State Statutes

State Overview Before delving into the various Pennsylvania emergency vehicle light statutes, it’s essential to go over some basic definitions. We will cover what counts as an authorized emergency vehicle, and what the difference is between emergency and warning lights.  According to section 121.1 of the Pennsylvania emergency vehicle light statutes, an authorized emergency vehicle … Read more

State Overview Before we delve into the statutes, it’s essential to understand what is considered an emergency vehicle. According to Oregon emergency vehicle light statutes section 801.260, an emergency vehicle is any vehicle that is used by a public police department, fire department, or airport security, OR is designated as such by a federal agency … Read more

State Overview Before delving into the various emergency statutes, it’s important to explain what the difference is between emergency and warning lights, as well as what the definition is of an authorized emergency vehicle. These terms will be used frequently in the article and will help with your understanding.  According to section 47.1.103, an authorized … Read more

State Overview In order to discuss the various statutes, it’s important to clarify and define a few key concepts, including what all is considered an authorized emergency vehicle, what are considered emergency lights, and what are considered warning lights.  Emergency lights typically are red or blue, while warning lights are yellow, white, amber, and any … Read more

State Overview Before we delve into the various statutes, it’s important to clarify and define a few terms: North Dakota has authorized emergency vehicles divided into various classes based on the definitions, however the overarching definition includes the following vehicles: a vehicle owned by the fire department A vehicle operated by the police department An … Read more

State Overview Before delving into the various different statutes around lighting for vehicles, let’s differentiate and define a few terms for the context of this article.  There are two different kinds of lights – warning lights and emergency lights. Emergency lights are blue or red, and warning lights are any other color. Emergency lights are … Read more

State Overview According to the Washington emergency vehicle light statutes section 46.04.040, an authorized emergency vehicle is defined as any vehicle driven by the following: Fire department Police department Ambulance services, private and/or public Washington state patrol Prosecuting attorney Coroner Sheriff’s officer Law Enforcement Statutes Police and Sheriff Vehicles According to the Washington emergency vehicle … Read more

State Overview The New York traffic law and emergency vehicle light statutes can be found on a variety of state websites, including New York’s official Department of Health website, as well as the state senate’s website. Before delving into the various statutes and regulations, it’s important to understand some basic definitions and concepts first.  According … Read more

State Overview The statutes are categorized in terms of different lighting – blue or red emergency lights. Amber lights are considered warning lights for reference. New Jersey statutes in regards to emergency lighting are relatively strict, while the statutes regarding warning lights are less restrictive.  An authorized emergency vehicle is defined as any vehicle used … Read more

State Overview According to section 66-3-835, a flashing light is only permissible when used by authorized emergency vehicles, snowplows, school buses, and equipment marking highways.  Authorized emergency vehicles are defined by New Mexico law as “any fire department vehicle, police vehicle and ambulance, and any vehicle” that is being used by emergency personnel in official … Read more