must be visible to the front and rear of the vehicle at a distance of 500 feet in normal sunlight. Further, a mail delivery vehicle must clearly display to the front and to the rear of the vehicle, the words "U.S. MAIL" in letters at least eight inches high on a distinctively contrasting background; other vehicles used in making deliveries along a highway must display the words "DELIVERY VEHICLE" in a like manner. (i) The lights specified in this section may not be turned on when a vehicle is (1) parked lawfully in an urban district; (2) stopped lawfully to avoid conflict with other traffic or to comply with the directions of a police officer, a fireman or an authorized flagman or an official traffic-control device; or (3) otherwise stopped or driven when there do not exist the conditions specified in (c) of this section.

Arizona

Arizona Vehicles Permitted to Use Emergency Vehicle Lights

28-101 (4)

4. "Authorized emergency vehicle" means any of the following:

(a) A fire department vehicle.

(b) A police vehicle.

(c) An ambulance or emergency vehicle of a municipal department or public service corporation that is designated or authorized by the department or a local authority.

(d) Any other ambulance, fire truck or rescue vehicle that is authorized by the department in its sole discretion and that meets liability insurance requirements prescribed by the department.

28-624 Authorized Emergency Vehicles

A. If an authorized emergency vehicle is driven in response to an emergency call, in pursuit of an actual or suspected violator of law or in response to but not on return from a fire alarm, the driver may exercise the privileges provided in this section subject to the conditions stated in this section.

B. If the driver of an authorized emergency vehicle is operating at least one lighted lamp displaying a red or red and blue light or lens visible under normal atmospheric conditions from a distance of five hundred feet to the front of the vehicle, the driver may:

1. Notwithstanding this chapter, park or stand.

2. Proceed past a red or stop signal or stop sign, but only after slowing down as necessary for safe operation.

3. Exceed the prima facie speed limits if the driver does not endanger life or property.

4. Disregard laws or rules governing the direction of movement or turning in specified directions.

C. The exemptions authorized by this section for an authorized emergency vehicle apply only if the driver of the vehicle while in motion sounds an audible signal by bell, siren or exhaust whistle as reasonably necessary and if the vehicle is equipped with at least one lighted lamp displaying a red or red and blue light or lens visible under normal atmospheric conditions from a distance of five hundred feet to the front of the vehicle, except that an authorized emergency vehicle operated as a police vehicle need not be equipped with or display a red or red and blue light or lens visible from in front of the vehicle.

D. This section does not relieve the driver of an authorized emergency vehicle from the duty to drive with due regard for the safety of all persons and does not protect the driver from the consequences of the driver's reckless disregard for the safety of others.

28-947 Special Restrictions on Lamps

A. A person shall direct a lighted lamp or illuminating device on a motor vehicle, other than a head lamp, spot lamp, auxiliary lamp or flashing front direction signal, that projects a beam of light of an intensity greater than three hundred candlepower so that no part of the beam strikes the level of the roadway on which the vehicle stands at a distance of more than seventy-five feet from the vehicle.

B. A person shall not drive or move a vehicle or equipment on a highway with a lamp or device on the vehicle that is capable of displaying a red or red and blue light or lens visible from directly in front of the center of the vehicle. Lights visible from the front of a vehicle shall be amber or white. This section does not apply to either of the following:

1. An authorized emergency vehicle or a vehicle on which a red or red and blue light or lens visible from the front is expressly authorized or required by this chapter.

2. A fire engine that is solely used for hobby or display purposes and that has been issued a historic vehicle license plate pursuant to section 28-2484 if either of the following applies:

(a) The lights are covered and are not activated while a person is transporting or driving the vehicle to or from a parade, authorized assemblage of historic vehicles or test.

(b) The lights are activated only in a parade, for an authorized assemblage of historic vehicles or for testing purposes.

C. Except as provided in subsection D or E of this section, flashing lights on motor vehicles are prohibited except either:

1. On authorized emergency vehicles, school buses or snow removal equipment.

2. As warning lights on disabled or parked vehicles.

3. On a vehicle as a means for indicating a right or left turn.

D. A vehicle may have lamps that may be used to warn the operators of other vehicles of the presence of a vehicular traffic hazard requiring the exercise of unusual care in approaching, overtaking or passing. The vehicle may display these lamps as a warning in addition to any other warning signals required by this article. The lamps used to display the warning to the front shall be mounted at the same level and as widely spaced laterally as practicable and shall display simultaneously flashing white or amber lights or any shade of color between white and amber. The lamps used to display the warning to the rear shall be mounted at the same level and as widely spaced laterally as practicable and shall show simultaneously flashing amber or red lights or any shade of color between amber and red. These warning lights shall be visible from a distance of at least one thousand five hundred feet under normal atmospheric conditions at night.

E. A person may equip a motorcycle with a means of modulating the intensity of a head lamp beam between the higher and lower brightness at a rate of two hundred to two hundred eighty cycles per minute. A person shall not modulate the head lamp beam during the hours of darkness as prescribed in section 28-922.

Arkansas

Arkansas Vehicles Permitted to Use Emergency Vehicle Lights

27-36-303

All state, county, or city and municipal police agencies shall install, maintain, and exhibit blue rotating or flashing emergency lights upon all police motor vehicles which are equipped with emergency lighting and operated within the State of Arkansas.

27-36-304

(a) All state, county, city, and municipal or privately owned fire departments, funeral homes, or ambulance companies shall install, maintain, and exhibit red rotating or flashing emergency lights upon all fire department vehicles, automobiles used by firefighters, and ambulances which are equipped with emergency lighting and operated within Arkansas. Firefighters shall be allowed to use portable dash-mounted red rotating or flashing emergency lights on their privately owned automobiles when responding to a fire or other emergency.

(b) Emergency medical services personnel licensed by the Department of Health may install, maintain, and exhibit red rotating or flashing emergency lights upon a vehicle when responding to an emergency.

27-36-306

(a) Motor vehicles engaged in leading or escorting a funeral procession or any vehicle that is part of a funeral procession may be equipped with flashing, rotating, or oscillating purple lights, which shall not be activated except during a funeral procession.

(b) The purple flashing, rotating, or oscillating lights shall be a warning to other motorists of the approach of the funeral procession.

California

California Vehicles Permitted to Use Emergency Vehicle Lights

V C Sect 165An authorized emergency vehicle is:

(a) Any publicly owned and operated ambulance, lifeguard, or lifesaving equipment or any privately owned or operated ambulance licensed by the Commissioner of the California Highway Patrol to operate in response to emergency calls.

(b) Any publicly owned vehicle operated by the following persons, agencies, or organizations:

(1) Any federal, state, or local agency, department, or district employing peace officers as that term is defined in Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 830) of Part 2 of Title 3 of the Penal Code, for use by those officers in the performance of their duties.

(2) Any forestry or fire department of any public agency or fire department organized as provided in the Health and Safety Code.

(c) Any vehicle owned by the state, or any bridge and highway district, and equipped and used either for fighting fires, or towing or servicing other vehicles, caring for injured persons, or repairing damaged lighting or electrical equipment.

(d) Any state-owned vehicle used in responding to emergency fire, rescue, or communications calls and operated either by the California Emergency Management Agency or by any public agency or industrial fire department to which the California Emergency Management Agency has assigned the vehicle.

(e) Any vehicle owned or operated by any department or agency of the United States government when the vehicle is used in responding to emergency fire, ambulance, or lifesaving calls or is actively engaged in law enforcement work.

(f) Any vehicle for which an authorized emergency vehicle permit has been issued by the Commissioner of the California Highway Patrol.

25252

Every authorized emergency vehicle shall be equipped with at least one steady burning red warning lamp visible from at least 1,000 feet to the front of the vehicle to be used as provided in this code.

In addition, authorized emergency vehicles may display revolving, flashing, or steady red warning lights to the front, sides or rear of the vehicles.

Colorado

Colorado Vehicles Permitted to Use Emergency Vehicle Lights

42-4-106-6

(6)(a) The department of transportation and local authorities, within their respective jurisdictions, may, for the purpose of road construction and maintenance, temporarily close to through traffic or to all vehicular traffic any highway or portion thereof for a period not to exceed a specified number of workdays for project completion and shall, in conjunction with any such road closure, establish appropriate detours or provide for an alternative routing of the traffic affected when, in the opinion of said department or concerned local authorities, as evidenced by resolution or ordinance, such temporary closing of the highway or portion thereof and such rerouting of traffic is necessary for traffic safety and for the protection of work crews and road equipment. Such temporary closing of the highway or portion thereof and the routing of traffic along other roads shall not become effective until official traffic control devices are erected giving notice of the restrictions, and, when such devices are in place, no driver shall disobey the instructions or directions thereof.

(b) Local authorities, within their respective jurisdictions, may provide for the temporary closing to vehicular traffic of any portion of a highway during a specified period of the day for the purpose of celebrations, parades, and special local events or civic functions when in the opinion of said authorities such temporary closing is necessary for the safety and protection of persons who are to use that portion of the highway during the temporary closing.

(c) The department of transportation, local municipal authorities, and local county authorities shall enter into agreements with one another for the establishment, signing, and marking of appropriate detours and alternative routes which jointly affect state and local road systems and which are necessary to carry out the provisions of paragraphs (a) and (b) of this subsection (6). Any temporary closing of a street which is a state highway and any rerouting of state highway traffic shall have the approval of the department of transportation before such closing and rerouting becomes effective.

42-4-213

(1) Except as otherwise provided in this section or in section 42-4-222 in the case of volunteer fire vehicles and volunteer ambulances, every authorized emergency vehicle shall, in addition to any other equipment and distinctive markings required by this article, be equipped as a minimum with a siren and a horn. Such devices shall be capable of emitting a sound audible under normal conditions from a distance of not less than five hundred feet

(2) Every authorized emergency vehicle, except those used as undercover vehicles by governmental agencies, shall, in addition to any other equipment and distinctive markings required by this article, be equipped with at least one signal lamp mounted as high as practicable, which shall be capable of displaying a flashing, oscillating, or rotating red light to the front and to the rear having sufficient intensity to be visible at five hundred feet in normal sunlight. In addition to the required red light, flashing, oscillating, or rotating signal lights may be used which emit blue, white, or blue in combination with white

(3) A police vehicle, when used as an authorized emergency vehicle, may but need not be equipped with the red lights specified in this section.

(4) Any authorized emergency vehicle, including those authorized by section 42-4-222, may be equipped with green flashing lights, mounted at sufficient height and having sufficient intensity to be visible at five hundred feet in all directions in normal daylight. Such lights may only be used at the single designated command post at any emergency location or incident and only when such command post is stationary. The single command post shall be designated by the on-scene incident commander in accordance with local or state government emergency plans. Any other use of a green light by a vehicle shall constitute a violation of this section.

(5) The use of either the audible or the visual signal equipment described in this section shall impose upon drivers of other vehicles the obligation to yield right-of-way and stop as prescribed in section 42-4-705.

(6) Any person who violates any provision of this section commits a class A traffic infraction.

Connecticut

Delaware Vehicles Permitted to Use Emergency Vehicle Lights

4106

a) The driver of an authorized emergency vehicle, when responding to an emergency call or when in the pursuit of an actual or suspected violator of the law or when responding to but not upon returning from a fire alarm, may exercise the privileges set forth in this section, but subject to the conditions herein stated.

(b) The driver of an authorized emergency vehicle may:

(1) Park or stand, irrespective of the provisions of this chapter;

(2) Proceed past a red or stop signal or stop sign, but only after slowing down as may be necessary for safe operation;

(3) Exceed the speed limits so long as the driver does not endanger life or property;

(4) Disregard regulations governing direction of movement or turning in specified directions.

(c) The exemptions herein granted to an authorized emergency vehicle shall apply only when such vehicle is making use of audible or visual signals meeting the requirements of this title, except that an authorized emergency vehicle operated as a police vehicle need not make use of such signals.

(d) The driver of an emergency vehicle is not liable for any damage to or loss of property or for any personal injury or death caused by the negligent or wrongful act or omission of such driver except acts or omissions amounting to gross negligence or willful or wanton negligence so long as the applicable portions of subsection (c) have been followed. The owner of such emergency vehicle may not assert the defense of governmental immunity in any action on account of any damage to or loss of property or on account of personal injury or death caused by the negligent or wrongful act or omission of such driver or owner.

(e) Authorized emergency vehicles within the meaning of this chapter mean vehicles of a fire department, police vehicles, ambulances, vehicles used by a fire chief, deputy fire chief, assistant fire chief, chief engineer or fire police officer of any duly organized fire company in the performance of those duties, the vehicle of the State Forester in the performance of the State Forester's duties, the vehicle of the Forest Fire Control Supervisor in the performance of the Forest Fire Control Supervisor's duties, the vehicles of the State Emergency Response Team in the performance of its duties and emergency vehicles of state, federal, county or municipal departments or public service corporations as are designated or authorized by the Secretary of Safety and Homeland Security.

14-96q

(a) Any lighted lamp or illuminating device upon a motor vehicle, other than head lamps, spot lamps or auxiliary driving lamps, which projects a beam of light of an intensity greater than three hundred candle power shall be so directed that no part of the beam will strike the level of the roadway on which the vehicle stands at a distance of more than seventy-five feet from the vehicle.

(b) No person shall drive or move any vehicle or equipment upon any highway with any lamp or device thereon displaying a red light visible from directly in front of the center thereof. The provisions of this subsection and subsection (c) shall not apply to authorized emergency and maintenance vehicles.

(c) Flashing lights are prohibited on motor vehicles other than school buses, except (1) as a means for indicating a right or left turn, (2) flashing blue lights used by members of volunteer or civil preparedness fire companies, as provided by subsection (b) of section 14-96p, (3) on certain emergency and maintenance vehicles by special permit from the commissioner, (4) flashing or revolving yellow lights on (A) wreckers registered pursuant to section 14-66, or (B) vehicles of carriers in rural mail-delivery service or vehicles transporting or escorting any vehicle or load or combinations of vehicles or vehicles and load which is or are either oversize or overweight, or both, and operated or traveling under a permit issued by the Commissioner of Transportation pursuant to section 14-270, (5) flashing red lights (A) on a motor vehicle accommodating fifteen or fewer handicapped students used only during the time such vehicle is stopped for the purpose of receiving or discharging such handicapped students, (B) used by members of the fire police on a stationary vehicle as a warning signal during traffic directing operations at the scene of a fire, (C) on rescue vehicles, (D) used by chief executive officers of emergency medical service organizations as provided in subsection (a) of section 14-96p, (E) ambulances, as defined in section 19a-175, or (F) used by local fire marshals or directors of emergency management, (6) flashing green lights used by members of volunteer ambulance associations or companies as provided in subsection (c) of section 14-96p, or (7) flashing white lights or flashing lights of other colors specified by federal requirements for the manufacture of an ambulance used in conjunction with flashing red lights or flashing head lamps and a flashing amber light on an ambulance responding to an emergency call. The prohibitions in this section shall not prevent the operator of a motor vehicle who while traveling on a limited access divided highway, because of the grade, is unable to maintain the minimum speed of forty miles per hour, or who while traveling on any other highway is operating such motor vehicle at such slow speed as to obstruct or endanger following traffic, or the operator of a disabled vehicle stopped on a hazardous location on the highway, or in close proximity thereto, from flashing lights, installed on the vehicle primarily for other purposes, in any manner that the operator selects so as to indicate that such vehicle is traveling slowly, obstructing traffic or is disabled and is a hazard to be avoided. The commissioner is authorized, at such commissioner’s discretion, to issue special permits for the use of flashing or revolving lights on emergency vehicles, on escort vehicles, on maintenance vehicles and on other vehicles that display lights for which a permit is required, in accordance with the provisions of subsection (a) of section 14-96p, provided any person, firm or corporation other than the state or any metropolitan district, town, city or borough shall pay an annual permit fee for each such vehicle, provided vehicles not registered in this state used for transporting or escorting any vehicle or load or combinations of vehicles or vehicles and load which is or are either oversize or overweight, or both, when operating under a permit issued by the Commissioner of Transportation pursuant to section 14-270, shall not require such permit. Such annual permit fee shall be twenty dollars. If the commissioner issues a special permit to any ambulance, such permit shall be issued at the time of registration and of each renewal of registration.

(d) Use of lamps and flashing lights except as authorized by this section shall be an infraction.

Delaware

Delaware Vehicles Permitted to Use Emergency Vehicle Lights

4106

(b) The driver of an authorized emergency vehicle may:

(1) Park or stand, irrespective of the provisions of this chapter;

(2) Proceed past a red or stop signal or stop sign, but only after slowing down as may be necessary for safe operation;

(3) Exceed the speed limits so long as the driver does not endanger life or property;

(4) Disregard regulations governing direction of movement or turning in specified directions.

14-96q

(d) Use of lamps and flashing lights except as authorized by this section shall be an infraction.

Florida

Florida Vehicles Permitted to Use Emergency Vehicle Lights

316-003(1)

(1) AUTHORIZED EMERGENCY VEHICLES.—Vehicles of the fire department (fire patrol), police vehicles, and such ambulances and emergency vehicles of municipal departments, public service corporations operated by private corporations, the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Department of Environmental Protection, the Department of Health, the Department of Transportation, and the Department of Corrections as are designated or authorized by their respective department or the chief of police of an incorporated city or any sheriff of any of the various counties.

316-2397

(2) It is expressly prohibited for any vehicle or equipment, except police vehicles, to show or display blue lights. However, vehicles owned, operated, or leased by the Department of Corrections or any county correctional agency may show or display blue lights when responding to emergencies.

(3) Vehicles of the fire department and fire patrol, including vehicles of volunteer firefighters as permitted under s. 316.2398, vehicles of medical staff physicians or technicians of medical facilities licensed by the state as authorized under s. 316.2398, ambulances as authorized under this chapter, and buses and taxicabs as authorized under s. 316.2399 are permitted to show or display red lights. Vehicles of the fire department, fire patrol, police vehicles, and such ambulances and emergency vehicles of municipal and county departments, public service corporations operated by private corporations, the Department of Environmental Protection, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and the Department of Corrections as are designated or authorized by their respective department or the chief of police of an incorporated city or any sheriff of any county are hereby authorized to operate emergency lights and sirens in an emergency. Wreckers, mosquito control fog and spray vehicles, and emergency vehicles of governmental departments or public service corporations may show or display amber lights when in actual operation or when a hazard exists provided they are not used going to and from the scene of operation or hazard without specific authorization of a law enforcement officer or law enforcement agency. Wreckers must use amber rotating or flashing lights while performing recoveries and loading on the roadside day or night, and may use such lights while towing a vehicle on wheel lifts, slings, or under reach if the operator of the wrecker deems such lights necessary. A flatbed, car carrier, or rollback may not use amber rotating or flashing lights when hauling a vehicle on the bed unless it creates a hazard to other motorists because of protruding objects. Further, escort vehicles may show or display amber lights when in the actual process of escorting overdimensioned equipment, material, or buildings as authorized by law. Vehicles owned or leased by private security agencies may show or display green and amber lights, with either color being no greater than 50 percent of the lights displayed, while the security personnel are engaged in security duties on private or public property.

Georgia

Georgia Vehicles Permitted to Use Emergency Vehicle Lights

40-1-1

(5) "Authorized emergency vehicle" means a motor vehicle belonging to a public utility corporation or operated by the Department of Transportation and designated as an emergency vehicle by the Department of Public Safety; a motor vehicle belonging to a fire department or a certified private vehicle belonging to a volunteer firefighter or a fire-fighting association, partnership, or corporation; an ambulance; or a motor vehicle belonging to a federal, state, or local law enforcement agency, provided such vehicle is in use as an emergency vehicle by one authorized to use it for that purpose.

40-6-16

(a) The operator of a motor vehicle approaching a stationary authorized emergency vehicle that is displaying flashing yellow, amber, white, red, or blue lights shall approach the authorized emergency vehicle with due caution and shall, absent any other direction by a peace officer, proceed as follows:

(1) Make a lane change into a lane not adjacent to the authorized emergency vehicle if possible in the existing safety and traffic conditions; or

(2) If a lane change under paragraph (1) of this subsection would be impossible, prohibited by law, or unsafe, reduce the speed of the motor vehicle to a reasonable and proper speed for the existing road and traffic conditions, which speed shall be less than the posted speed limit, and be prepared to stop.

(b) The operator of a motor vehicle approaching a stationary towing or recovery vehicle or a stationary highway maintenance vehicle that is displaying flashing yellow, amber, or red lights shall approach the vehicle with due caution and shall, absent any other direction by a peace officer, proceed as follows:

(1) Make a lane change into a lane not adjacent to the towing, recovery, or highway maintenance vehicle if possible in the existing safety and traffic conditions; or

(2) If a lane change under paragraph (1) of this subsection would be impossible, prohibited by law, or unsafe, reduce the speed of the motor vehicle to a reasonable and proper speed for the existing road and traffic conditions, which speed shall be less than the posted speed limit, and be prepared to stop.

Hawaii

Hawaii Vehicles Permitted to Use Emergency Vehicle Lights

291C-26

(a) The driver of an authorized emergency vehicle, when responding to an emergency call or when in the pursuit of an actual or suspected violator of the law or when responding to but not upon returning from a fire alarm and vehicles used by police officers while in the performance of a police function, may exercise the privileges set forth in this section, but subject to the conditions herein stated.

(b) The driver of an authorized emergency vehicle may:

(1) Park or stand irrespective of the provisions of this chapter;

(2) Proceed past a red or stop signal or stop sign, but only after slowing down as may be necessary for safe operation;

(3) Exceed the maximum speed limits so long as the driver does not endanger life or property;

(4) Disregard regulations governing direction of movement or turning in specified directions;

(5) Drive on the shoulder and median of roadways; and

(6) Drive in controlled-access roadways, highways, and facilities.

(c) The exemptions granted in subsection (b) to an authorized emergency vehicle shall apply only when the vehicle is making use of authorized audible and visual signals, except as otherwise provided by county ordinance. This subsection shall not apply to police vehicles.

(d) The foregoing provisions shall not relieve the driver of an authorized emergency vehicle from the duty to drive with due regard for the safety of all persons, nor shall those provisions protect the driver from the consequences of the driver's reckless disregard for the safety of others.

291-31-5 Tail lights on vehicles, motorcycles and motor scooters.

(a) From thirty minutes after sunset to thirty minutes before sunrise, at any time while a vehicle, other than a bicycle, motorcycle or motor scooter, is operated on any public highway, there shall be displayed at the rear thereof at least two tail lights, spaced as far apart as practicable, which shall display red lights visible not less than two hundred feet from the rear thereof; provided that vehicles manufactured prior to 1968 originally equipped with a single tail light assembly need only display a single tail light; and where a registration number plate is required by law to be carried on the rear thereof, the same shall be illuminated by a white light in such manner that the registration number thereon can be plainly distinguished at a distance of not less than fifty feet from the rear thereof.

(b) From thirty minutes after sunset to thirty minutes before sunrise, at any time while a motorcycle or motor scooter is operated on any public highway, there shall be displayed at the rear thereof, a tail light which shall display a red light visible not less than two hundred feet from the rear thereof; and if a registration number plate is required by law to be carried on the rear of the motorcycle or motor scooter, the same shall be illuminated by a white light in such manner that the registration number thereon can be plainly distinguished at a distance of not less than fifty feet from the rear thereof.

Idaho

Idaho Vehicles Permitted to Use Emergency Vehicle Lights

49-910

COLOR OF CLEARANCE LAMPS, SIDE MARKER LAMPS, AND REFLECTORS.

(1) Front clearance lamps and marker lamps and reflectors mounted on the front or on the side near the front of a vehicle shall display or reflect an amber color.

(2) Rear clearance lamps and marker lamps and reflectors mounted on the rear or on the sides near the rear of a vehicle shall display or reflect a red color.

(3) All lighting devices and reflectors mounted on the rear of any vehicle shall display or reflect a red color, except the stoplight or other signal device, which may be red, amber, or yellow, and except that the light illuminating the license plate shall be white and the light emitted by a back-up lamp may be white, amber, or red.

Illinois

Illinois Vehicles Permitted to Use Emergency Vehicle Lights

625-1-100

Sec. 1-105. Authorized emergency vehicle. Emergency vehicles of municipal departments or public service corporations as are designated or authorized by proper local authorities; police vehicles; of the fire department; vehicles of a HazMat or technical rescue team authorized by a county board under Section 5-1127 of the Counties Code; ambulances; vehicles of the Illinois Department of Corrections; vehicles of the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice; vehicles of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency; vehicles of the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal; mine rescue and explosives emergency response vehicles of the Department of Natural Resources;vehicles of the Illinois Department of Public Health; vehicles of the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority with a gross vehicle weight rating of 9,000 pounds or more and those identified as Highway Emergency Lane Patrol; vehicles of the Illinois Department of Transportation identified as Emergency Traffic Patrol; and vehicles of a municipal or county emergency services and disaster agency, as defined by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act.

12-215

Oscillating, rotating or flashing lights on motor vehicles. Except as otherwise provided in this Code:

(a) The use of red or white oscillating, rotating or flashing lights, whether lighted or unlighted, is prohibited except on:

1. Law enforcement vehicles of State, Federal or local authorities;

2. A vehicle operated by a police officer or county coroner and designated or authorized by local authorities, in writing, as a law enforcement vehicle; however, such designation or authorization must be carried in the vehicle:

2.1. A vehicle operated by a fire chief who has completed an emergency vehicle operation training course approved by the Office of the State Fire Marshal and designated or authorized by local authorities, in writing, as a fire department, fire protection district, or township fire department vehicle; however, the designation or authorization must be carried in the vehicle, and the lights may be visible or activated only when responding to a bona fide emergency;

3. Vehicles of local fire departments and State or federal firefighting vehicles;

4. Vehicles which are designed and used exclusively as ambulances or rescue vehicles; furthermore, such lights shall not be lighted except when responding to an emergency call for and while conveying the sick or injured;

Indiana

Indiana Vehicles Permitted to Use Emergency Vehicle Lights

9-13-2-6

Sec. 6. “Authorized emergency vehicle” means the following:
(1) The following vehicles:
(A) Fire department vehicles. (B) Police department vehicles. (C) Ambulances.
(D) Emergency vehicles operated by or for hospitals or health and hospital corporations under IC 16-22-8.
(2) Vehicles designated as emergency vehicles by the Indiana department of transportation under IC 9-21-20-1.
(3) Motor vehicles that, subject to IC 9-21-20-2, are approved by the Indiana emergency medical services commission that are: (A) ambulances that are owned by persons, firms, limited liability companies, or corporations other than hospitals; or
(B) not ambulances and that provide emergency medical services, including extrication and rescue services (as defined in IC 16-18-2-110).
(4) Vehicles of the department of correction that, subject to IC 9-21-20-3, are:
(A) designated by the department of correction as emergency vehicles; and
(B) responding to an emergency. As added by P.L.2-1991, SEC.1. Amended by P.L.1-1992, SEC.35; P.L.2-1993, SEC.64; P.L.8-1993, SEC.165. IC 9-13-2-6.1 “Autocycle” Sec. 6.1. “Autocycle” means a three (3) wheeled motor vehicle in which the operator and passenger ride in a completely or partially enclosed seating area that is equipped with:
(1) a rollcage or roll hoops;
(2) safety belts for each occupant; and
(3) antilock brakes; and is designed to be controlled with a steering wheel and pedals. As added by P.L.82-2015, SEC.1.

9-19-14-5

A police vehicle, when used as an authorized emergency vehicle, must be equipped with either of the following:

(1) At least two (2) signal lamps capable of displaying a red beam and a blue beam that meet the following requirements:(A) The signal lamps are mounted as high and as widely spaced laterally as practicable or mounted in a manner that will make the lights visible to oncoming traffic one hundred eighty (180) degrees around the front of the vehicle.(B) The signal lamps are capable of displaying to the front alternately flashing red and blue lights.(C) The signal lamp capable of displaying the red beam is located on the driver's side of the vehicle and the signal lamp capable of displaying the blue beam is located on the passenger's side of the vehicle.(2) One (1) signal lamp that is capable of displaying a red beam and a blue beam in a manner that will make the light visible to oncoming traffic one hundred eighty (180) degrees in front of the vehicle.

9-19-14-2

Except as provided in section 5 of this chapter, an authorized emergency vehicle must, in addition to other equipment required by this article, be equipped with signal lamps that are capable of displaying flashing, rotating, or oscillating beams of red or red and white light. The lights must be visible to oncoming traffic one hundred eighty (180) degrees around the front of the vehicle.

Iowa

Iowa Vehicles Permitted to Use Emergency Vehicle Lights

321-1-1-6

"Authorized emergency vehicle" means vehicles of the fire department, police vehicles, ambulances, and emergency vehicles owned by the United States, this state, any subdivision of this state, or any municipality of this state, and privately owned vehicles as are designated or authorized bu the director of transportation under section 321.451.

321-423-3(3)

3.Blue light.
a.  A blue light shall not be used on any vehicle except for the following:
(1)  A vehicle owned or exclusively operated by a fire department.
(2)  A vehicle authorized by the chief of the fire department if the vehicle is owned by a member of the fire department, the request for authorization is made by the member on forms provided by the department, and necessity for authorization is demonstrated in the request.
(3)  An authorized emergency vehicle, other than a vehicle described in paragraph “a”, subparagraph (1) or (2), if the blue light is positioned on the passenger side of the vehicle and is used in conjunction with a red light positioned on the driver side of the vehicle.

b.  A person shall not use only a blue light on a vehicle unless the vehicle meets the requirements of paragraph “a”, subparagraph (1) or (2).

321-423-4(2-f)

4.Expiration of authority.The authorization shall expire at midnight on the thirty-first day of December five years from the year in which it was issued, or when the vehicle is no longer owned by the member, or when the member has ceased to be an active member of the fire department or of an ambulance, rescue, or first response service, or when the member has used the blue or white light beyond the scope of its authorized use. A person issued an authorization under subsection 3, paragraph “a”, subparagraph (2), shall return the authorization to the fire chief upon expiration or upon a determination by the fire chief or the department that the authorization should be revoked.

321-423-2

2.Prohibited lights.A flashing light on or in a motor vehicle is prohibited except as follows:

a. On an authorized emergency vehicle.

b. On a vehicle as a means of indicating a right or left turn, a mechanical failure, or an emergency stop or intent to stop.

c. On a motor vehicle used by a rural mail carrier when stopping or stopped on or near a highway in the process of delivering mail, if such a light is any shade of color between white and amber and if it is mounted as a dome light on the roof of the vehicle.

d. On a vehicle being operated under an excess size permit issued under chapter 321E.

e. A flashing blue light on a vehicle upon which a blue light is permitted pursuant to subsection 3 of this section.

f. A flashing white light is permitted on a vehicle pursuant to subsection 7.

g. Flashing red and amber warning lights on a school bus as described in section 321.372, and a white flashing strobe light mounted on a school bus as permitted under section 321.373, subsection 7.h. A flashing amber light is permitted on a towing or recovery vehicle, a utility maintenance vehicle, a municipal maintenance vehicle, a highway maintenance vehicle, or a vehicle operated in accordance with subsection 6 or section 321.398 or 321.453.

i. Modulating headlamps in conformance with 49 C.F.R. §571.108 S7.9.4. are permitted on a motorcycle.
j. On a vehicle being operated as an escort vehicle for a funeral procession as provided in section 321.324A.

321-423-6

6.Amber flashing light.A farm tractor, farm tractor with towed equipment, self-propelled implement of husbandry, road construction or maintenance vehicle, road grader, or other vehicle principally designed for use off the highway which, when operated on a primary or secondary road, is operated at a speed of thirty-five miles an hour or less, shall be equipped with and display an amber flashing light visible from the rear at any time from sunset to sunrise. If the amber flashing light is obstructed by the towed equipment, the towed equipment shall also be equipped with and display an amber flashing light as required under this subsection. All vehicles specified in this subsection which are manufactured for sale or sold in this state shall be equipped with an amber flashing light in accordance with the standards of the American society of agricultural engineers.

Kansas

Kansas Vehicles Permitted to Use Emergency Vehicle Lights

8-1506

Authorized emergency vehicles; rights, duties and liability of drivers thereof. (a) The driver of an authorized emergency vehicle, when responding to an emergency call or when in the pursuit of an actual or suspected violator of the law, or when responding to but not upon returning from a fire alarm, may exercise the privileges set forth in this section, but subject to the conditions herein stated.
(b) The driver of an authorized emergency vehicle may:
(1) Park or stand, irrespective of the provisions of this article;
(2) Proceed past a red or stop signal or stop sign, but only after slowing down as may be necessary for safe operation;
(3) Exceed the maximum speed limits so long as such driver does not endanger life or property;
(4) Disregard regulations governing direction of movement or turning in specified directions; and
(5) Proceed through toll booths on roads or bridges without stopping for payment of tolls, but only after slowing down as may be necessary for safe operation and the picking up or returning of toll cards.
(c) The exemptions herein granted to an authorized emergency vehicle shall apply only when such vehicle is making use of an audible signal meeting the requirements of K.S.A. 8-1738 and visual signals meeting the requirements of K.S.A. 8-1720, except that an authorized emergency vehicle operated as a police vehicle need not be equipped with or display a red light visible from in front of the vehicle.
(d) The foregoing provisions shall not relieve the driver of an authorized emergency vehicle from the duty to drive with due regard for the safety of all persons, nor shall such provisions protect the driver from the consequences of reckless disregard for the safety of others.

8-1720

Lamps and lights on authorized emergency vehicles; alternately or simultaneously flashing head lamps.

(a) Except as provided in subsection (b), every authorized emergency vehicle, in addition to any other equipment required by this act, shall be equipped with signal lamps mounted as high and as widely spaced laterally as practicable, which shall be capable of displaying to the front two alternately flashing red lights located at the same level and to the rear two alternately flashing red lights located at the same level, or in lieu thereof, any such authorized emergency vehicle shall be equipped with at least one rotating or oscillating light, which shall be mounted as high as practicable on such vehicle and which shall display to the front and rear of such vehicle a flashing red light or alternate flashes of red and white lights or red and blue lights in combination. All lights required or authorized by this subsection shall have sufficient intensity to be visible at 500 feet in normal sunlight. Every authorized emergency vehicle may, but need not, be equipped with head lamps which alternately flash or simultaneously flash.

(b) A police vehicle when used as an authorized emergency vehicle may, but need not, be equipped with:(1) Head lamps which alternately flash or simultaneously flash;(2) flashing lights specified in subsection (a), but any flashing lights, used on a police vehicle, other than the flashing lights specified in K.S.A. 8-1722, and amendments thereto, rotating or oscillating lights or alternately flashing head lamps or simultaneously flashing head lamps, shall be red in color; or(3) rotating or oscillating lights, which may display a flashing red light or alternate flashes of red and blue lights in combination.

Kentucky

Kentucky Vehicles Permitted to Use Emergency Vehicle Lights

189.910

(1) As used in KRS 189.920 to 189.950, "emergency vehicle" means any vehicle used for emergency purposes by a fire department; any vehicle used for emergency purposes by the State Police, a public police department, Department of Corrections, or sheriff's office; any vehicle used for emergency purposes by a rescue squad; any publicly owned vehicle used for emergency purposes by an emergency management agency; any vehicle used to respond to emergencies or to transport a patient with a critical medical condition if the vehicle is operated by a Cabinet for Health Services-licensed ambulance provider or medical first-response provider; any vehicle commandeered by a police officer; or any motor vehicle with the emergency lights required under KRS 189.920 used by a paid or volunteer fireman or paid or volunteer ambulance personnel or a paid or volunteer local emergency management director while responding to an emergency or to a location where an emergency vehicle is on emergency call. (2) As used in KRS 189.920 to 189.950, "public safety vehicle" means public utility repair vehicle; wreckers; state, county, or municipal service vehicles and equipment; highway equipment which performs work that requires stopping and standing or moving at slow speeds within the traveled portions of highways; and vehicles which are escorting wide-load or slow-moving trailers or trucks.

189.920(1)(2)(3)

(1) All fire department, rescue squad or publicly owned emergency management agency emergency vehicles and all ambulances shall be equipped with one (1) or more flashing, rotating, or oscillating red lights, visible under normal atmospheric conditions from a distance of five hundred (500) feet to the front of the vehicle, and a siren, whistle, or bell, capable of emitting a sound audible under normal conditions from a distance of not less than five hundred (500) feet. This equipment shall be in addition to any other equipment required by the motor vehicle laws.

(2) All state, county, or municipal police vehicles and all sheriffs' vehicles used as emergency vehicles shall be equipped with one (1) or more flashing, rotating, or oscillating blue lights, visible under normal atmospheric conditions from a distance of five hundred (500) feet to the front of the vehicle, and a siren, whistle, or bell, capable of emitting a sound audible under normal conditions from a distance of not less than five hundred (500) feet. This equipment shall be in addition to any other equipment required by the motor vehicles laws.

(3) By ordinance, the governing body of any city or county may direct that the police or sheriffs' vehicles in that jurisdiction be equipped with a combination of red and blue flashing, rotating, or oscillating lights.

Louisiana

Louisiana Vehicles Permitted to Use Emergency Vehicle Lights

32:01.10

(1) "Authorized emergency vehicle" means a vehicle of a fire department, a vehicle of the weights and standards police force, a police vehicle or bicycle, a privately owned vehicle belonging to members of an organized volunteer fire department or fire district when so designated or authorized by the fire chief of that fire department or fire district, an industrial-owned vehicle assigned to members of a fire department or fire district when so designated or authorized by the fire chief of that fire department or fire district, a vehicle parked or stopped by elevator repair or construction personnel while responding to an elevator emergency, such ambulances and emergency medical response vehicles certified by the Department of Health and Hospitals that are operated by certified ambulance services, and emergency vehicles of municipal departments or public service corporations as are designated or authorized by the secretary of the Department of Transportation and Development or by the chief of police of any incorporated municipality. For purposes of this Section, elevator repair shall be limited to those elevators that move people.

32:318 (C)(F)(H)

Audible and visual signals on certain vehicles

A. Every authorized emergency vehicle, except privately owned vehicles belonging to members of an organized volunteer fire department or fire district shall, in addition to any other equipment and distinctive markings required by this Chapter, be equipped with a siren, exhaust whistle, or bell capable of giving an audible signal.

B. Every type I school bus purchased new after the effective date of this Subsection used for the transportation of school children shall, in addition to any other equipment and distinctive markings required by this Chapter, be equipped with the following signal lights and devices:

(1) Every type I school bus purchased new after the effective date of this Subsection shall be equipped with signal lamps mounted as high and as widely spaced laterally as practicable, which shall be capable of displaying to the front two alternately flashing red lights located at the same level and to the rear two alternately flashing red lights located at the same level, and these lights shall have sufficient intensity to be visible at five hundred feet in normal sunlight.

(2) Every type I school bus purchased new after the effective date of this Subsection shall be equipped with two semaphore signs mounted on the left side of the bus, one as near the front of the cab of the bus as practicable and one as near the rear of the body of the bus as practicable, said semaphore signs to be not less than eighteen inches in diameter, painted red, with the word "Stop" on each side thereof in white letters not less than six inches in height. Each semaphore sign shall be a standard octagonal sign containing two flashing red lamps which are visible from both sides of the extended sign. These signs shall be constructed so as to fold back against the side of the bus when at rest and capable of being extended perpendicular to the side of the bus with controls operated by the driver.

(3) Every type II school bus purchased new after the effective date of this Subsection shall be equipped with at least one semaphore sign which shall comply with the requirements in R.S. 32:318(B)(2).

(4) Every school bus purchased new after the effective date of this Subsection shall, in addition to the lights required by Subsection B(1), be equipped with yellow signal lamps mounted near each of the four red lamps and at the same level but closer to the vertical center line of the bus, which shall display two alternately flashing yellow lights to the front and two alternately flashing yellow lights to the rear, and these lights shall be visible at five hundred feet in normal sunlight. These lights shall be displayed by the school bus driver at least one hundred feet, but not more than five hundred feet, before (but not during) every stop at which the alternately flashing red lights required by Subsection B(1) shall be activated.

C. Every authorized emergency vehicle shall, in addition to any equipment and distinctive markings required by this Chapter, be equipped with signal lamps mounted as high and as widely spaced laterally as practicable, which shall be capable of displaying to the front two alternately flashing red lights located at the same level and to the rear two alternately flashing red lights located at the same level, and these lights shall have sufficient intensity to be visible at five hundred feet in normal sunlight. In lieu of the alternately flashing red lights in the front, an authorized emergency vehicle may be equipped with a large revolving red light on the roof which is discernible in all directions and which shall also have sufficient intensity to be visible at five hundred feet in normal sunlight. In lieu of the large revolving red light on the roof, authorized emergency vehicles of organized fire companies only shall be equipped with a large revolving alternating red and white light on the roof encased in a clear dome, which is discernible in all directions and which shall also have sufficient intensity to be visible at five hundred feet in normal sunlight.

D. A police vehicle when used as an authorized emergency vehicle may, but need not, be equipped with alternately flashing red lights specified herein.

E. The use of the signal equipment described herein shall impose upon drivers of other vehicles the obligation to yield the right of way and to stop as prescribed in R.S. 32:80 and 32:125.

F.(1) In lieu of the alternating flashing red lights in the front of the vehicle, or of the large revolving red light on the roof of the vehicle, all law enforcement officers are hereby authorized to equip, operate, and use motor vehicles with blue colored electric emergency lights in the exercise of their official duties. These lights shall have sufficient intensity to be visible at five hundred feet in normal sunlight.

(2) All persons other than law enforcement officers on official duty are prohibited from equipping, operating, or using motor vehicles with blue colored electric lights thereon.

G.(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, privately owned motor vehicles belonging to members of the emergency medical team as designated by the commander of the United States Army Community Hospital at Fort Polk may be equipped with a large flashing red light which shall have sufficient intensity to be visible at five hundred feet in normal sunlight.

(2) The commander shall submit the name and motor vehicle license number of each member of the emergency medical team to the secretary of the Department of Public Safety and the secretary of the Department of Transportation and Development.

(3) The secretary of the Department of Public Safety shall issue, after review and recommendation of the secretary of the Department of Transportation and Development, to each team member a letter of authorization for the use of the light whenever the member is en route to the hospital in an emergency as declared by the hospital commander.

(4) The letter of authorization shall be located within the vehicle for which it has been issued. The provisions of R.S. 32:24 shall extend to the driver of any vehicle issued the letter of authorization under this Subsection.

H. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, all publicly owned fire trucks with fire apparatuses and publicly owned ambulances may use blue colored electric lights. The lights shall be on the rear of the vehicle and shall not exceed fifty percent of the visual lights. For the purposes of this Section, "fire truck" shall have the same meaning as provided for in R.S. 32:1252(18)(a).

Maine

Maine Vehicles Permitted to Use Emergency Vehicle Lights

2054

1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings.

A. "Ambulance" means any vehicle designed, constructed and routinely used or intended to be used for the transportation of ill or injured persons and licensed by Maine Emergency Medical Services pursuant to Title 32, chapter 2-B. [1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); 1993, c. 683, Pt. B, §5 (AFF).]

B. "Authorized emergency vehicle" means any one of the following vehicles:

(1) An ambulance;

(2) A Baxter State Park Authority vehicle operated by a Baxter State Park ranger;

(3) A Bureau of Marine Patrol vehicle operated by a coastal warden;

(4) A Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry vehicle operated by a forest ranger;

(5) A Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry vehicle used for forest fire control;

(6) A Department of Corrections vehicle used for responding to the escape of or performing the high-security transfer of a prisoner, juvenile client or juvenile detainee;

(7) A Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife vehicle operated by a warden;

(8) A Department of Public Safety vehicle operated by a police officer appointed pursuant to Title 25, section 2908, a state fire investigator or a Maine Drug Enforcement Agency officer;

(9) An emergency medical service vehicle;

(10) A fire department vehicle;

(11) A hazardous material response vehicle, including a vehicle designed to respond to a weapon of mass destruction;

(12) A railroad police vehicle;

(13) A sheriff's department vehicle;

(14) A State Police or municipal police department vehicle;

(15) A vehicle operated by a chief of police, a sheriff or a deputy sheriff when authorized by the sheriff;

(16) A vehicle operated by a municipal fire inspector, a municipal fire chief, an assistant or deputy chief or a town forest fire warden;

(17) A vehicle operated by a qualified deputy sheriff or other qualified individual to perform court security-related functions and services as authorized by the State Court Administrator pursuant to Title 4, section 17, subsection 15;

(18) A Federal Government vehicle operated by a federal law enforcement officer;

(19) A vehicle operated by a municipal rescue chief, deputy chief or assistant chief;

(20) An Office of the Attorney General vehicle operated by a detective appointed pursuant to Title 5, section 202;

(21) A Department of the Secretary of State vehicle operated by a motor vehicle detective; and

(22) A University of Maine System vehicle operated by a University of Maine System police officer. [2017, c. 229, §32 (AMD).]

C. "Auxiliary light" means a light, other than standard equipment lighting such as headlights, taillights, directional signals, brake lights, clearance lights, parking lights and license plate lights, that is displayed on a vehicle and used to increase the operator's visibility of the road or the visibility of the vehicle to other operators and pedestrians. [1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); 1993, c. 683, Pt. B, §5 (AFF).]

D. "Emergency light" means an auxiliary light displayed and used on an authorized emergency vehicle to distinguish it and make it recognizable as an authorized emergency vehicle. [1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); 1993, c. 683, Pt. B, §5 (AFF).]

E. "Emergency medical service vehicle" means a vehicle equipped and used to transport emergency medical personnel or equipment to ill or injured persons and authorized by Maine Emergency Medical Services. [1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); 1993, c. 683, Pt. B, §5 (AFF).]

E-1. "Fire department vehicle" means a vehicle owned by, registered to and maintained by a governmental agency or political subdivision that is equipped and used primarily for response to a fire or emergency situation. [2007, c. 348, §19 (NEW).]

F. "Fire vehicle" means any vehicle listed under paragraph B, subparagraph (5) or (16). [1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); 1993, c. 683, Pt. B, §5 (AFF).]

Maryland

Maryland Vehicles Permitted to Use Emergency Vehicle Lights

11-118

“Emergency vehicle” means any of the following vehicles that are designated by the Administration as entitled to the exemptions and privileges set forth in the Maryland Vehicle Law for emergency vehicles:

(1) Vehicles of federal, State, or local law enforcement agencies;

(2) Vehicles of volunteer fire companies, rescue squads, fire departments, the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems, and the Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute;

(3) State vehicles used in response to oil or hazardous materials spills;

(4) State vehicles designated for emergency use by the Commissioner of Correction;

(5) Ambulances; and

(6) Special vehicles funded or provided by federal, State, or local government and used for emergency or rescue purposes in this State.

22-218

(a) Every emergency vehicle, in addition to any other equipment and distinctive markings required by this subtitle, shall be equipped with a siren, exhaust whistle, or bell capable of giving an audible signal.

(b)(1) Every emergency vehicle, in addition to any other equipment and distinctive markings required by the Maryland Vehicle Law, shall be equipped with signal lamps mounted as high as practicable, which shall be capable of displaying to the front and to the rear a flashing red light or lights. These lights shall have sufficient intensity to be visible at 500 feet in normal sunlight.

(2) Every school vehicle meeting the requirements established by the Administrator shall be equipped with alternately flashing warning lights in accordance with the standards adopted under § 22-228 of this subtitle.

(c)(1) A person may not drive or move on any highway any vehicle or equipment that is equipped with or displays any light or signal device designed to emit an oscillating, rotating, blinking, or other type of emission of light, unless designated and authorized by the Administrator as indicated in paragraphs (2) through (10) of this subsection. The provisions of this section do not prohibit the display and use of any lighting device that may be permitted or required elsewhere in the Maryland Vehicle Law.

(2) Vehicles of the police department and other city, county, State, or federal law enforcement agencies may be equipped with and display red, white, or blue lights or signal devices.

(3) (i) Vehicles of city, county, State, or federal fire departments or duly constituted volunteer fire departments or rescue squads, or the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services System, may be equipped with or display red and/or white lights or signal devices.

(ii) In each volunteer fire company, no more than five of the following officers may have their privately owned vehicles equipped with red lights or signal devices which may be displayed only while on route to or at the scene of an emergency.

1.The fire chief or the highest ranking fireline officer;

2.One or more of the assistant chiefs or deputy chiefs, whichever rank is second in command; and

3. The emergency medical services commander

(iii) 1. The fire police of each volunteer fire company may have their privately owned vehicles equipped with red lights or signal devices designed to emit an oscillating, rotating, blinking, or other type of emission of light.

2. The lights or signal devices may be flashed or oscillated or otherwise used only while the vehicle is at the scene of an accident, flood, or other emergency to which the volunteer fire company is responding.

(4) Ambulances may be equipped with or display red and/or white lights or signal devices.

(5) State vehicles used in response to oil or hazardous materials spills may be equipped with or display red and/or white lights or signal devices.

(6) Service vehicles, rural letter carrier vehicles, slow moving farm vehicles, and tow trucks may be equipped with or display yellow or amber lights or signal devices.

(7) State vehicles designated for emergency use by the Commissioner of Correction may be equipped with or display red lights or signal devices

(8)(i) Except as provided in subparagraphs (ii) and (iii) of this paragraph, the blue, red, or white lights or signal devices may be flashed or oscillated or otherwise used only while on route to or at the scene of an emergency, and their use does not relieve an emergency vehicle from otherwise giving an audible warning as required elsewhere in the Maryland Vehicle Law.

(ii) The driver of an emergency vehicle may use flashing lights within 100 feet of the entrance ramp of a fire or rescue station while parking or backing the emergency vehicle.

(iii) The driver of an emergency vehicle of a fire department or rescue squad shall, at the discretion of the officer in charge, flash or oscillate or otherwise use red and white lights or signal devices while stopped, standing, or parked on the roadway at the scene of an emergency.

(9) The yellow or amber lights or signal devices permitted on vehicles under paragraph (6) of this subsection may be flashed or oscillated or otherwise used only in the course of official duties, to indicate to the public that the vehicle is a slow moving vehicle or otherwise is impeding traffic.

(10)(i) An emergency vehicle of any foreign state may be equipped with any lights or signals:

1. As provided by this subsection; or

2. As permitted by the state in which the vehicle is registered.

(ii)1. The use of any lights or signals permitted under this paragraph is limited to an emergency vehicle, as defined in § 11-118 of this article, responding to an emergency or pursuing a violator, and equipped with an audible signal as provided in this section.

2. Foreign vehicles, as defined in § 11-124 of this article, which are privately owned by members of volunteer fire companies, ambulance or rescue squads, fire departments, and law enforcement agencies may be equipped with lights or signals as permitted by the state in which the vehicle is registered, but such lights or signals may be used while the vehicle is in this State only by those personnel and under the circumstances authorized under paragraph (3) of this subsection.

(iii) In addition to the penalties provided in Title 27 of this article, any person convicted of a violation of this section may have his driving privileges suspended for a period of 30 days, and the registration of the vehicle may be suspended for a period of 30 days, notwithstanding that the owner of the vehicle may not be the operator at the time of the offense, unless the owner proves to the satisfaction of the Administration that he had no control over the use or display of a light or signal device and could not prevent the violation of this section.

(d) A police vehicle when used as an emergency vehicle may, but need not be, equipped with the flashing red and/or blue lights specified in this section.

(e) Except as provided in subsection (c)(3) of this section, the flashing lighting described in subsections (b) and (c) of this section may not be used on any vehicle other than an emergency vehicle, service vehicle, or school vehicle.

(f) The use of the signal equipment described in this section imposes on drivers of other vehicles the obligation to yield the right-of-way and stop as required in Title 21 of this article.

(g) On taxicabs, the flashing green lights known as emergency hold-up lights may be mounted on the roof or outside rear and front of the vehicle.

Massachusetts

Massachusetts Vehicles Permitted to Use Emergency Vehicle Lights

89-7C

(a) As used in this section the following words shall, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, have the following meanings:

''Emergency response vehicle'', a fire apparatus, police vehicle, ambulance, or disaster vehicle.

''Highway maintenance vehicle'', a vehicle used for the maintenance of highways and roadways: (1) that is owned or operated by the executive office of transportation and public works, a county, a municipality or any political subdivision thereof; or (2) that is owned or operated by a person under contract with the executive office of transportation and public works, a county, a municipality or any political subdivision thereof.

''Operator'', any person who operates a motor vehicle as defined in section 1 of chapter 90.

''Person'', a natural person, corporation, association, partnership or other legal entity.

''Recovery vehicle'', a vehicle that is specifically designed to assist a disabled vehicle or to tow a disabled vehicle.

(b) Upon approaching a stationary emergency vehicle, highway maintenance vehicle or recovery vehicle with flashing lights an operator shall:

(1) proceed with due caution, reduce the speed of the vehicle to that of a reasonable and safe speed for road conditions, and, if practicable and on a highway having at least 4 lanes with not less than 2 lanes proceeding in the same direction as the operator's vehicle, yield the right-of-way by making a lane change into a lane not adjacent to that of the emergency response vehicle, highway maintenance vehicle or recovery vehicle; or

(2) if changing lanes is impracticable, proceed with due caution and reduce the speed of the vehicle to that of a reasonable and safe speed for road conditions.

90-7E

No motor vehicle operated pursuant to section seven other than fire apparatus, ambulances, vehicles specified in subsection (b) of section 50 of chapter 33, school buses, vehicles specified in section seven D used for transporting school children, and vehicles specified in section seven I shall mount or display a flashing, rotating or oscillating red light in any direction, except as herein provided; provided, however, that nothing in this section shall prohibit an official police vehicle from displaying a flashing, rotating or oscillating red light in the opposite direction in which the vehicle is proceeding or prohibit fire apparatus from displaying a flashing, rotating or oscillating blue light in the opposite direction in which the vehicle is proceeding.

A vehicle owned or operated by a forest warden, deputy forest warden, a chief or deputy chief of a municipal fire department, a chaplain of a municipal fire department, a member of a fire department of a town or a call member of a fire department or a member or a call member of an emergency medical service may have mounted thereon flashing, rotating or oscillating red lights. Such lights shall only be displayed when such owner or operator is proceeding to a fire or in response to an alarm and when the official duty of such owner or operator requires him to proceed to said fire or to respond to said alarm, and at no other time.

No such red light shall be mounted or displayed on such vehicle until proper application has been made to the registrar by the head of the fire department and a written permit has been issued and delivered to the owner and operator. In the event that the operator is not the registered owner of the vehicle, no permit shall be issued until said owner forwards to the registrar a written statement certifying that he has knowledge that such red light will be mounted and displayed on said vehicle.

Any person operating a vehicle upon which flashing, rotating or oscillating red lights herein authorized are mounted shall have the permit for said lights upon his person or in the vehicle in some easily accessible place. Upon termination of the duties which warranted the issuance of the permit, the head of the fire department shall immediately notify the registrar who shall forthwith revoke such red light permit. Upon the written request of the chief of police or chief of fire of the town in which such permitted vehicle is registered, the registrar may revoke such permit. The registrar shall revoke such permit for the unauthorized use of such red lights and the owner and operator shall be subject to a fine as hereinafter provided.

Upon revocation, the registrar of motor vehicles shall notify forthwith the owner and operator of the vehicle for which such permit was issued and the head of the police department and fire department of the town in which his original permit was issued.

No motor vehicle or trailer except (i) a vehicle used solely for official business by any police department of the commonwealth or its political subdivisions or by any railroad police department or college or university police department whose officers are appointed as special state police officers by the colonel of state police pursuant to section sixty-three of chapter twenty-two C and subject to such special rules and regulations applicable to such college or university police department as the registrar may prescribe, (ii) a vehicle owned and operated by a police officer of any town or any agency of the commonwealth while on official duty and when authorized by the officer's police chief or agency head and only by authority of a permit issued by the registrar, (iii) a vehicle operated by a duly appointed medical examiner or a physician or surgeon attached to a police department of any city or town only while on official duty and only by authority of a permit issued by the registrar, (iv) a vehicle operated by a police commissioner of a police department of any city only while on official duty and only by authority of a permit issued by the registrar, (v) a vehicle actually being used for the transportation of persons who are under arrest, or in lawful custody under authority of any court, or committed to penal or mental institutions, and only by authority of a permit issued by the registrar, (vi) a vehicle operated by a chaplain of a municipal police department while on official duty and only by authority of a permit issued by the registrar shall mount or display a flashing, rotating or oscillating blue light in any direction. No motor vehicle, as hereinbefore provided, requiring a permit from the registrar, shall mount or display a blue light on such vehicle until proper application has been made to the registrar by the head of the police department and such written permit has been issued and delivered to the owner and operator. Such notice shall include the place of residence and address of the owner and operator of the vehicle for which such permit is issued and the name of the make, vehicle identification number and the registration number of the vehicle for which such permit authorizes the display of blue lights. Any person operating a vehicle upon which blue lights have been authorized to be mounted or displayed, by permit, shall carry such permit for said lights upon his person or in the vehicle in some easily accessible place. Upon termination of the duties of such person which warranted the issuance of the permit, the chief of police shall immediately notify the registrar, who shall forthwith revoke such blue light permit. Upon the written request of the chief of police of the town in which such permitted vehicle is registered the registrar may revoke such permit. The registrar shall revoke such permit for the unauthorized use of such blue lights and the owner and operator shall be subject to a fine as hereinafter provided. Upon revocation, the registrar of motor vehicles shall notify forthwith the owner and operator of the vehicle for which such permit was issued and the head of the police department of the city or town in which such permitted vehicle is registered. Upon receipt of his notice of revocation, such owner and operator shall forthwith deliver such blue light permit to the registrar and he shall not be eligible for reissuance of such permit without consent of the head of the police department of the town in which his original permit was issued. Nothing in this section shall authorize any owner or operator to disregard or violate any statute, ordinance, by-law, rule or regulation regarding motor vehicles or their use on ways of the commonwealth. The registrar may also make such rules and regulations governing or prohibiting the display of such other lights on motor vehicles as he may deem necessary for public safety.

Any person who violates any provision of this section for which a penalty is not otherwise provided shall be subject to a fine of not less than one hundred dollars, nor more than three hundred dollars.

Michigan

Michigan Vehicles Permitted to Use Emergency Vehicle Lights

257.2(1)(a)

Sec. 2.

(1) "Authorized emergency vehicle" means any 1 of the following:

(a) Vehicles of the fire department, police vehicles, ambulances, privately owned motor vehicles of volunteer or paid fire fighters, or volunteer members of an emergency rescue unit if authorized by the chief of an organized fire department, a county sheriff, or the director of the department of state police, or privately owned motor vehicles of volunteer or paid members of a life support agency licensed by the department of licensing and regulatory affairs if authorized by the life support agency.

(b) For purposes of section 698(5)(c) during an emergency, a vehicle owned and operated by a federally recognized nonprofit charitable organization that is used exclusively for assistance during that emergency.

(c) For purposes of section 653a, a road service vehicle giving a visual signal by means of a flashing, rotating, or oscillating red or amber light. As used in this subdivision, "road service vehicle" means a vehicle that is clearly marked and readily recognizable as a vehicle used to assist disabled vehicles.

(2) As used in this section:

(a) "Emergency rescue unit" means an entity with training in a specialized discipline exceeding the level of training for medical first responders.

(b) "Life support agency" means that term as defined in section 20906 of the public health code, 1978 PA 368, MCL 333.20906.

(c) "Medical first responder" means that term as defined in section 20906 of the public health code, 1978 PA 368, MCL 333.20906.

257.603(4)

Sec. 603.

(1) The provisions of this chapter applicable to the drivers of vehicles upon the highway apply to the drivers of all vehicles owned or operated by the United States, this state, or a county, city, township, village, district, or any other political subdivision of the state, subject to the specific exceptions set forth in this chapter with reference to authorized emergency vehicles.

(2) The driver of an authorized emergency vehicle when responding to an emergency call, but not while returning from an emergency call, or when pursuing or apprehending a person who has violated or is violating the law or is charged with or suspected of violating the law may exercise the privileges set forth in this section, subject to the conditions of this section.

(3) The driver of an authorized emergency vehicle may do any of the following:

(a) Park or stand, irrespective of this act.

(b) Proceed past a red or stop signal or stop sign, but only after slowing down as may be necessary for safe operation.

(d) Disregard regulations governing direction of movement or turning in a specified direction.

(4) The exemptions granted in this section to an authorized emergency vehicle apply only when the driver of the vehicle while in motion sounds an audible signal by bell, siren, air horn, or exhaust whistle as may be reasonably necessary, except as provided in subsection (5), and when the vehicle is equipped with at least 1 lighted lamp displaying a flashing, oscillating, or rotating red or blue light visible under normal atmospheric conditions from a distance of 500 feet in a 360 degree arc unless it is not advisable to equip a police vehicle operating as an authorized emergency vehicle with a flashing, oscillating or rotating light visible in a 360 degree arc. In those cases, a police vehicle shall display a flashing, oscillating, or rotating red or blue light visible under normal atmospheric conditions from a distance of 500 feet to the front of the vehicle. Only police vehicles that are publicly owned shall be equipped with a flashing, oscillating, or rotating blue light that when activated is visible under normal atmospheric conditions from a distance of 500 feet in a 360 degree arc.

(5) A police vehicle shall retain the exemptions granted in this section to an authorized emergency vehicle without sounding an audible signal if the police vehicle is engaged in an emergency run in which silence is required.

(6) The exemptions provided for by this section apply to persons, teams, motor vehicles, and other equipment while actually engaged in work upon the surface of a highway but do not apply to those persons and vehicles when traveling to or from work. The provisions of this chapter governing the size and width of vehicles do not apply to vehicles owned by public highway authorities when the vehicles are proceeding to or from work on public highways.

Minnesota

Minnesota Vehicles Permitted to Use Emergency Vehicle Lights

169.011

Subd. 3.Authorized emergency vehicle.

"Authorized emergency vehicle" means any of the following vehicles when equipped and identified according to law: (1) a vehicle of a fire department; (2) a publicly owned police vehicle or a privately owned vehicle used by a police officer for police work under agreement, express or implied, with the local authority to which the officer is responsible; (3) a vehicle of a licensed land emergency ambulance service, whether publicly or privately owned; (4) an emergency vehicle of a municipal department or a public service corporation, approved by the commissioner of public safety or the chief of police of a municipality; (5) any volunteer rescue squad operating pursuant to Laws 1959, chapter 53; (6) a vehicle designated as an authorized emergency vehicle upon a finding by the commissioner of public safety that designation of that vehicle is necessary to the preservation of life or property or to the execution of emergency governmental functions.

169.17169.64

The speed limitations set forth in sections 169.14 to 169.17 do not apply to an authorized emergency vehicle responding to an emergency call. Drivers of all emergency vehicles shall sound an audible signal by siren and display at least one lighted red light to the front, except that law enforcement vehicles shall sound an audible signal by siren or display at least one lighted red light to the front. This provision does not relieve the driver of an authorized emergency vehicle from the duty to drive with due regard for the safety of persons using the street, nor does it protect the driver of an authorized emergency vehicle from the consequence of a reckless disregard of the safety of others.

Mississippi

Mississippi Vehicles Permitted to Use Emergency Vehicle Lights

63-3-103(d)

(d) "Authorized emergency vehicle" means every vehicle of the fire department (fire patrol), every police vehicle, every 911 Emergency Communications District vehicle, every such ambulance and special use EMS vehicle as defined in Section 41-59-3, every Mississippi Emergency Management Agency vehicle as is designated or authorized by the Executive Director of MEMA and every emergency vehicle of municipal departments or public service corporations as is designated or authorized by the commission or the chief of police of an incorporated city.

63-7-19(1)

(1) Except as otherwise provided for unmarked vehicles under Section 19-25-15 and Section 25-1-87, every police vehicle shall be marked with blue lights. Every ambulance and special use EMS vehicle as defined in Section 41-59-3 shall be marked with red lights front and back and also may be marked with white and amber lights in addition to red lights. Every emergency management/civil defense vehicle, including emergency response vehicles of the Department of Environmental Quality, shall be marked with blinking, rotating or oscillating red lights. Official vehicles of a 911 Emergency Communications District may be marked with red and white lights. Every wrecker or other vehicle used for emergency work, except vehicles authorized to use blue or red lights, shall be marked with blinking, oscillating or rotating amber colored lights to warn other vehicles to yield the right-of-way, as provided in Section 63-3-809. Only police vehicles used for emergency work may be marked with blinking, oscillating or rotating blue lights to warn other vehicles to yield the right-of-way. Only law enforcement vehicles, fire vehicles, private or department-owned vehicles used by firemen of volunteer fire departments which receive funds pursuant to Section 83-1-39 when responding to calls, emergency management/civil defense vehicles, emergency response vehicles of the Department of Environmental Quality, ambulances used for emergency work, and 911 Emergency Communications District vehicles may be marked with blinking, oscillating or rotating red lights to warn other vehicles to yield the right-of-way. This section shall not apply to school buses carrying lighting devices in accordance with Section 63-7-23.

Missouri

Missouri Vehicles Permitted to Use Emergency Vehicle Lights

304.022 (1)(4)

1. Upon the immediate approach of an emergency vehicle giving audible signal by siren or while having at least one lighted lamp exhibiting red light visible under normal atmospheric conditions from a distance of five hundred feet to the front of such vehicle or a flashing blue light authorized by section 307.175, RSMo, the driver of every other vehicle shall yield the right-of-way and shall immediately drive to a position parallel to, and as far as possible to the right of, the traveled portion of the highway and thereupon stop and remain in such position until such emergency vehicle has passed, except when otherwise directed by a police or traffic officer.

4. An "emergency vehicle" is a vehicle of any of the following types:

(1) A vehicle operated by the state highway patrol, the state water patrol, the Missouri capitol police, or a state park ranger, those vehicles operated by enforcement personnel of the state highways and transportation commission, police or fire department, sheriff, constable or deputy sheriff, federal law enforcement officer authorized to carry firearms and to make arrests for violations of the laws of the United States, traffic officer or coroner or by a privately owned emergency vehicle company;

(2) A vehicle operated as an ambulance or operated commercially for the purpose of transporting emergency medical supplies or organs;

(3) Any vehicle qualifying as an emergency vehicle pursuant to section 307.175, RSMo;

(4) Any wrecker, or tow truck or a vehicle owned and operated by a public utility or public service corporation while performing emergency service;

(5) Any vehicle transporting equipment designed to extricate human beings from the wreckage of a motor vehicle;

(6) Any vehicle designated to perform emergency functions for a civil defense or emergency management agency established pursuant to the provisions of chapter 44, RSMo;

(7) Any vehicle operated by an authorized employee of the department of corrections who, as part of the employee's official duties, is responding to a riot, disturbance, hostage incident, escape or other critical situation where there is the threat of serious physical injury or death, responding to mutual aid call from another criminal justice agency, or in accompanying an ambulance which is transporting an offender to a medical facility;

(8) Any vehicle designated to perform hazardous substance emergency functions established pursuant to the provisions of sections 260.500 to 260.550, RSMo.

307.175

Motor vehicles and equipment which are operated by any member of an organized fire department, ambulance association, or rescue squad, whether paid or volunteer, may be operated on streets and highways in this state as an emergency vehicle under the provisions of section 304.022, RSMo, while responding to a fire call or ambulance call or at the scene of a fire call or ambulance call and while using or sounding a warning siren and using or displaying thereon fixed, flashing or rotating blue lights, but sirens and blue lights shall be used only in bona fide emergencies. Permits for the operation of such vehicles equipped with sirens or blue lights shall be in writing and shall be issued and may be revoked by the chief of an organized fire department, organized ambulance association, or rescue squad and no person shall use or display a siren or blue lights on a motor vehicle, fire, ambulance, or rescue equipment without a valid permit authorizing the use. A** permit to use a siren or lights as heretofore set out does not relieve the operator of the vehicle so equipped with complying with all other traffic laws and regulations. Violation of this section constitutes a class A misdemeanor.

Montana

Montana Vehicles Permitted to Use Emergency Vehicle Lights

61.8.102(2)(A)

(a) “Authorized emergency vehicle” means a vehicle of a governmental fire agency organized under Title 7, chapter 33, an ambulance, or an emergency vehicle designated or authorized by the department.

61.9.402(1)(2)

(1) A police vehicle must be equipped with a siren capable of giving an audible signal and may be equipped with alternately flashing or rotating red or blue lights as specified in this section.

(2) An authorized emergency vehicle must be equipped:

(a) with a siren and an alternately flashing or rotating red light as specified in this section; and

(b) with signal lamps mounted as high and as widely spaced laterally as practicable that are capable of displaying to the front two alternately flashing red lights located at the same level and to the rear two alternately flashing red lights located at the same level. These lights must have sufficient intensity to be visible at 500 feet in normal sunlight.

Nebraska

Nebraska Vehicles Permitted to Use Emergency Vehicle Lights

60-610

Authorized emergency vehicle, defined.

Authorized emergency vehicle shall mean such fire department vehicles, police vehicles, rescue vehicles, and ambulances as are publicly owned, such other publicly or privately owned vehicles as are designated by the Director of Motor Vehicles, and such publicly owned military vehicles of the National Guard as are designated by the Adjutant General pursuant to section 55-133.

61-6.231

Flashing or rotating lights; authorized emergency vehicles; colors permitted.

A flashing or rotating red light or red and white light shall be displayed on any authorized emergency vehicle whenever operated in this state. A blue light may also be displayed with such flashing or rotating red light or red and white light. For purposes of this section, an authorized emergency vehicle shall include funeral escort vehicles.

60-6.232

Rotating or flashing amber light; when permitted.

A rotating or flashing amber light or lights shall be displayed on the roof of any motor vehicle being operated by any rural mail carrier outside the corporate limits of any municipality in this state on or near any highway in the process of delivering mail.

A rotating or flashing amber light or lights may be displayed on (1) any vehicle of the Military Department while on any state emergency mission, (2) any motor vehicle being operated by any public utility, vehicle service, or towing service or any publicly or privately owned construction or maintenance vehicle while performing its duties on or near any highway, (3) any motor vehicle being operated by any member of the Civil Air Patrol, (4) any pilot vehicle escorting an overdimensional load, (5) any vehicle while actually engaged in the moving of houses, buildings, or other objects of extraordinary bulk, including unbaled livestock forage as authorized by subdivision (2)(f) of section 60-6,288, (6) any motor vehicle owned by or operated on behalf of a railroad carrier that is stopped to load or unload passengers, or (7) any motor vehicle operated by or for an emergency management worker as defined in section 81-829.39 or a storm spotter as defined in section 81-829.67 who is activated by a local emergency management organization.

Nevada

Nevada Vehicles Permitted to Use Emergency Vehicle Lights

484A.020

“Authorized emergency vehicle” defined. “Authorized emergency vehicle” means a vehicle permitted to depart from certain traffic laws when equipped and operated in the manner provided by law.

484A.480

Designation of authorized emergency vehicles; equipment; limitations on use of warning devices.

1. Except as otherwise provided in NRS 484A.490, authorized emergency vehicles are vehicles publicly owned and operated in the performance of the duty of:

(a) A police or fire department.

(b) A sheriff’s office.

(c) The Capitol Police Division, the Investigation Division, the Nevada Highway Patrol Division, the State Fire Marshal Division, the Training Division and the Office of the Director of the Department of Public Safety.

(d) The Division of Forestry of the State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources in responding to a fire.

(e) The Section for the Control of Emissions From Vehicles and the Enforcement of Matters Related to the Use of Special Fuel in the Department of Motor Vehicles.

(f) A public ambulance agency.

(g) A public lifeguard or lifesaving agency.

484A.480.3

3. Every authorized emergency vehicle must be equipped with at least one flashing red warning lamp visible from the front and a siren for use as provided in chapters 484A to 484E, inclusive, of NRS, which lamp and siren must be in compliance with standards approved by the Department of Public Safety. In addition, an authorized emergency vehicle may display revolving, flashing or steady red or blue warning lights to the front, sides or rear of the vehicle.

New Hampshire

New Hampshire Vehicles Permitted to Use Emergency Vehicle Lights

259.28

"Emergency vehicles" shall mean all vehicles of fire departments and police departments, and such ambulances and emergency vehicles of municipal departments or public service corporations as authorized by the director.

266:78-b

Blue Lights Restricted to Law Enforcement and Emergency Response. –
I. No person other than a sworn law enforcement officer with power of arrest shall operate a vehicle equipped with blue colored lights, except in the case of a service technician driving the vehicle in connection with servicing or maintaining the vehicle or as provided under paragraph II.
II. No person other than a sworn law enforcement officer with power of arrest or an emergency response employee or volunteer of a city, town, or village district or the federal government or an employee of a private ambulance service contracted with a city, town, or village district shall operate a vehicle equipped with a rear-facing blue colored light, except in the case of a service technician driving the vehicle in connection with servicing or maintaining the vehicle.
III. Blue colored lights are authorized only for vehicles owned or leased by state, county, municipal, or federal law enforcement agencies, fire marshal vehicles, emergency response vehicles owned or leased by city, town, village district, or federal fire departments, forestry departments, or emergency medical departments, or emergency response vehicles owned or leased by a private ambulance service contracted with a city, town, or village district and vehicles privately owned or leased by sworn law enforcement officers when authorized by their department heads. When blue colored lights are installed on a private vehicle owned by or leased to a law enforcement officer, such lights shall be covered when the vehicle is being driven by someone other than a law enforcement officer. A blue colored light installed on emergency response vehicles other than those vehicles used by a sworn law enforcement officer shall be limited to a single, rear-facing blue colored emergency light on each vehicle. A private ambulance service that is no longer contracted with a city, town, or village district shall remove the single rear-facing blue colored light upon the expiration of the contract.

266:78-c

Red Lights Restricted to Police, Fire, and Rescue Vehicles. –
No person other than those authorized in this section shall operate a vehicle equipped with red colored emergency lights. Red lights are authorized for the following vehicles:
I. Emergency response vehicles owned or leased by municipal, village district, or federal fire departments and forestry departments.
II. Vehicles privately owned or leased by full-time or volunteer firefighters employed by municipal, village district, or federal fire departments and forestry departments or forest fire wardens and deputy wardens when authorized by their department heads.
III. Licensed public or private ambulances and emergency medical response and rescue vehicles, and members of licensed ambulance and emergency medical response and rescue crews when authorized by their employers.
IV. Federal or state emergency management response vehicles, airport authority emergency response vehicles, and government vehicles used in response to reports of emergencies resulting from actual or potential releases, spills, or leaks of or other exposure to hazardous substances.
V. Hospital emergency personnel with a permit from the commissioner of safety issued under rules adopted pursuant to RSA 541-A, relative to the qualifications and conditions of such a permit and grounds for revoking it.
VI. Red lights as part of, but not in place of, the emergency warning systems of police vehicles.

New Jersey

New Jersey Vehicles Permitted to Use Emergency Vehicle Lights

39:1.1

Words and phrases defined.

"Authorized emergency vehicles" means vehicles of the fire department, police vehicles and such ambulances and other vehicles as are approved by the chief administrator when operated in response to an emergency call.

39:4-92.1

Fire department vehicle returning to fire station; flashing red light
It shall be lawful for any fire department vehicle when returning to its fire station from an emergency call to display a flashing red light visible under normal atmospheric conditions from a distance of at least 500 feet to the rear of the vehicle and no driver of any vehicle other than one on official business shall follow any such vehicle displaying said light closer than 300 feet.

New Mexico

New Mexico Vehicles Permitted to Use Emergency Vehicle Lights

66.1-4.1(F)

F. "authorized emergency vehicle" means any fire department vehicle, police vehicle, ambulance and any emergency vehicles of municipal departments or public utilities that are designated or authorized as emergency vehicles by the director of the New Mexico state police division of the department of public safety or local authorities;

66-7-6(C)

C. The exemptions granted to an authorized emergency vehicle apply only when the driver of the vehicle, while in motion, sounds an audible signal by bell, siren or exhaust whistle as reasonably necessary and when the vehicle is equipped with at least one lighted lamp displaying a red light visible under normal atmospheric conditions from a distance of five hundred feet to the front of the vehicle, except that an authorized emergency vehicle operated as a police vehicle need not be equipped with or display a red light visible from in front of the vehicle.

66-3-835(D)(E)

D. Tow cars standing on highways for the purpose of removing, and actually engaged in removing, disabled vehicles, and while engaged in towing any disabled vehicle, may display flashing lights. This shall not be construed as permitting the use of flashing lights by tow cars in going to or returning from the location of disabled vehicles unless actually engaged in towing a disabled vehicle.

E. Only fire department vehicles, law enforcement agency vehicles, ambulances and school buses shall display flashing red lights visible from the front of the vehicle. All other vehicles authorized by the Motor Vehicle Code to display flashing lights visible from the front of the vehicle may use any other color of light that is visible.

New York

New York Vehicles Permitted to Use Emergency Vehicle Lights

VAT-1-101

101. Authorized emergency vehicle. Every ambulance, police vehicle or bicycle, correction vehicle, fire vehicle, civil defense emergency vehicle, emergency ambulance service vehicle, blood delivery vehicle, county emergency medical services vehicle, environmental emergency response vehicle, sanitation patrol vehicle, hazardous materials emergency vehicle and ordnance disposal vehicle of the armed forces of the United States.

VAT-375.41(2)(3)

2. Red lights and certain white lights. One or more red or combination red and white lights, or one white light which must be a revolving, rotating, flashing, oscillating or constantly moving light, may be affixed to an authorized emergency vehicle, and such lights may be displayed on an authorized emergency vehicle when such vehicle is engaged in an emergency operation, and upon a fire vehicle while returning from an alarm of fire or other emergency.

3. Amber lights. a. One or more amber lights may be affixed to a hazard vehicle, and such a light or lights which display an amber light visible to all approaching traffic under normal atmospheric conditions from a distance of five hundred feet from such vehicle shall be displayed on a hazard vehicle when such vehicle is engaged in a hazardous operation. Such light or lights shall not be required to be displayed during daylight hours provided at least two red flags visible from a distance of five hundred feet are placed both in or on the front of, and to or on the rear of the vehicle and two such flags are placed to each side of the vehicle open to traffic. Such lights or flags need not be displayed on the vehicle when the vehicle is operating, or parked, within a barricaded work area and said lights or flags are displayed on the barricade. The provisions of this subdivision shall not prohibit the temporary affixing and display of an amber light to be used as a warning on a disabled motor vehicle or on a motor vehicle while it is stopped on a highway while engaged in an operation which would restrict, impede or interfere with the normal flow of traffic.

North Carolina

20-130-1(b)

Use of red or blue lights on vehicles prohibited; exceptions.

(b) The provisions of subsection (a) of this section do not apply to the following:

(1) A police vehicle.

(2) A highway patrol vehicle.

(3) A vehicle owned by the Wildlife Resources Commission and operated exclusively for law enforcement, firefighting, or other emergency response purposes.

(4) An ambulance.

(5) A vehicle used by an organ procurement organization or agency for the recovery and transportation of blood, human tissues, or organs for transplantation.

(6) A fire-fighting vehicle.

(7) A school bus.

(8) A vehicle operated by any member of a municipal or rural fire department in the performance of his duties, regardless of whether members of that fire department are paid or voluntary.

(9) A vehicle of a voluntary lifesaving organization (including the private vehicles of the members of such an organization) that has been officially approved by the local police authorities and which is manned or operated by members of that organization while answering an official call.

(10) A vehicle operated by medical doctors or anesthetists in emergencies.

(11) A motor vehicle used in law enforcement by the sheriff, or any salaried rural policeman in any county, regardless of whether or not the county owns the vehicle.

(11a) A vehicle operated by the State Fire Marshal or his representatives in the performance of their duties, whether or not the State owns the vehicle.

(12) A vehicle operated by any county fire marshal, assistant fire marshal, or emergency management coordinator in the performance of his duties, regardless of whether or not the county owns the vehicle.

(13) A light required by the Federal Highway Administration.

(14) A vehicle operated by a transplant coordinator who is an employee of an organ procurement organization or agency when the transplant coordinator is responding to a call to recover or transport human tissues or organs for transplantation.

(15) A vehicle operated by an emergency medical service as an emergency support vehicle.

(16) A State emergency management vehicle.

(17) An Incident Management Assistance Patrol vehicle operated by the Department of Transportation, when using rear-facing red lights while stopped for the purpose of providing assistance or incident management.

(18) A vehicle operated by the Division of Marine Fisheries of the Department of Environmental Quality or the Division of Parks and Recreation of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources that is used for law enforcement, firefighting, or other emergency response purpose.

(19) A vehicle operated by the North Carolina Forest Service of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services that is used for law enforcement, firefighting, or other emergency response purpose.

(20) A vehicle operated by official members or Teams of REACT International, Inc., that is used to provide additional manpower authorized by law enforcement, firefighting, or other emergency response entities.

20-132-2

Use of amber lights on certain vehicles.

All wreckers operated on the highways of the State shall be equipped with an amber-colored flashing light which shall be so mounted and located as to be clearly visible in all directions from a distance of 500 feet, which light shall be activated when at the scene of an accident or recovery operation and when towing a vehicle which has a total outside width exceeding 96 inches or which exceeds the width of the towing vehicle. It shall be lawful to equip any other vehicle with a similar warning light including, but not by way of limitation, maintenance or construction vehicles or equipment of the Department of Transportation engaged in performing maintenance or construction work on the roads, maintenance or construction vehicles of any person, firm or corporation, Radio Emergency Associated Citizens Team (REACT) vehicles, and any other vehicles required to contain a warning light. (1967, c. 651, s. 2; 1973, c. 507, s. 5; 1977, c. 464, s. 34; 1979, c. 1; c. 765; 1981, c. 390; 1991, c. 44, s. 1.)

North Dakota

North Dakota Vehicles Permitted to Use Emergency Vehicle Lights

39-01-01.2

2."Authorized emergency vehicles":

a."Class A" authorized emergency vehicles means:

(1)Vehicles of a govern mentally owned fire department.

(2)Vehicles when operated by or under the control of a police officer having authority to enforce the provisions of this title or by a salaried employee of a municipal police department within the municipality or by a sheriff or deputy sheriff not including special deputy sheriffs, or by the director of the department of corrections and rehabilitation and the director's authorized agents who have successfully completed training in the operation of class A authorized emergency vehicles.

(3)Vehicles clearly identifiable as property of the department of corrections and rehabilitation when operated or under the control of the director of the department of corrections and rehabilitation.

(4)Ambulances and other vehicles authorized by licensure granted under chapter 23-27.

(5)Vehicles operated by or under the control of the director, district deputy director, or a district deputy game warden of the game and fish department.

(6)Vehicles owned or leased by the United States and used for law enforcement purposes.

(7)Vehicles designated for the use of the adjutant general or assistant adjutant general in cases of emergency.

(8) Vehicles operated by or under the control of the director of the parks and recreation department.

(9) Vehicles operated by or under the control of a licensed railroad police officer and used for law enforcement purposes.

(10)Vehicles operated by or under the control of the state forester.

(11)Vehicles operated by or under the control of the bureau of criminal investigation and used for law enforcement purposes.

(12)Vehicles operated by or under the state department of health in cases of emergencies.

b."Class B" authorized emergency vehicles means wreckers and such other emergency vehicles as are authorized by the local authorities.

c."Class C" authorized emergency vehicles means:

(1)Vehicles used by the state division of homeland security or local division of emergency management organizations.

(2)Vehicles used by volunteer firefighters while performing their assigned disaster and emergency responsibilities.

(3)Vehicles, other than ambulances, used by emergency medical services personnel.

39-10.03.c

An emergency vehicle may not display or permit to be displayed any red lamp except when operated on official business.

Ohio

Ohio Vehicles Permitted to Use Emergency Vehicle Lights

4511-01(E)

(E) "Public safety vehicle" means any of the following:

(1) Ambulances, including private ambulance companies under contract to a municipal corporation, township, or county, and private ambulances and nontransport vehicles bearing license plates issued under section 4503.49 of the Revised Code;

(2) Motor vehicles used by public law enforcement officers or other persons sworn to enforce the criminal and traffic laws of the state;

(3) Any motor vehicle when properly identified as required by the director of public safety, when used in response to fire emergency calls or to provide emergency medical service to ill or injured persons, and when operated by a duly qualified person who is a member of a volunteer rescue service or a volunteer fire department, and who is on duty pursuant to the rules or directives of that service. The state fire marshal shall be designated by the director of public safety as the certifying agency for all public safety vehicles described in division (E)(3) of this section.

(4) Vehicles used by fire departments, including motor vehicles when used by volunteer fire fighters responding to emergency calls in the fire department service when identified as required by the director of public safety.

Any vehicle used to transport or provide emergency medical service to an ill or injured person, when certified as a public safety vehicle, shall be considered a public safety vehicle when transporting an ill or injured person to a hospital regardless of whether such vehicle has already passed a hospital.

(5) Vehicles used by the motor carrier enforcement unit for the enforcement of orders and rules of the public utilities commission as specified in section 5503.34 of the Revised Code.

4513-17(c)(d)

(c) (1) Flashing lights are prohibited on motor vehicles, except as a means for indicating a right or a left turn, or in the presence of a vehicular traffic hazard requiring unusual care in approaching, or overtaking or passing. This prohibition does not apply to emergency vehicles, road service vehicles servicing or towing a disabled vehicle, rural mail delivery vehicles, vehicles as provided in section 4513.182 of the Revised Code, highway maintenance vehicles, funeral hearses, funeral escort vehicles, and similar equipment operated by the department or local authorities, which shall be equipped with and display, when used on a street or highway for the special purpose necessitating such lights, a flashing, oscillating, or rotating amber light, but shall not display a flashing, oscillating, or rotating light of any other color, nor to vehicles or machinery permitted by section 4513.11 of the Revised Code to have a flashing red light.

(2) When used on a street or highway, farm machinery and vehicles escorting farm machinery may be equipped with and display a flashing, oscillating, or rotating amber light, and the prohibition contained in division (C)(1) of this section does not apply to such machinery or vehicles. Farm machinery also may display the lights described in section 4513.11 of the Revised Code.

(D) Except a person operating a public safety vehicle, as defined in division (E) of section 4511.01 of the Revised Code, or a school bus, no person shall operate, move, or park upon, or permit to stand within the right-of-way of any public street or highway any vehicle or equipment that is equipped with and displaying a flashing red or a flashing combination red and white light, or an oscillating or rotating red light, or a combination red and white oscillating or rotating light; and except a public law enforcement officer, or other person sworn to enforce the criminal and traffic laws of the state, operating a public safety vehicle when on duty, no person shall operate, move, or park upon, or permit to stand within the right-of-way of any street or highway any vehicle or equipment that is equipped with, or upon which is mounted, and displaying a flashing blue or a flashing combination blue and white light, or an oscillating or rotating blue light, or a combination blue and white oscillating or rotating light.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma Vehicles Permitted to Use Emergency Vehicle Lights

47-1-103

Authorized emergency vehicles - Equipment.
A. When equipped as prescribed in subsection B of this section:
1. Vehicles of fire departments;
2. Ambulances or vehicles specified pursuant to subsection B of Section 1-2512 of Title 63 of the Oklahoma Statutes of licensed ambulance service providers;
3. State vehicles of law enforcement agencies;
4. County vehicles of sheriffs and full-time commissioned deputies and vehicles designated by the sheriff for support of the sheriff’s office including privately owned vehicles driven by the sheriff and full-time, part-time and reserve commissioned deputies; provided the audible sirens and flashing red lights equipped on such privately owned vehicles are used only in a law enforcement capacity and in the course of duty;
5. Municipal vehicles of police departments;
6. Vehicles owned and operated by the United States Marshals Service or the Federal Bureau of Investigation;
7. Vehicles of Oklahoma National Guard units designated by the Adjutant General for support to civil authorities; or
8. Vehicles owned and operated by any local organization for emergency management as defined by Section 683.3 of Title 63 of the Oklahoma Statutes,
are authorized emergency vehicles.
B. All vehicles prescribed in subsection A of this section shall be equipped with sirens capable of giving audible signals as required by the provisions of Section 12-218 of this title and flashing red lights as authorized by the provisions of Section 12-218 of this title.
Added by Laws 1961, p. 315, § 1-103, eff. Sept. 1, 1961. Amended by Laws 1976, c. 284, § 1, emerg. eff. June 17, 1976; Laws 1983, c. 220, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 1983; Laws 1984, c. 29, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 1984; Laws 1987, c. 74, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 1987; Laws 1991, c. 167, § 1, eff. July 1, 1991; Laws 2003, c. 329, § 58, emerg. eff. May 29, 2003; Laws 2005, c. 190, § 6, eff. Sept. 1, 2005; Laws 2007, c. 120, § 2, eff. Nov. 1, 2007.

47-11-106

Authorized emergency vehicles.
A. The driver of an authorized emergency vehicle, when responding to an emergency call or when in the pursuit of an actual or suspected violator of the law or when responding to but not upon returning from a fire alarm, may exercise the privilege set forth in this section, but subject to the conditions herein stated.
B. The driver of an authorized emergency vehicle may:
1. Park, or stand, irrespective of the provisions of this chapter;
2. Proceed past a red or stop signal or stop sign, but only after slowing down as may be necessary for safe operation;
3. Exceed the maximum speed limits so long as speeding does not endanger life or property;
4. Disregard regulations governing direction of movement; and
5. Disregard regulations governing turning in specified directions.
C. The exemptions herein granted to the driver of an authorized emergency vehicle shall apply only when the driver is properly and lawfully making use of an audible signal or of flashing red or blue lights or a combination of flashing red and blue lights meeting the requirements of Section 12-218 of this title, except that an authorized emergency vehicle operated as a police vehicle need not be equipped with or display a red or blue light visible from in front of the vehicle. This subsection shall not be construed as requiring a peace officer operating a police vehicle properly and lawfully in response to a crime in progress to use audible signals.
D. The exemptions in paragraphs 3 and 5 of subsection B of this section shall be granted to a law enforcement officer operating an authorized emergency vehicle for law enforcement purposes without using audible and visual signals required by this section as long as the action does not endanger life or property if the officer is following a suspected violator of the law with probable cause to believe that:
1. Knowledge of the presence of the officer will cause the suspect to:
a. destroy or lose evidence of a suspected felony,
b. end a suspected continuing felony before the officer has obtained sufficient evidence to establish grounds for arrest, or
c. evade apprehension or identification of the suspect or the vehicle of the suspect; or
2. Because of traffic conditions, vehicles moving in response to the audible or visual signals may increase the potential for a collision.
The exceptions granted in this subsection shall not apply to an officer who is in actual pursuit of a person who is eluding or attempting to elude the officer in violation of Section 540A of Title 21 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
E. The provisions of this section shall not relieve the driver of an authorized emergency vehicle from the duty to drive with due regard for the safety of all persons, nor shall such provisions protect the driver from the consequences of reckless disregard for the safety of others.
Added by Laws 1961, p. 373, § 11-106, eff. Sept. 1, 1961. Amended by Laws 1998, c. 168, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 1998; Laws 1999, c. 189, § 1, eff. July 1, 1999; Laws 2002, c. 229, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2002; Laws 2004, c. 418, § 12, eff. July 1, 2004.

Oregon

Oregon Vehicles Permitted to Use Emergency Vehicle Lights

801.260

“Emergency vehicle.” “Emergency vehicle” means a vehicle that is equipped with lights and sirens as required under ORS 820.350 (Ambulance warning lights) and 820.370 (Ambulance or emergency vehicle sirens) and that is any of the following:

(1) Operated by public police, fire or airport security agencies.

(2) Designated as an emergency vehicle by a federal agency.

(3) Designated as an emergency vehicle by the Director of Transportation. [1983 c.338 §43; 1993 c.751 §5]

816-250

Each of the following is a requirement for police lights as described:

(1) Police lights may be blue, red, yellow, amber or white.

(2) Police lights may be revolving or stationary-type flashing lights.

(3) Police lights shall be visible from a distance of not less than 1,000 feet under normal atmospheric conditions at night.

(4) Police lights may include one or more lights. [1983 c.338 §458 (22); 1985 c.16 §240 (22); 1985 c.69 §1 (22); 1985 c.71 §4 (22); 1985 c.393 §13 (22); 1985 c.420 §6 (22); 1989 c.402 §9; 1997 c.492 §5]

820.350

Subject to any other law or rule pursuant thereto relating to lighting of a vehicle, the Department of Transportation may prescribe required warning lights for ambulances. The requirements established under this section may include, but are not limited to, numbers required, placement, visibility, rate of flash if applicable and inside indicators.

(2) Enforcement of the requirements established under this section is provided under ORS 820.360 (Illegal ambulance lighting equipment). [1983 c.338 §762; 1985 c.79 §1; 1989 c.782 §38]

816.285

Each of the following is authorized for fire department warning lights:

(1) Fire department vehicle warning lights may be red or a combination of red and white.

(2) Fire department vehicles may use an approved headlight flashing system as authorized by ORS 816.050 (Headlights).

(3) Fire department vehicles may have a forward facing flashing white light for the purpose of operating a traffic signal preemption device.

(4) Fire department vehicles may show a flashing or revolving green light when operating as the command post in emergency incidents.

(5) Fire department emergency response vehicle lights may be any color allowed for police lights under ORS 816.250 (Police lights). [1991 c.769 §5; 1997 c.492 §6]

Note: 816.285 (Fire department warning lights) was added to and made a part of ORS chapter 816 by legislative action but was not added to any smaller series therein. See Preface to Oregon Revised Statutes for further explanation.

816.240

Each of the following is a requirement for hazard lights as described:

(1) At least two hazard lights shall be mounted on the front of the vehicle and at least two hazard lights shall be mounted on the rear of the vehicle.

(2) Hazard lights mounted on the front of the vehicle shall be mounted at the same level as other hazard lights on the front of the vehicle. Hazard lights mounted on the rear of the vehicle shall be mounted at the same level as other hazard lights on the rear of the vehicle.

(3) Hazard lights shall be as widely spaced laterally on the front and rear of the vehicle as practicable.

(4) Hazard lights on a vehicle shall flash simultaneously with each other.

(5) Hazard lights on the front of a vehicle may be white or amber lights. Hazard lights on the rear of a vehicle may be amber or red lights.

(6) Hazard lights shall be visible from a distance of not less than 500 feet under normal atmospheric conditions at night. [1983 c.338 §458 (21); 1985 c.16 §240 (21); 1985 c.69 §1 (21); 1985 c.71 §4 (21); 1985 c.393 §13 (21); 1985 c.420 §6 (21)]

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Vehicles Permitted to Use Emergency Vehicle Lights

121.1

Emergency vehicle—A fire, police or sheriff department vehicle, ambulance, blood-delivery vehicle, hazardous material response vehicle, armed forces emergency vehicle, one vehicle operated by a coroner or chief deputy coroner or deputy chief county medical examiner used for answering emergency calls. The term includes motor vehicles under 75 Pa.C.S. § 6106 (relating to designation of emergency vehicles by Pennsylvania State Police), or a privately-owned vehicle specified in 75 Pa.C.S. § 102 (relating to definitions) which is used in answering an emergency call by any of the following:

(i) A police chief and assistant chief.

(ii) A fire chief, assistant chief and, when a fire company has three or more fire vehicles, a second or third assistant chief.

(iii) A fire police captain and fire police lieutenant.

(iv) An ambulance corps commander and assistant commander.

(v) A river rescue commander and assistant commander.

(vi) A county emergency management coordinator.

(vii) A fire marshall.

(viii) A rescue service chief and assistant chief.

173.3

(a) Color. White, clear, red, blue, amber or yellow are the only colors permitted for use in flashing or revolving lights.

(1) Chromaticity coordinates. A flashing, revolving or oscillating light must meet or exceed the Chromaticity Coordinates, CIE 1931, Standard Colorimetric System as provided in SAE Standard J578d, Color Specification for Electrical Signal Lighting Devices, September 1978 or subsequent SAE Standards. This requirement does not apply to flashing headlamp systems.

(2) Red lights. A vehicle may display red lights as provided by 75 Pa.C.S. § 4571 (relating to visual and audible signals on emergency vehicles).

(3) Blue lights. A vehicle may display blue lights as provided for by 75 Pa.C.S. § 4572(a) (relating to visual signals on authorized vehicles). Vehicles described in 75 Pa.C.S. § 4572(a) may be equipped with a light-bar assembly using only blue lights. See Figure 3.1.

(4) Combination red-and-blue lights. Vehicles listed under 75 Pa.C.S. § 4571(b) may display combination red-and-blue lights. The privately-owned vehicles defined as an emergency vehicle under 75 Pa.C.S. § 102 (relating to definitions) must be equipped under 75 Pa.C.S. § 4571(a).

(5) Yellow or amber lights. A vehicle may display yellow or amber lights as follows:

(i) Under 75 Pa.C.S. § 4572(b), an authorized vehicle as defined in 75 Pa.C.S. § 102 and designated in Chapter 15 (relating to authorized vehicles and special operating privileges) may be equipped with flashing or revolving yellow or amber lights or one or more light-bar assemblies containing only yellow or amber lights. See Figure 3.1.

173.2

The following words and terms, when used in this chapter, have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

   Authorized vehicle—The term as defined in 75 Pa.C.S. §  102 (relating to definitions).

   Emergency vehicle—The term as defined in 75 Pa.C.S. §  102.

   Flash—An intermittent burst of light.

   Flash rate—The rate of flash, revolution or oscillation per minute of a single light, when that light is observed from a fixed position.

   Flashing headlamp system—A system designed to automatically flash the high intensity—high beam—portion of the headlamps of a vehicle in either an alternate or simultaneous flash. The system shall be designed so that activation of the high intensity—high beam—portion of the standard headlamp system overrides the flashing headlamp system.

   Flashing light—A light designed to flash by current interruption, or by other means providing an intermittent change in intensity when the light is observed from a fixed position.

   Hazard warning system—Driver-controlled flashing front and rear lights used to warn approaching motorists when a vehicle is broken down or is traveling at a slow speed.

   Intersection light—A flashing red, blue, white, or clear light used as part of a flashing, oscillating, or revolving light system to enhance the visibility of an emergency vehicle from the front and side as it approaches or travels through an intersection.

   Light activation indicator—An audible signal or an illuminated switch or pilot light which provides the driver of an emergency or authorized vehicle with a clearly audible or visible and continual indicator that a flashing or revolving light, flashing headlamp system, traffic control emergency directional light or authorized nonflashing or nonrevolving light is activated.

   Light-bar assembly—A device or devices designed and constructed to provide and display more than one steady burning, flashing, oscillating or revolving light.

   Oscillating light—A light designed to flash by movement back and forth between two or more points, including the alternation between the maximum and minimum voltage.

   Revolving light—A light designed to give the appearance of flashing by its rotation around a fixed axis through a 360° arc, on a horizontal plane.

   Single light—A device containing one or more lenses, lamps or bulbs which are designed to produce, when viewed from a fixed position or point, the appearance of one flashing or revolving beam of light.

   Traffic control emergency directional light assembly—A device electronically designed to display amber or yellow warning signal lights in a distinctive motion-lighting pattern—arrow left, arrow right, center out or alternately flashing—to warn motorists that they are approaching a hazard or to direct them around an impending hazard.

   Unmarked police vehicle—A police vehicle not equipped with a roof-mounted light-bar assembly. The vehicle may display graphics, markings or decals, identifying the agency or department.

173(a)(5)(ii)

(ii) An authorized vehicle which is used in the construction, repair or maintenance of a bridge or highway maybe equipped with traffic control emergency directional light assemblies.

Rhode Island

Rhode Island Emergency Vehicle Light State Statutes
31-3-3(a)(c)

(a)(c) "Authorized emergency vehicle" means vehicles of the fire department (fire patrol); police vehicles; vehicles used by Rhode Island state marshals in the department of corrections; vehicles used by the state bomb squad within the division of state fire marshal; vehicles of municipal departments or public service corporations designated or authorized by the administrator as ambulances and emergency vehicles; and privately owned motor vehicles of volunteer firefighters or privately owned motor vehicles of volunteer ambulance drivers or attendants, as authorized by the department chief or commander and permitted by the Rhode Island Association of Fire Chiefs and Rhode Island Association of Police Chiefs Joint Committee for Volunteer Warning Light Permits.

31-24-31

Forward viewing or rotary beam lights.

(a) Flashing lights are prohibited, except on an authorized emergency vehicle, school bus, snow removal equipment, or on any vehicle as a means for indicating a right or left turn. However, the requirements of § 31-24-33 shall be deemed to be satisfied if the vehicle is equipped with lamps at the front mounted at the same level, displaying simultaneously flashing white or amber lights, and at the rear mounted at the same level, and displaying simultaneously flashing red lights, all of which lights shall be visible from a distance of not less than five hundred feet (500').

(b) Forward viewing or rotating beam lights may be installed on and shall be restricted to the following categories of vehicles, and these lights shall be of color designated:

(1) Emergency response vehicles of any fire, rescue, or ambulance department, fire chiefs, assistant fire chiefs, deputy chiefs, captains; any privately owned vehicle of any authorized volunteer member of a fire, rescue, or ambulance department; emergency management agency directors, assistant directors, assistant medical examiners and/or forensic pathologists of the office of state medical examiners; rescue vehicles, emergency response vehicles of the department of environmental management and the division of state fire marshal; school buses; hospital emergency response vehicles; and two (2) American Red Cross disaster vehicles: Red, white and/or alternating flashing white;

(2) Wrecker trucks, service station trucks, state and town safety and maintenance vehicles; snowplows and tractors; light company trucks, telephone company trucks, water company trucks, oil company trucks, and other utilities' trucks; vehicles of television, radio and press photographers; rural mail carriers; all motor-propelled vehicles owned by the Northern Rhode Island REACT (radio emergency associated citizens team); all motor-propelled vehicles owned by or under contract to the Rhode Island department of transportation when on official state business; and vehicles marking the beginning and end of funeral processions: Amber, provided, however, that wrecker and transportation vehicles operated pursuant to a public utilities commission license, and roadside assistance vehicles of any type operated for that purpose by the American Automobile Association shall be permitted to use flashing amber lights at the front and rear of the vehicle, to be activated only in the course of providing assistance to or transportation for a disabled vehicle. A fee of twenty-five dollars ($25) shall be charged for the issuance of a flashing lights permit to every vehicle identified in this subsection, with the exception of flashing lights permits issued to state, town or fire district safety and maintenance vehicles, which shall not be charged a fee.

(3) Police units, state and local: Center rotating beam lights: Blue or red; Outboard mounted lights: Blue or red.

(4) Violations of this section are subject to fines enumerated in § 31-41.1-4.

South Carolina

South Carolina Vehicles Permitted to Use Emergency Vehicle Lights

56-5-170

Authorized emergency vehicles defined.

(A) Authorized emergency vehicles for purposes of this section include the following:

(1) fire department vehicles;

(2) police vehicles;

(3) ambulances and rescue squad vehicles which are publicly owned;

(4) vehicles of coroners and deputy coroners of the forty-six counties as designated by the coroners;

(5) emergency vehicles designated by the fire department or the chief of police of a municipality;

(6) county government litter enforcement vehicles used by certified law enforcement Class 3 litter control officers;

(7) Department of Natural Resources vehicles, federal natural resources vehicles, and forestry commission vehicles when being used in the performance of law enforcement duties;

(8) public and private vehicles while transporting individuals actually engaged in emergency activities because one or more occupants belong to a fire department, volunteer fire department, police department, sheriff's office, authorized county government litter enforcement office, rescue squad, or volunteer rescue squad;

(9) county or municipal government jail or corrections vehicles used by certified jail or corrections officers, and emergency vehicles designated by the Director of the South Carolina Department of Corrections;

(10) vehicles designated by the Commissioner of the Department of Health and Environmental Control when being used in the performance of law enforcement or emergency response duties; and

(11) federal law enforcement, military, and emergency vehicles.

(B) Only authorized emergency vehicles and private security patrol vehicles regulated by the State Law Enforcement Division are allowed use or display of any blue lights or red lights. This includes light bars and smaller lights such as dash, deck, or visor lights. To "display" means to be seen, whether activated or not.

(C) A vehicle shall not display the word 'police' unless it is an authorized emergency vehicle for use only by sworn police or other officers who are approved and certified by the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy.

(D) The provisions of this section do not apply to automobile dealerships, to police equipment suppliers that sell, deliver, or equip police vehicles to or for a law enforcement agency, to vehicles owned solely as collector's items and used only for participation in club activities, exhibits, tours, parades, and similar uses, or to persons designated by an agency owning such a vehicle to drive the vehicle or drive an auxiliary vehicle transporting such a vehicle.

HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 46-216; 1952 Code Section 46-216; 1949 (46) 466; 1975 (59) 76; 1978 Act No. 461 Section 1; 2004 Act No. 285, Section 1.

56-5-4700

(A) Every authorized emergency vehicle shall, in addition to any other equipment and distinctive markings required by this chapter, be equipped with a siren, exhaust whistle, or bell capable of giving an audible signal.

(B) Every school bus and every authorized emergency vehicle, in addition to any other equipment and distinctive markings required by this chapter, must be equipped with signal lamps mounted as high and as widely spaced laterally as practicable, which must be capable of displaying to the front two alternately flashing red lights located at the same level and to the rear two alternately flashing red lights located at the same level, and these lights must have sufficient intensity to be visible at five hundred feet in normal sunlight. However, vehicles of a fire department or funeral home when equipped with a mounted, oscillating, rotating, or flashing red light, visible in all directions for a distance of five hundred feet in normal sunlight, are not required to have additional signal lamps.

(C) All police vehicles when used as authorized emergency vehicles must be equipped with oscillating, rotating, or flashing blue lights. In addition to the blue lights, the police vehicle may, but need not be equipped with alternately flashing red lights as herein specified, and may, but need not be equipped with oscillating, rotating, or flashing red lights, white lights, or both, in combination with the required blue lights. The authorized emergency police vehicle lights described herein must be visible for a distance of five hundred feet in all directions in normal sunlight. It shall be unlawful for any person to possess or display on any vehicle any blue light that is visible from outside the vehicle except one used primarily for law enforcement purposes.

(D) The alternately flashing lighting described in subsection (B) of this section shall not be used on any vehicle other than an authorized emergency vehicle. Provided, that a school bus may use the alternately flashing red lighting described in subsection (B), or red flashing lights in the rear and amber flashing lights in the front.

(E) The use of the signal equipment described herein shall impose upon drivers of other vehicles the obligation to yield right-of-way and stop as prescribed in Sections 56-5-2360 and 56-5-2770.

HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 46-544.1; 1966 (54) 2567; 1967 (55) 131; 1970 (56) 2320; 1979 Act No. 43; 2003 Act No. 65, Section 1.

56-5-4710

Use of mounted oscillating, rotating, or flashing red light by wreckers.

Wreckers may use a mounted oscillating, rotating or flashing red light only at the scene of accidents.

HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 46-544.2; 1970 (56) 2319.

South Dakota

South Dakota Vehicles Permitted to Use Emergency Vehicle Lights

32-14-1(2)

"Authorized emergency vehicle," a vehicle of a fire department, a police vehicle, an ambulance or emergency vehicle of a municipal department or public service corporation that is designated or authorized by the department or the Department of Health, and an emergency vehicle titled to a local organization for emergency management created pursuant to chapter 34-48A;

32-31-4

Speed limits inapplicable under specified conditions. The speed limit set out in §§ 32-25-1.1 to 32-25-17, inclusive, does not apply to any authorized emergency vehicle responding to an emergency call if the driver sounds an audible siren or air horn or both or displays flashing, oscillating, or rotating beams of red light or combinations of red, blue, or white light visible one hundred eighty degrees to the front of the vehicle. The lights shall be capable of warning the public of the presence of an emergency vehicle under normal atmospheric conditions. The speed limit set out in §§ 32-25-1.1 to 32-25-17, inclusive, does not apply to authorized emergency vehicles operated by law enforcement officers who are measuring the speed of other vehicles by use of the emergency vehicle speedometer. Moreover, the driver of an ambulance who has been certified pursuant to § 34-11-6 may operate the emergency vehicle in excess of the speed limit without audible signals while operating outside the city limits of a municipality.
Source: SDC 1939, § 44.0308; SL 1941, ch 187, § 3; SL 1955, ch 168; SL 1959, ch 251, § 1; SDC Supp 1960, § 44.0303; SL 1963, ch 254; SL 1975, ch 210, § 1; SL 1981, ch 248; SL 1988, ch 266; SL 1993, ch 234, § 2; SL 1994, ch 265; SL 2007, ch 186, § 2.3

32-26-15

Yielding right-of-way to emergency vehicles--Duty of driver of emergency vehicle not to exercise right-of-way arbitrarily--Violation as misdemeanor. The driver of a vehicle upon a highway shall yield the right-of-way to police and fire department vehicles and ambulances if they are operated upon official business and the drivers give an audible signal by bell, siren, or exhaust whistle or visual signal by flashing, oscillating, or rotating beams of red light or combinations of red, blue, or white light visible one hundred eighty degrees to the front of the vehicle. The provisions of this section do not relieve the driver of a police, fire department vehicle, or ambulance from the duty to drive with due regard for the safety of all persons using the highway nor does it protect the driver of any such vehicle from the consequence of an arbitrary exercise of such right-of-way. A violation of this section is a Class 2 misdemeanor.

Source: SDC 1939, § 44.0319; SL 1945, ch 189; SL 1989, ch 255, § 152; SL 2007, ch 186, § 4.

32-17-10

Tow truck or wrecker defined--Use of amber flashers--Violation as misdemeanor. Unless the context otherwise requires, a "tow truck or wrecker" is any motor vehicle which is specially equipped to tow, haul, or push disabled automobiles, trucks, or tractors for commercial considerations, or operated by any person, for the purpose of towing or servicing any automobiles, trucks, or tractors owned by him. Any tow truck or wrecker may be equipped with and use an amber rotary beacon light or lights or other amber flashing or blinking light or lights of the type or similar to the type of such lights used on emergency vehicles in this state. The amber lights may be used by a tow truck or wrecker only when actually engaging, towing, hauling, or pushing a disabled motor vehicle, or when ordered by a law enforcement officer for safety purposes to warn other motorists of the presence of the tow truck or wrecker. A violation of this section is a Class 2 misdemeanor.

Source: SL 1967, ch 208, §§ 1 to 3; SL 1975, ch 206, § 2; SL 1978, ch 158, § 36; SL 1986, ch 257.

Tennessee

Tennessee Vehicles Permitted to Use Emergency Vehicle Lights

55-8-101(3)

(3) (A) "Authorized emergency vehicle" means vehicles of the fire department, fire patrol, police vehicles or bicycles and emergency vehicles that are designated or authorized by the commissioner or the chief of police of an incorporated city, and vehicles operated by commissioned members of the Tennessee bureau of investigation when on official business

(B) "Authorized emergency vehicle in certain counties" means vehicles owned by regular or volunteer firefighters in any county with a population of not less than thirty-two thousand seven hundred fifty (32,750) nor more than thirty-two thousand eight hundred (32,800), according to the 1980 federal census or any subsequent federal census, when the vehicles are used in responding to a fire alarm or other emergency call;

(C) (i) "Authorized emergency vehicle" automatically includes every ambulance and emergency medical vehicle operated by any emergency medical service licensed by the department of health pursuant to title 68, chapter 140, part 3; and, notwithstanding any law to the contrary, regulation of these ambulances and emergency medical vehicles shall be exclusively performed by the department of health, except as provided in § 68-140-326, and no special authorization, approval or filing shall be required pursuant to this chapter by the commissioner of safety;

(ii) "Authorized emergency vehicle" automatically includes every rescue vehicle or emergency response vehicle owned and operated by a state-chartered rescue squad, emergency lifesaving crew or active member unit of the Tennessee Association of Rescue Squads and no special authorization, approval or filing shall be required for the vehicle pursuant to this chapter by the commissioner of safety;

55-9-414(a)(1)

(a) (1) Except as provided in subsections (b)-(f), it is an offense for anyone to install, maintain or exhibit blue flashing emergency lights or blue flashing emergency lights in combination with red flashing emergency lights, except full-time, salaried, uniformed law enforcement officers of the state, county, or city and municipal governments of the state, and commissioned members of the Tennessee bureau of investigation when their official duties so require as defined by §§ 38-8-106 and 38-8-107.

55-9-402(d)

(d) (1) No vehicle operated in this state shall be equipped with any flashing lights in any color or combination of colors that display to the front of the vehicle, other than factory installed emergency flashers, except as provided in this section and for the following vehicles:

(A) Motorcycle escorts of properly identified funeral processions authorized by § 55-8-183 to display green strobe flashing lights

(B) Vehicles owned by or leased to licensed public or private security services but not personally owned vehicles of security guards may display flashing lights in any color other than red, white, or blue, or in any combination of colors other than red, white, or blue; provided, that the flashing lights authorized by this subdivision (d)(1)(B) for security services vehicles shall not be operated or illuminated while the vehicle is on a public road, in motion or stationary, and shall only be illuminated when patrolling a shopping center or mall parking lot or other private premises or if stopped in a hazardous location for the purposes of warning;

(C) A highway maintenance or utility vehicle or recovery vehicle may display flashing white or amber lights or any combination of flashing white and amber lights pursuant to subsection (e);

(D) A motor vehicle operated for purposes of an emergency equipment company pursuant to subsection (g) may display flashing red, white, blue, or amber lights or any combination of flashing red, white, blue, and amber lights; provided, that emergency equipment company vehicles shall not display or illuminate the lights authorized by this section while the vehicle is on a public road, whether in motion or stationary;

(E) A passenger motor vehicle operated by an organ procurement organization or a person under an agreement with an organ procurement organization may display flashing white or amber lights or flashing white and amber lights in combination when transporting an organ for human transplantation;

(F) A school bus, a passenger motor vehicle operated by a rural mail carrier of the United States postal service while performing the duties of a rural mail carrier, or an emergency vehicle used in firefighting, including ambulances, emergency vehicles used in firefighting that are owned or operated by the division of forestry, firefighting vehicles, rescue vehicles, privately owned vehicles of regular or volunteer firefighters certified in § 55-9-201(c), or other emergency vehicles used in firefighting owned, operated, or subsidized by the governing body of any county or municipality, may display flashing red or white lights or flashing red and white lights in combination; and

(G) Authorized law enforcement vehicles and other vehicles authorized by § 55-9-414 to display flashing red, white, and blue lights in combination.
(2) Any emergency rescue vehicle owned, titled and operated by a state chartered rescue squad, a member of the Tennessee Association of Rescue Squads, privately owned vehicles of regular or volunteer firefighters certified in § 55-9-201(c), and marked with lettering at least three inches (3") in size and displayed on the left and right sides of the vehicle designating it an "Emergency Rescue Vehicle," any authorized civil defense emergency vehicle displaying the appropriate civil defense agency markings of at least three inches (3"), any ambulance or vehicle equipped to provide emergency medical services properly licensed as required in the state and displaying the proper markings, and any motor vehicle operated for purposes of an emergency equipment company pursuant to subsection (g); provided, that lights authorized by this subdivision (d)(2) for such emergency equipment company vehicle shall not be operated or illuminated while the vehicle is on a public road, whether in motion or stationary, shall also be authorized to be lighted in one (1) or more of the following manners:

(A) A red or red/white visibar type with public address system;

(B) A red or red/white oscillating type light; and

(C) Blinking red or red/white lights, front and rear.

(3) No vehicle operated in this state shall be equipped with any steady-burning lights that display to the front of the vehicle in any color other than white or amber or in any combination of colors other than white and amber, except for the following vehicles:

(A) A vehicle equipped with headlamps, daytime running lamps, or other similar devices in any color or combination of colors between white and amber authorized by the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 108, as adopted by the national highway traffic safety administration and compiled in 49 CFR 571.108;

(B) A motor vehicle operated for purposes of an emergency equipment company may display steady-burning red, white, blue, or amber lights, or any combination of steady-burning red, white, blue, and amber lights pursuant to subsection (g); provided, that emergency equipment company vehicles shall not display or illuminate the lights authorized by this section while the vehicle is on a public road, whether in motion or stationary;

(C) A school bus, a passenger motor vehicle operated by a rural mail carrier of the United States postal service while performing the duties of a rural mail carrier, or an emergency vehicle used in firefighting, including ambulances, emergency vehicles used in firefighting that are owned or operated by the division of forestry, firefighting vehicles, rescue vehicles, privately owned vehicles of regular or volunteer firefighters certified in § 55-9-201(c), or other emergency vehicles used in firefighting owned, operated, or subsidized by the governing body of any county or municipality, may display steady-burning red lights; and

(D) Authorized law enforcement vehicles and other vehicles listed in § 55-9-414 may display steady-burning red, white, and blue lights in combination.

55-9-402(e)(1)

(e) (1) (A) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, nothing in this section shall prohibit a highway maintenance or utility vehicle, or any other type vehicle or equipment participating, in any fashion, with highway or utility construction, maintenance, or inspection, from operating a white, amber, or white and amber light system on any location on the vehicle or equipment while the vehicle or equipment is parked upon, entering or leaving any highway or utility construction, maintenance, repair or inspection site.

(B) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, a recovery vehicle designed for towing a disabled vehicle, as defined in § 55-8-132, while in the performance of duties involved with towing an abandoned, immobile, disabled or unattended motor vehicle is authorized to display an amber light that is a strobe, flashing, oscillating or revolving system or any combination of white and amber lights. Such authorized light or lights may be displayed on any location on the vehicle or equipment, other than within the headlight assembly or grill area of the vehicle, in the tail light lamp or stoplight area, or factory installed emergency flasher and backup light area.

(C) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, an implement of husbandry, as defined in § 55-1-108, and a vehicle used to escort an implement of husbandry is authorized to display a white, amber, or white and amber light system on any location on the implement of husbandry or escort vehicle while the implement or vehicle is on a public road, whether in motion or stationary.

(2) As used in this subsection (e), "utility" means any person, municipality, county, metropolitan government, cooperative, board, commission, district, or any entity created or authorized by public act, private act, or general law to provide electricity, natural gas, water, waste water services, telephone service, or any combination thereof, for sale to consumers in any particular service area.

(3) As used in subdivision (e)(2), "cooperative" means any cooperative providing utility services including, but not limited to, electric or telephone services, or both.

(4) Nothing in this subsection (e) imposes any duty or obligation to install or utilize the lighting systems allowed in this sectio

Texas

Texas Vehicles Permitted to Use Emergency Vehicle Lights

541.201

In this subtitle:

(1) “Authorized emergency vehicle” means:

(A) a fire department or police vehicle;

(B) a public or private ambulance operated by a person who has been issued a license by the Department of State Health Services;

(C) an emergency medical services vehicle:

(i) authorized under an emergency medical services provider license issued by the Department of State Health Services under Chapter 773, Health and Safety Code; and

(ii) operating under a contract with an emergency services district that requires the emergency medical services provider to respond to emergency calls with the vehicle;

(D) a municipal department or public service corporation emergency vehicle that has been designated or authorized by the governing body of a municipality;

(E) a county-owned or county-leased emergency management vehicle that has been designated or authorized by the commissioners court;

(F) a vehicle that has been designated by the department under Section 546.0065 ;

(G) a private vehicle of a volunteer firefighter or a certified emergency medical services employee or volunteer when responding to a fire alarm or medical emergency;

(H) an industrial emergency response vehicle, including an industrial ambulance, when responding to an emergency, but only if the vehicle is operated in compliance with criteria in effect September 1, 1989, and established by the predecessor of the Texas Industrial Emergency Services Board of the State Firemen's and Fire Marshals' Association of Texas;

(I) a vehicle of a blood bank or tissue bank, accredited or approved under the laws of this state or the United States, when making emergency deliveries of blood, drugs, medicines, or organs;

(J) a vehicle used for law enforcement purposes that is owned or leased by a federal governmental entity; or

(K) a private vehicle of an employee or volunteer of a county emergency management division in a county with a population of more than 46,500 and less than 48,000 that is designated as an authorized emergency vehicle by the commissioners court of that county.

(2) “Bicycle” means a device that a person may ride and that is propelled by human power and has two tandem wheels at least one of which is more than 14 inches in diameter.

(3) “Bus” means:

(A) a motor vehicle used to transport persons and designed to accommodate more than 10 passengers, including the operator; or

(B) a motor vehicle, other than a taxicab, designed and used to transport persons for compensation.

547.402

(a) Required brakes shall operate on each wheel of a vehicle except:

(1) special mobile equipment;

(2) a vehicle that is towed as a commodity when at least one set of the towed vehicle's wheels is on the roadway, if the combination of vehicles complies with the performance requirements of this chapter; and

(3) a trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer with a gross weight heavier than 4,500 pounds but not heavier than 15,000 pounds drawn at a speed of more than 30 miles per hour, if the brakes operate on both wheels of the rear axle.

(b) A truck or truck-tractor that has at least three axles is not required to have brakes on the front wheels, but must have brakes that:

(1) operate on the wheels of one steerable axle if the vehicle is equipped with at least two steerable axles; and

(2) comply with the performance requirements of this chapter.

(c) A trailer or semitrailer that has a gross weight of 15,000 pounds or less may use surge or inertia brake systems to satisfy the requirements of Subsection (a).

(d) Brakes shall be maintained in good working order and adjusted to operate on wheels on each side of the vehicle as equally as practicable.

Utah

Utah Vehicles Permitted to Use Emergency Vehicle Lights

41-6a-102(3)

"Authorized emergency vehicle" includes:

(a)fire department vehicles;

(b)police vehicles;

(c)ambulances; and

(d)other publicly or privately owned vehicles as designated by the commissioner of the Department of Public Safety.

41-6a-1616

High intensity beams -- Red or blue lights -- Flashing lights -- Color of rear lights and reflectors.

(1)(a)Except as provided under Subsection (1)(b), under the conditions specified under Subsection 41-6a-1603(1)(a), a lighted lamp or illuminating device on a vehicle, which projects a beam of light of an intensity greater than 300 candlepower, shall be directed so that no part of the high intensity portion of the beam will strike the level of the roadway on which the vehicle stands at a distance of more than 75 feet from the vehicle.

(b)The provisions of Subsection (1)(a) do not apply to head lamps, spot lamps, auxiliary lamps, flashing turn signals, hazard warning lamps, and school bus warning lamps.

(c)A motor vehicle on a highway may not have more than a total of four lamps lighted on the front of the vehicle including head lamps, auxiliary lamps, spot lamps, or any other lamp if the lamp projects a beam of an intensity greater than 300 candlepower.

(2)(a)Except for an authorized emergency vehicle described in Section 41-6a-1601, a school bus described in Section 41-6a-1302, or a simulated emergency vehicle used in accordance with Section 41-6a-1718, a person may not operate or move any vehicle or equipment on a highway with a lamp or device capable of displaying a red light that is visible from directly in front of the center of the vehicle.(b)Except for a law enforcement vehicle, or a simulated emergency vehicle used in accordance with Section 41-6a-1718, a person may not operate or move any vehicle or equipment on a highway with a lamp or device capable of displaying a blue light that is visible from directly in front of the center of the vehicle.

(3)A person may not use flashing lights on a vehicle except for:

(a)taillights of bicycles described in Section 41-6a-1114;

(b)authorized emergency vehicles described in Section 41-6a-1601;

(c)turn signals described in Section 41-6a-1604;

(d)hazard warning lights described in Sections 41-6a-1608 and 41-6a-1611;

(e)school bus flashing lights described in Section 41-6a-1302;

(f)vehicles engaged in highway construction or maintenance described in Section 41-6a-1617;

(g)a simulated emergency vehicle used in accordance with Section 41-6a-1718; and

(h) a continuously flashing light system under Section 41-6a-1604.

(4)Except for an authorized emergency vehicle described in Section 41-6a-1601, or a media production vehicle used in accordance with Section 41-6a-1718, a person may not use a rotating light on any vehicle.

(5)A violation of this section is an infraction.

Vermont

Vermont Vehicles Permitted to Use Emergency Vehicle Lights

Admin Code 23 VSA-4(1)

(1) "Authorized emergency vehicle" means a vehicle of a fire department, police vehicle, public and private ambulance, and a vehicle to which a permit has been issued pursuant to subdivision 1252(a)(1) or (2) of this title.

23 VSA-1252

Issuance of permits for sirens or colored lamps, or both; use of amber lamps

(a) When satisfied as to the condition and use of the vehicle, the Commissioner shall issue and may revoke, for cause, permits for sirens or colored signal lamps in the following manner:

(1) Sirens or blue or blue and white signal lamps, or a combination of these, may be authorized for all law enforcement vehicles owned or leased by a law enforcement agency, a certified law enforcement officer, or the Vermont Criminal Justice Training Council. If the applicant is a constable, the application shall be accompanied by a certification by the town clerk that the applicant is the duly elected or appointed constable and attesting that the town has not voted to limit the constable's authority to engage in enforcement activities under 24 V.S.A. § 1936a.

(2) Sirens and red or red and white signal lamps may be authorized for all ambulances, fire apparatus, vehicles used solely in rescue operations, or vehicles owned or leased by, or provided to, volunteer firefighters and voluntary rescue squad members, including a vehicle owned by a volunteer's employer when the volunteer has the written authorization of the employer to use the vehicle for emergency fire or rescue activities.

(3) No vehicle may be authorized a permit for more than one of the combinations described in subdivisions (1) and (2) of this subsection.

(4) No motor vehicle, other than one owned by the applicant, shall be issued a permit until the Commissioner has recorded the information regarding both the owner of the vehicle and the applicant for the permit.

(5) Upon application to the Commissioner, the Commissioner may issue a single permit for all the vehicles owned or leased by the applicant.

(6) Sirens and red or red and white signal lamps, or sirens and blue or blue and white signal lamps, may be authorized for restored emergency or enforcement vehicles used for exhibition purposes. Sirens and lamps authorized under this subdivision may only be activated during an exhibition, such as a car show or parade.

(b) Amber signal lamps shall be used on road maintenance vehicles, service vehicles, and wreckers and shall be used on all registered snow removal equipment when in use removing snow on public highways and the amber lamps shall be mounted so as to be visible from all sides of the motor vehicle. A vehicle equipped with an amber signal lamp may not be issued a permit for the installation and use of a siren. (Amended 1967, No. 265 (Adj. Sess.), § 2; 1969, No. 259 (Adj. Sess.), § 11; 1985, No. 85, § 7; 1987, No. 5; 1987, No. 241 (Adj. Sess.), § 5; 1991, No. 128 (Adj. Sess.), § 1 eff. April 10, 1992; 1995, No. 88 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; 2001, No. 106 (Adj. Sess.), § 2; 2013, No. 57, § 21.)

Virginia

Virginia Vehicles Permitted to Use Emergency Vehicle Lights

46.2-1022

Flashing blue, red and blue, blue and white, or red, white and blue warning lights.

Certain Department of Military Affairs vehicles and certain Virginia National Guard vehicles designated by the Adjutant General, when used in state active duty to perform particular law-enforcement functions, Department of Corrections vehicles designated by the Director of the Department of Corrections, and law-enforcement vehicles may be equipped with flashing, blinking, or alternating blue, blue and red, blue and white, or red, white, and blue combination warning lights of types approved by the Superintendent. Such warning lights may be of types constructed within turn signal housings or motorcycle headlight housings, subject to approval by the Superintendent.

46.2-1023

Flashing red or red and white warning lights.

Fire apparatus, forest warden vehicles, emergency medical services vehicles, vehicles of the Department of Emergency Management, vehicles of the Department of Environmental Quality, vehicles of the Virginia National Guard Civil Support Team when responding to an emergency, vehicles of county, city, or town Departments of Emergency Management, vehicles of the Office of Emergency Medical Services, animal warden vehicles, and vehicles used by security personnel of the Huntington Ingalls Industries, Bassett-Walker, Inc., the Winchester Medical Center, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Wallops Flight Facility, and, within those areas specified in their orders of appointment, by special conservators of the peace and policemen for certain places appointed pursuant to §§ 19.2-13 and 19.2-17 may be equipped with flashing, blinking, or alternating red or red and white combination warning lights of types approved by the Superintendent. Such warning lights may be of types constructed within turn signal housings or motorcycle headlight housings, subject to approval by the Superintendent.

46.2-1025

Flashing amber, purple, or green warning lights.

A. The following vehicles may be equipped with flashing, blinking, or alternating amber warning lights of types approved by the Superintendent:

1. Vehicles used for the principal purpose of towing or servicing disabled vehicles;

2. Vehicles used in constructing, maintaining, and repairing highways or utilities on or along public highways;

3. Vehicles used for the principal purpose of removing hazardous or polluting substances from state waters and drainage areas on or along public highways;

4. Vehicles used for servicing automatic teller machines, provided the amber lights are not lit while the vehicle is in motion;

5. Vehicles used in refuse collection, provided the amber lights are lit only when the vehicles are engaged in refuse collection operations;

6. Vehicles used by individuals for emergency snow-removal purposes;

7. Hi-rail vehicles, provided the amber lights are lit only when the vehicles are operated on railroad rails;

8. Fire apparatus, ambulances, and rescue and life-saving vehicles, provided the amber lights are used in addition to lights permitted under 46.2-1023and are so mounted or installed as to be visible from behind the vehicle;

9. Vehicles owned and used by businesses providing security services,provided the amber lights are not lit while the vehicle is being operated on a public highway;

10. Vehicles used to collect and deliver the United States mail, provided the amber lights are lit only when the vehicle is actually engaged in such collection or delivery;

11. Vehicles used to transport petroleum products, provided the amber light is mounted on the rear of the vehicle and is lit only when the vehicle's back-up lights are lit and its device producing an audible signal when the vehicle is operated in reverse gear, as provided for in 46.2-1175.1, is in operation;

12. Vehicles used by law-enforcement agency personnel in the enforcement of laws governing motor vehicle parking;

13. Government-owned law-enforcement vehicles, provided the lights are used for the purpose of giving directional warning to vehicular traffic to move one direction or another and are not lit while the vehicle is in motion;

14. Chase vehicles when used to unload a hot air balloon or used to load a hot air balloon after landing, provided the amber lights are not lit while the vehicle is in motion;

15. Vehicles used for farm, agricultural, or horticultural purposes, or any farm tractor;

16. Vehicles owned and used by construction companies operating under Virginia contractors licenses;

17. Vehicles used to lead or provide escorts for bicycle races authorized by the Department of Transportation or the locality in which the race is being conducted;

18. Vehicles used by radio or television stations for remote broadcasts,provided that the amber lights are not lit while the vehicle is in motion;

19. Vehicles used by municipal safety officers in the performance of their official duties. For the purpose of this subdivision, "municipal safety officers" means municipal employees responsible for managing municipal safety programs and ensuring municipal compliance with safety and environmental regulatory mandates;

20. Vehicles used as pace cars, security vehicles, or fire-fighting vehicles by any speedway or motor vehicle race track, provided that the amber lights are not lit while the vehicle is being operated on a public highway; and

21. Vehicles used in patrol work by members of neighborhood watch groups approved by the chief law-enforcement officer of the locality in their assigned neighborhood watch program area, provided that the vehicles are clearly identified as neighborhood watch vehicles, and the amber lights are not lit while the vehicle is in motion.

B. Except as otherwise provided in this section, such amber lights shall be lit only when performing the functions which qualify them to be equipped with such lights.

C. Vehicles used to lead or provide escorts for funeral processions may use either amber warning lights or purple warning lights, but amber warning lights and purple warning lights shall not simultaneously be used on the same vehicle. The Superintendent of State Police shall develop standards and specifications for purple lights authorized in this subsection.

D. Vehicles used by police, fire-fighting, or rescue personnel as command centers at the scene of incidents may be equipped with and use green warning lights of a type approved by the Superintendent. Such lights shall not be activated while the vehicle is operating upon the highway.

Washington

Washington Vehicles Permitted to Use Emergency Vehicle Lights

46-04-400

Authorized emergency vehicle.

"Authorized emergency vehicle" means any vehicle of any fire department, police department, sheriff's office, coroner, prosecuting attorney, Washington state patrol, ambulance service, public or private, which need not be classified, registered or authorized by the state patrol, or any other vehicle authorized in writing by the state patrol.

43-37-190

Warning devices on vehicles—Other drivers yield and stop.

(1) Every authorized emergency vehicle shall, in addition to any other equipment and distinctive marking required by this chapter, be equipped with at least one lamp capable of displaying a red light visible from at least five hundred feet in normal sunlight and a siren capable of giving an audible signal.

(2) Every school bus and private carrier bus shall, in addition to any other equipment and distinctive markings required by this chapter, be equipped with a "stop" signal upon a background not less than fourteen by eighteen inches displaying the word "stop" in letters of distinctly contrasting colors not less than eight inches high, and shall further be equipped with signal lamps mounted as high and as widely spaced laterally as practicable, which shall be capable of displaying to the front two alternately flashing red lights located at the same level and to the rear two alternately flashing red lights located at the same level and these lights shall have sufficient intensity to be visible at five hundred feet in normal sunlight.

(3) Vehicles operated by public agencies whose law enforcement duties include the authority to stop and detain motor vehicles on the public highways of the state may be equipped with a siren and lights of a color and type designated by the state patrol for that purpose. The state patrol may prohibit the use of these sirens and lights on vehicles other than the vehicles described in this subsection.

(4) The lights described in this section shall not be mounted nor used on any vehicle other than a school bus, a private carrier bus, or an authorized emergency or law enforcement vehicle.

(5) The use of the signal equipment described in this section and RCW 46.37.670, except the signal preemption devices used by public transit vehicles and department of transportation, city, or county maintenance vehicles that are not used in conjunction with emergency equipment, shall impose upon drivers of other vehicles the obligation to yield right-of-way and stop as prescribed in RCW 46.61.210, 46.61.370, and 46.61.350.

46-37-125

Warning devices on vehicles—Other drivers yield and stop.

(1) Every authorized emergency vehicle shall, in addition to any other equipment and distinctive marking required by this chapter, be equipped with at least one lamp capable of displaying a red light visible from at least five hundred feet in normal sunlight and a siren capable of giving an audible signal.

(2) Every school bus and private carrier bus shall, in addition to any other equipment and distinctive markings required by this chapter, be equipped with a "stop" signal upon a background not less than fourteen by eighteen inches displaying the word "stop" in letters of distinctly contrasting colors not less than eight inches high, and shall further be equipped with signal lamps mounted as high and as widely spaced laterally as practicable, which shall be capable of displaying to the front two alternately flashing red lights located at the same level and to the rear two alternately flashing red lights located at the same level and these lights shall have sufficient intensity to be visible at five hundred feet in normal sunlight.

(3) Vehicles operated by public agencies whose law enforcement duties include the authority to stop and detain motor vehicles on the public highways of the state may be equipped with a siren and lights of a color and type designated by the state patrol for that purpose. The state patrol may prohibit the use of these sirens and lights on vehicles other than the vehicles described in this subsection.

(4) The lights described in this section shall not be mounted nor used on any vehicle other than a school bus, a private carrier bus, or an authorized emergency or law enforcement vehicle.

(5) The use of the signal equipment described in this section and RCW 46.37.670, except the signal preemption devices used by public transit vehicles and department of transportation, city, or county maintenance vehicles that are not used in conjunction with emergency equipment, shall impose upon drivers of other vehicles the obligation to yield right-of-way and stop as prescribed in RCW 46.61.210, 46.61.370, and 46.61.350.

West Virginia

West Virginia Vehicles Permitted to Use Emergency Vehicle Lights

17c-1-6

Authorized emergency vehicle.

"Authorized emergency vehicle" means vehicles of a fire department, duly chartered rescue squad, police department, ambulance service, state, county or municipal agency

and such privately owned ambulances, tow trucks, wreckers, flag car services, vehicles providing road service to disabled vehicles, service vehicles of a public service corporation, postal service vehicles, snow removal equipment, Class A vehicles of firefighters, Class A vehicles of members of ambulance services, and Class A vehicles of members of duly chartered rescue squads, and all other emergency vehicles as are designated by the agency responsible for the operation and control of these persons or organizations. Class A vehicles are as defined by section one, article ten, chapter seventeen-a of this code. Agency authorization and emergency equipment are defined in section twenty-six, article fifteen, chapter seventeen-c of this code. Agencies responsible for issuing authorization for emergency vehicle permits may promulgate such regulations that are necessary for the issuance of permits for emergency vehicles.

17c-15-26(d)(1)(2)

(1) Blue flashing warning lights are restricted to police vehicles. Authorization for police vehicles shall be designated by the chief administrative official of each police department.

(2) Except for standard vehicle equipment authorized by section nineteen of this article, red flashing warning lights are restricted to the following:

(A) Ambulances;

(B) Firefighting vehicles;

(C) Hazardous material response vehicles;

(D) Industrial fire brigade vehicles;

(E) Rescue squad vehicles not operating out of a fire department;

(F) School buses;

(G) Class A vehicles, as defined by section one, article ten, chapter seventeen-a of this code, of those firefighters who are authorized by their fire chiefs to have the lights;

(H) Class A vehicles of members of duly chartered rescue squads not operating out of a fire department;

(I) Class A vehicles of members of ambulance services or duly chartered rescue squads who are authorized by their respective chiefs to have the lights;

(J) Class A vehicles of out-of-state residents who are active members of West Virginia fire departments, ambulance services or duly chartered rescue squads who are authorized by their respective chiefs to have the lights;

(K) West Virginia Department of Agriculture emergency response vehicles;

(L) Vehicles designated by the Secretary of the Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety for emergency response or emergency management by the Division of Corrections, Regional Jail and Correctional Facility Authority, Division of Juvenile Services and Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management; and

(M) Class A vehicles of emergency response or emergency management personnel as designated by the Secretary of the Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety and the county commission of the county of residence.

Red flashing warning lights attached to a Class A vehicle may be operated only when responding to or engaged in handling an emergency requiring the attention of the firefighters, members of the ambulance services or chartered rescue squads.

Wisconsin

Wisconsin Vehicles Permitted to Use Emergency Vehicle Lights

340.01(3)

“Authorized emergency vehicle" means any of the following:

(a) Police vehicles, whether publicly or privately owned, including bicycles being operated by law enforcement officers.

(b) Conservation wardens' vehicles, foresters' trucks, or vehicles used by commission wardens, whether publicly or privately owned.

(c) Vehicles of a fire department or fire patrol.

(d) Privately owned motor vehicles being used by deputy state fire marshals or by personnel of a full-time or part-time fire department or by members of a volunteer fire department while en route to a fire or on an emergency call pursuant to orders of their chief or other commanding officer.

(dg) Privately owned motor vehicles being used by an organ procurement organization, or by any person under an agreement with an organ procurement organization, to transport organs for human transplantation or to transport medical personnel for the purpose of performing human organ harvesting or transplantation immediately after the transportation.

(dh) Privately owned motor vehicles being operated in the course of a business and being used, in response to an emergency call from a treating physician or his or her designee declaring the transportation to be an emergency, to transport medical devices or equipment to a hospital or ambulatory surgery center, or to pick up medical devices or equipment for immediate transportation to a hospital or ambulatory surgery center, if the medical devices or equipment are to be used for human implantation or for urgent medical treatment immediately after the transportation.

(dm) Privately owned motor vehicles that are all of the following:

1. Designated or authorized by an ambulance service or rescue squad chief in writing annually.

2. Used by an emergency medical services practitioner licensed under s. 256.15 or an ambulance driver or emergency medical responder authorized by the chief of an ambulance service or rescue squad.

(e) Emergency vehicles of municipal or county departments or public service corporations that are designated or authorized by the local authorities to be authorized emergency vehicles.

(f) Emergency vehicles of state departments that are designated or authorized by the heads of those departments to be authorized emergency vehicles.

(g) Publicly owned ambulances that are designated or authorized by local authorities to be authorized emergency vehicles.

(h) An emergency vehicle authorized by the county board of supervisors of any county for use by the county coroners or medical examiners for traveling to the scene of a fatal accident or a death and on any other occasions that are authorized under par. (e).

(i) Privately owned ambulances that are operated by their owners or by their owners' agents and that are authorized in writing by the sheriff or others designated by the county board as emergency vehicles. The authorization is effective throughout the state until rescinded. The sheriff or others designated by the county board may designate any owner of ambulances usually kept in the county to operate those ambulances as authorized emergency vehicles. The written authorization shall at all times be carried on each ambulance used for emergency purposes. The sheriff shall keep a file of authorizations made under this paragraph in the sheriff's office for public inspection, and all other persons permitted to issue authorizations under this paragraph shall file a copy of all authorizations issued with the sheriff.

(j) Vehicles operated by federal, state or local authorities for the purpose of bomb and explosive or incendiary ordnance disposal.

347.25(1)(a)

A police vehicle under s. 340.01 (3) (a) may be equipped with a blue light and a red light which are flashing, oscillating or rotating.

347.26

(1) General restrictions. A vehicle need not be equipped with the lamps specified in this section, but if a vehicle is equipped with any such lamps, no person shall operate such vehicle on a highway during hours of darkness unless such lamps comply with the requirements of this section and no person shall use such lamps in a manner inconsistent with this section.

(2) Spotlamps.

(a) Any motor vehicle may be equipped with not more than 2 spotlamps.

(b) No spotlamp shall be used as a substitute for headlamps. No spotlamp shall be used as an auxiliary driving light on any motor vehicle except when such spotlamp is set or adjusted so that the rays of light are projected directly upon the road surface at a distance not exceeding 150 feet directly in front of the vehicle and to the right of the center of the traveled roadway. No spotlamp shall project any glaring light into the eyes of an approaching driver.

(3) Adverse weather lamps.

(a) Any motor vehicle may be equipped with not more than 2 adverse weather lamps which shall be mounted on the front of the vehicle below the level of the centers of the headlamps.

(b) Adverse weather lamps shall not be used in lieu of headlamps unless absolutely necessary in case of rain, snow, dust or fog and then only when a vehicle is equipped with 2 adverse weather lamps mounted on opposite sides of the front of the vehicle and when both such adverse weather lamps are lighted. Whenever any vehicle is equipped with only one adverse weather lamp, both headlamps of such vehicle shall be lighted at all times when such adverse weather lamp is lighted.

(4) Back-up lamps.

(a) Any motor vehicle may be equipped with not more than 2 back-up lamps which shall be so directed as to project a white or amber light illuminating the roadway to the rear of such vehicle for a distance not to exceed 75 feet.

(b) No lighted back-up lamp shall be displayed on any vehicle upon a highway except when such vehicle is about to be or is being driven backward. Whenever a back-up lamp is lighted during hours of darkness, the tail lamp or tail lamps on the vehicle displaying such lighted back-up lamp also shall be lighted.

(5) Identification lamps on taxicabs and buses. No person shall operate a motor vehicle regularly used for transporting passengers for hire displaying any lighting device for identification purposes other than a single illuminated sign or lighted lamp mounted above the top line of the windshield, colored white, amber or green. Such illuminated sign or lamp shall be so constructed as to emit a steady or flashing nonglaring light.

(6) Warning lamps on tow trucks and service vehicles.

(a) Any vehicle which by reason of its use upon a highway creates a vehicular traffic hazard requiring the exercise of unusual care in approaching, overtaking or passing shall be equipped with a flashing or rotating amber lamp of the dome type at the highest practicable point, visible from a distance of 500 feet, or 2 flashing amber lamps, one showing to the front and one showing to the rear, visible from a distance of 500 feet and mounted approximately midway between the extremities of the width of the vehicle and at the highest practicable point. Such amber lamp or lamps shall be lighted when such vehicle is moving a disabled vehicle along or upon a public highway at a speed below the average speed of motor vehicle traffic on such street or highway and may not be lit at other times.

(b) Operators of tow trucks or towing vehicles shall equip each tow truck or towing vehicle with a flashing or rotating red lamp, in addition to flashing type amber lamps. Such lamp shall be placed on the dome of the vehicle at the highest practicable point visible from a distance of 500 feet. This flashing red lamp shall be used only when such vehicle is standing on or near the traveled portion of a highway preparatory to towing or servicing the disabled vehicle.

(7) Warning lamps on certain highway vehicles. Any vehicle of the department or a county or municipal highway department which by reason of its use upon a highway creates a vehicular traffic hazard requiring the exercise of unusual care in approaching, overtaking or passing may be equipped with a flashing red or amber lamp of the dome-light type or with 2 flashing red or amber lamps, one showing to the front and one showing to the rear. Such lamp or lamps shall be mounted approximately midway between the extremities of the width of the vehicle and at the highest practicable point and shall be used only for the purpose of warning operators of other vehicles of the presence of the traffic hazard.

(8) Warning lamps for mail delivery vehicles. Any vehicle used for mail delivery may be equipped with a flashing amber lamp or strobe light mounted at the highest practicable point and showing to the front and rear that may be used only to warn other motorists of the presence of a vehicular traffic hazard requiring the exercise of unusual care in approaching, overtaking or passing when the vehicle is being used to deliver mail.

(9) Warning lamps on public utility and cooperative vehicles. Any vehicle of a public utility as defined in s. 196.01 (5), of a telecommunications carrier, as defined in s. 196.01 (8m), or of a cooperative association organized under ch. 185 for the purpose of producing or furnishing heat, light, power or water to its members, which by reason of its use upon a highway creates a vehicular traffic hazard requiring the exercise of unusual care in approaching, overtaking or passing may be equipped with a flashing amber lamp of the dome type or with 2 flashing amber lamps, one showing to the front and one showing to the rear. Such lamps shall be mounted approximately midway between the extremities of the width of the vehicle and at the highest practicable point and shall be used only for the purpose of warning operators of other vehicles of the presence of the traffic hazard. Should such vehicle be of a type so as to make impractical the mounting of such lamps midway between the extremities of the width of the vehicle then such mountings shall be made at or near the upper left front and rear corners of such vehicle.

(10) Flashing amber light on oversize vehicle. Any vehicle moving on the highway pursuant to an oversize permit issued under s. 348.25, 348.26 or 348.27 may be equipped with a flashing amber dome light upon the cab of such vehicle or with double faced flashing amber light mounted along the sides of such vehicle mounted and used when the movement is oversize.

(11) Flashing warning lamps.

(a) Any vehicle may be equipped with lamps which may be used for the purpose of warning the operators of other vehicles of the presence of a vehicular traffic hazard requiring the exercise of unusual care in approaching, overtaking or passing, and when so equipped may display such warning in addition to any other warning signals required by this section. The lamps used to display such warning to the front shall be mounted at the same level and as widely spaced laterally as practicable, and shall display simultaneously flashing white or amber lights, or any shade of color between white and amber. The lamps used to display such warning to the rear shall be mounted at the same level and as widely spaced laterally as practicable, and shall show simultaneously flashing amber or red lights, or any shade of color between amber and red. These warning lights shall be visible from a distance of not less than 500 feet under normal atmospheric conditions at night. Directional signals meeting the requirements of this chapter shall be used or lamps meeting these requirements, mounted so as to comply with turn signal installation.

(am) In addition to any other lamps authorized under this subsection, a motor truck having a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 26,000 pounds may be equipped with a 360-degree flashing or rotating amber light mounted at the highest practicable point. The flashing or rotating amber lamp may be lighted only when the motor truck is upon a highway having a maximum speed limit of more than 35 miles per hour and the motor truck is traveling 10 or more miles per hour below the maximum speed limit, is stopped, or is backing on such highway. The flashing or rotating amber lamp may not be lit at other times.

(b) Whenever any vehicle other than an automobile, which is equipped as permitted in par. (a), is stopped for more than 10 minutes on the traveled portion of any highway, or shoulder thereof, during hours of darkness, the driver of such vehicle shall display warning signals as required by s. 347.29.

History: 1977 c. 29 s. 1654 (8) (a); 1983 a. 53 s. 114; 1985 a. 204; 1989 a. 134, 336; 1993 a. 496; 2005 a. 38.

Cross-reference: See also ss. Trans 305.075, 305.08, 305.10, and 305.11, Wis. adm. code.

Wyoming

Wyoming Vehicles Permitted to Use Emergency Vehicle Lights

31-5-105

(a) The provisions of this act applicable to the drivers of vehicles upon the highways shall apply to the drivers of all vehicles owned and operated by the United States, this state, or any county, city, town, special district or any other political subdivision of the state, except as provided in this section and subject to such specific exceptions as are set forth in this act with reference to authorized emergency vehicles.

(b) Unless specifically made applicable, the provisions of this act except those contained in W.S. 31-5-225, 31-5-229, 31-5-233 and 31-5-236 do not apply to persons, motor vehicles and equipment while actually engaged in work upon a highway but shall apply to the persons and vehicles when traveling to or from work.

31-5-928

(a) During the times specified in W.S. 31-5-910 , any lighted lamp or illuminating device upon a motor vehicle other than head lamps, spot lamps, auxiliary lamps, flashing turn signals, vehicle hazard warning lamps and school bus warning lamps, which projects a beam of light of an intensity greater than three hundred (300) candlepower shall be so directed that no part of the high intensity portion of the beam will strike the level of the roadway on which the vehicle stands at a distance of more than seventy-five (75) feet from the vehicle.

(b) Except as required in W.S. 31-5-929 and this section, no person shall drive or move any vehicle or equipment upon any highway with any lamp or device thereon capable of displaying a red light or blue light visible from directly in front of the center thereof.

(c) Flashing lights are prohibited except as authorized by W.S. 31-5-915 , 31-5-921 , 31-5-929 , 31-5-930 , 31-5-931 and this section.

(d) Every authorized emergency vehicle, except law enforcement vehicles and as otherwise specified in this subsection, shall, in addition to any other equipment required by law, be equipped with at least one (1) red lamp visible from five hundred (500) feet in front of the vehicle. Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, every authorized emergency vehicle, may be equipped with one (1) or more blue, white or amber lights. Vehicles used or contracted by a municipality, county or the department to clear snow from public streets, roads or highways may be equipped with one (1) or more lights of a conspicuous color as specified by rules adopted by the department. Privately-owned vehicles used by members of a fire department or emergency service organization in performing or traveling to perform assigned duties in those organizations shall display at least one (1) flashing white, red or amber light, but no blue lights, visible from five hundred (500) feet in front of the vehicle.

(e) A police vehicle primarily engaged in traffic law enforcement shall be marked so as to be readily identifiable.

(f) The following vehicles are authorized to display flashing white and amber lights in addition to those otherwise authorized by law:

(i) Vehicles of civil emergency preparedness agencies;

(ii) Vehicles of municipalities and public service corporations;

(iii) Wreckers;

(iv) Funeral cars.

(g) In addition to these lights otherwise authorized by law, a wrecker is authorized to display flashing red and blue lights at the scene of any emergency.