Vehicle Warning Light Laws, State by State

Alabama AL

Alabama regulates headlamp, taillamp, and turn-signal placement closely, and does not explicitly authorize underglow lighting — so it's best treated as not permitted. Auxiliary lighting (spot lamps, fog lamps, driving lamps) is capped at one to two units per type, each with its own mounting-height rule.

Alaska AK

Alaska is one of the more permissive states for underglow, allowing white, yellow, or amber underglow lighting outright — but colors and patterns that could be confused with emergency vehicles should still be avoided.

Arizona AZ

Arizona's rules mirror the common Western-state pattern: white or amber to the front, red to the rear, and flashing lights reserved for authorized emergency, school bus, and snow-removal equipment.

Arkansas AR

Non-emergency vehicles may not display red, blue, or green visible from the front. As in most states, this is a general summary — Arkansas municipalities can layer on additional local ordinances.

California CA

California's lighting rules are governed by the Vehicle Code, Division 12, Chapter 2, Article 7. An "authorized emergency vehicle" under CVC §165 includes police units, fire apparatus, and ambulances; privately owned vehicles can qualify only with a formal permit issued by the California Highway Patrol. Rules extend beyond frontline responders to tow trucks, construction and utility vehicles, pilot/escort cars, and private security patrol vehicles, each with their own color and mounting restrictions.

Colorado CO

Green lights are prohibited outright in Colorado (unlike neighboring states that reserve green for command vehicles), and red or blue visible from directly in front of a civilian vehicle is off-limits.

Connecticut CT

Connecticut is stricter than most states about aftermarket lighting generally — non-mandatory lighting equipment must be AAMVA-certified, and uncertified underglow is treated as illegal even when not in use.

Delaware DE

Delaware permits underglow lighting in white or amber. As elsewhere, avoid colors or patterns that could be mistaken for an authorized emergency vehicle.

Florida FL

Florida law reserves blue lights strictly for law enforcement and treats unauthorized display as its own offense, separate from the general lighting statute. Local municipalities can layer on additional ordinances, so it's worth checking city/county rules in addition to the state statute.

Georgia GA

Georgia issues 5-year permits for red/amber lighting via Form DPS-41, with a $2 fee that's waived for government entities and volunteer firefighters.

Hawaii HI

Hawaii treats unauthorized blue-light use seriously — violations can carry fines up to $1,000 and up to a year in prison. Steady, non-flashing white/amber underglow is generally fine when the vehicle is parked.

Idaho ID

Idaho is frequently cited as one of the more lenient states for aftermarket lighting generally, but the emergency-color reservations (blue for police, red for fire/EMS) are strictly enforced, and flashing lights of any color are barred on civilian vehicles.

Illinois IL

Illinois is notable for allowing blue lights on police vehicles specifically in cities with a population over 500,000 (i.e., Chicago) — smaller-jurisdiction police are limited to red and white.

Indiana IN

Indiana requires drivers to yield the right-of-way and stop for authorized emergency vehicles displaying flashing lights and sirens, consistent with standard Move Over Law practice nationally.

Iowa IA

Iowa's distinctive rule is the driver-side-red, passenger-side-blue mounting convention that applies consistently across police, fire, and ambulance configurations.

Kansas KS

Under K.S.A. 8-1729, civilian vehicles cannot display any color other than white or amber directly in front of the vehicle's center — a rule aimed squarely at preventing confusion with emergency vehicles.

Kentucky KY

Kentucky law is explicit that no vehicle covered under KRS §§189.910–189.950 may use any light color other than those specifically listed — there's no general-purpose fallback color.

Louisiana LA

Louisiana restricts sale of blue lights entirely, and red/red-white lights can only be sold to peace officers, firefighters, or emergency/highway-construction/utility personnel. Driving with LED light bars turned on is illegal in Louisiana.

Maine ME

Maine restricts front-of-vehicle auxiliary lighting to white or amber, side lighting to amber only, and rear to amber or red — and requires it to be steady-burning, not flashing or oscillating.

Maryland MD

Maryland prohibits white lights visible directly from the rear (apart from license-plate and reverse lighting), and red or blue visible from directly in front, except for authorized emergency and school vehicles.

Massachusetts MA

Massachusetts requires a written permit from the Registrar of Motor Vehicles for most red/blue light use, and that permit must be carried by the operator in an easily accessible place.

Michigan MI

Michigan explicitly bans underglow-style ground-effects lighting on public roads, in addition to the standard restrictions on unauthorized flashing/rotating/oscillating lights.

Minnesota MN

Minnesota prohibits white light projected to the rear of a vehicle while traveling (apart from standard exceptions like reverse), which is a slightly stricter rule than many neighboring states.

Mississippi MS

Mississippi law is explicit that alternating flashing headlights are restricted to emergency vehicles under §63-7-19 — a rule some states leave unaddressed.

Missouri MO

Unauthorized use of emergency lighting or sirens is a misdemeanor offense in Missouri, and civilian vehicles should keep red/blue away from front-facing display entirely.

Montana MT

Montana prohibits decorative lighting — including underglow — that isn't original manufacturer equipment or that displays red, blue, or green on public roads. The Move Over law requires drivers to slow and, where safe, change lanes for stationary emergency vehicles.

Nebraska NE

Nebraska restricts rear-of-vehicle colors to red, yellow, or amber (via stop lights and directional signals) — no other rear colors are permitted.

Nevada NV

Nevada requires authorized emergency vehicles to also carry a siren alongside their lighting. Flashing or rotating lights are generally prohibited on civilian vehicles to prevent impersonation.

New Hampshire NH

New Hampshire is unusually detailed about which personnel categories (forest wardens, hospital emergency staff, hazmat responders) qualify for lighting authorization — worth checking the specific role before installing.

New Jersey NJ

New Jersey issues ID cards through the Motor Vehicle Commission for volunteer fire, first aid/rescue, and OEM personnel authorized to use warning lights — the card must be carried while operating the vehicle.

New Mexico NM

New Mexico's rule is simpler than most: flashing red is reserved exclusively for authorized emergency vehicles, and nearly everyone else is barred from flashing lights altogether outside listed exceptions.

New York NY

New York prohibits civilian vehicles that aren't authorized as emergency or hazard vehicles from displaying red, blue, green, or white flashing lights — unauthorized use can carry fines. Emergency lights must be visible from at least 500 feet under normal conditions, and New York's Move Over Law requires drivers to shift lanes or slow down when approaching a stopped emergency or hazard vehicle with lights active.

Underglow lighting isn't explicitly addressed in state law, but it's best kept to non-restricted colors like amber and steady-burning (non-flashing) to avoid being mistaken for an authorized vehicle.

North Carolina NC

North Carolina permits light-bar-style devices only on the vehicles described in G.S. 20-130.1(b) — general motorists cannot use them regardless of color.

North Dakota ND

North Dakota organizes emergency vehicles into lighting classes (A, B, C) under the Century Code rather than by vehicle type alone — worth checking which class a given vehicle falls into before selecting lights. A $10 fee applies per offense for improper lighting or reflector colors.

Ohio OH

Ohio is often cited as one of the more lenient states for general aftermarket lighting regulation, but the red/blue/amber role reservations above still apply strictly.

Oklahoma OK

Oklahoma also allows blue lights on tow trucks and wreckers in some scenarios — a less common allowance compared to most states, where blue is reserved for law enforcement.

Oregon OR

Oregon doesn't explicitly address underglow, but using prohibited colors or flashing patterns is a Class B traffic violation under ORS 816.360 — steady-burning, non-restricted colors are the safer path.

Pennsylvania PA

Pennsylvania sets fines of $500–$1,000 for unauthorized emergency-style lighting, and courtesy lights for volunteers explicitly do not confer any legal right-of-way privileges.

Rhode Island RI

Rhode Island's Move Over law covers red, blue, or amber flashing lights broadly — spanning police, fire, EMS, tow trucks, and utility/maintenance vehicles.

South Carolina SC

South Carolina makes it illegal for anyone other than law enforcement to display blue lights visible from outside the vehicle — one of the more tightly enforced blue-light rules nationally.

South Dakota SD

South Dakota allows volunteer firefighters/EMTs to use blue or green courtesy lights in private vehicles, but these do not grant any exemption from traffic laws.

Tennessee TN

Tennessee bars flashing lights of any color visible from the front on civilian vehicles, apart from factory emergency flashers, with only narrow statutory exceptions under §402(d).

Texas TX

Non-emergency vehicles in Texas cannot display red lights visible from the front, and may not use red, white, or blue beacons or flashing lights unless specifically authorized under §547.305. Standard equipment rules still apply on top of emergency-light rules: taillamps must show red visible 1,000 ft to the rear, and front turn signals must be white or amber.

Utah UT

Utah treats unauthorized red/blue flashing lights as an infraction rather than a misdemeanor, but decorative or twinkling lighting that imitates emergency signals has drawn enforcement attention per local media reports.

Vermont VT

Vermont requires fire and volunteer vehicles to turn off emergency lighting once a call has concluded — lights can't stay active on the return trip to quarters.

Virginia VA

Virginia vehicles with unauthorized lights cannot claim emergency privileges like speed or signal exemptions under §46.2-920, even if the lights themselves happen to be a permitted color.

Washington WA

Washington requires that surplus emergency lighting equipment be removed before resale unless sold to a qualified public or emergency agency.

West Virginia WV

West Virginia's baseline rule is that any front-facing light must be white or amber unless an exception applies — flashing red/blue/purple are reserved strictly for authorized, agency-approved vehicles.

Wisconsin WI

Wisconsin restricts blue lights to authorized police or fire apparatus only — no other vehicle, including volunteer courtesy setups, may display blue.

Wyoming WY

Wyoming bars private vehicles from displaying red or blue visible from the front — even decorative lighting (the Wyoming Highway Patrol has specifically flagged red/blue holiday lights on personal vehicles as a $100 fine).