Something I noticed while in FL... Sheriff's Cars...

May 25, 2010
7,072
Tunkhannock, PA, USA
I noticed while on my honeymoon, that all the sheriff's cars have the same color scheme in FL... As in they all have a white car, with some form of green and gold/yellow graphics... I have never noticed this until recently... Is there something in the vehicle code that says the marked sheriff vehicles have to be set-up this way, or is it just a way to make them easier to recognize for civilians...? I thought it was a really cool idea myself...
 

Jamey@NNE

Member
Jun 23, 2011
1,661
Ocoee, Florida
Its just tradition. City's have moved away from it but some are moving back to the black and white but sheriffs departments, When they moved from the green and white all went to white with green and gold. All wear green uniforms too. It makes it really easy to see who is police, sheriff, or trooper.
 
May 9, 2012
1,153
Central Florida
Some of the city cars where I live (Polk County) are going back to the traditional black and whites..for instance the city of Winter Haven and Lakeland both have new cars (and even repainted some older CV) that are new color schemes in black and whites.
 
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BackYardSales

Member
Dec 5, 2011
445
US - KY
Same thing in Michigan (unless it's changed recently). It's a standard set by the Sheriff's Association. The only thing different is the county name.
 

Jamey@NNE

Member
Jun 23, 2011
1,661
Ocoee, Florida
our citys around here looked like security with all the mixes of blue, gold, black, red, yellow, all on white cars. now they are starting to go back to black and white its easy to see who they are like clermont, ocoee, and a few others
 

jph2

Member
Apr 21, 2012
2,122
USA Michigan
BackYardSales said:
Same thing in Michigan (unless it's changed recently). It's a standard set by the Sheriff's Association. The only thing different is the county name.
Although the Michigan Sherifs' Association sets a common vehicle graphic standard, and uniform patch design, each county is free to use all or some. While most counties follow the standard, with some variation (e.g, Oakland County uses black cars), there are also counties, like Ingham, that don't follow the standard at all.


Standard design (Macomb County)


7051723449_fc27c3212d_b.jpg


Black car variant (Oakland County) Photo by Rich McOmber


3304498203_1159603646_m.jpg


Non-standard (Ingham County)


6994519833_c69a220ff5_b.jpg


Non-standard (Shiawasee County)


6994517525_e79f4b85ac_z.jpg
 

jph2

Member
Apr 21, 2012
2,122
USA Michigan
NotNormalEnterprisesLLC said:
Its just tradition... When they moved from the green and white all went to white with green and gold.
I thought I had read somewhere that there was a requirement for marked Sheriffs' cars in FL to have green and white on them. All the pics you posted meet that, btw. Maybe it's just a suggestion or a recommendation by the state Sheriffs' Association like in Michigan.
 

vintagebar1

New Member
May 2, 2012
6
Colorado
Colorado used to do the same thing years ago. For a long time we had blue and gold stripes with a star on the door and blue block letters that said "Sheriff". All of the counties matched. In the late 1990's several Sheriff's Offices started going rogue and adopted their own color scheme. Now, hardly any of them match. Many of them have gone back to the classic black and white look.
 

Jamey@NNE

Member
Jun 23, 2011
1,661
Ocoee, Florida
jph2 said:
I thought I had read somewhere that there was a requirement for marked Sheriffs' cars in FL to have green and white on them. All the pics you posted meet that, btw. Maybe it's just a suggestion or a recommendation by the state Sheriffs' Association like in Michigan.


Ill have to look into that. I was told it was tradition. I know even alot of the ocso unmarked have a green/gold pinstrip on them.
 

exphillycop

Member
Apr 18, 2012
272
Holmes Beach, Florida
Florida Statutes 30.46 - Sheriffs; motor vehicles color combination; badges; simulation prohibited; penalties


Florida Statutes > Title V > Chapter 30 > § 30.46 - Sheriffs; motor vehicles color combination; badges; simulation prohibited; penalties


Current as of: 2011


Check for updates


2010 version


(1) The color combination of forest green and white is adopted as the official color for use on the motor vehicles and motorcycles used by the various sheriffs of Florida and their deputies.


(2) For purposes of uniformity and in aid of the recognition of their official identity by the public, a badge in the shape of a five-pointed star with a replica of the great seal of Florida with the map of Florida superimposed thereon inscribed in the center is designated as the official badge to be worn by the sheriffs and deputy sheriffs of all counties of the state.


(3) It shall be unlawful for any person other than the sheriffs of Florida and their deputies, to color or cause to be colored any motor vehicle or motorcycle the same or similar color combination prescribed herein; provided, however, that any municipal police department or other law enforcement agency or any private person or concern using the same or similar color combination as of the date of this act shall be permitted to continue to use such colors until such time as new colors are adopted by such agencies, or private person or concern.


(4) It shall be unlawful for any person other than sheriffs and deputy sheriffs to wear an official sheriff’s badge as prescribed herein, or to wear a badge or insignia of such similarity to the official sheriff’s badge as to be indistinguishable therefrom at a distance of 20 feet; provided, nothing therein shall be construed to prevent members of any military, fraternal, or similar organization or any other law enforcement officer from wearing any insignia officially adopted or worn prior to the effective date of this section.


(5) Violation of any of the provisions of this act shall be a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.


ss. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, ch. 57-3; s. 13, ch. 71-136.
 

Ben E.

Member
May 21, 2010
2,417
Iowa, USA
Iowa is the same way. We have 99 counties, the decal scheme and color, as well as the uniforms and patches are the same for every county.


The only difference in the cars is that the county name is changed per-county.


afarm5.staticflickr.com_4088_5190525439_8ed46e2493_z.jpg
 

7d9_z28

New Member
Mar 15, 2012
3,048
West Michigan
BackYardSales said:
Same thing in Michigan (unless it's changed recently). It's a standard set by the Sheriff's Association. The only thing different is the county name.

As already stated, there are plenty of non-traditional Sheriff cars in Michigan. Black, white, stripe, no stripe.
 

Domesttuner

Member
Sep 23, 2011
56
USA, FL
Phillycop beat me to it with his Alachua County picture. I like the green and white look much better. First time I went to Georgia, I saw an all brick-red sheriff cruiser and it looked really out of place to me.
 

patrol530

Member
May 23, 2010
1,016
Central Florida
At least now it's a white car with green/gold graphics. In the old days, we'd buy a white car and paint everything green except the roof and doors. Needless to say, the green didn't hold up as well as factory applied paint.
 

tnems7

Member
May 21, 2010
407
USA Nashville Tennessee
Tennessee has a law that specifies white with a green stripe as the preferred markings for sheriff and park police cars. Many Tennessee rescue squads also share the green stripe paint scheme.
 

theroofable

Member
May 23, 2010
1,379
New Jersey
My county in NJ also has green/gold stripes on a white car. Never noticed it before, its pretty interesting that many places have the same color combos.
 
Same thing in Michigan (unless it's changed recently). It's a standard set by the Sheriff's Association. The only thing different is the county name.
It was a voluntary change pushed by the Michigan Sheriffs Association. The trend lasted for a decade or so and then slowly went back to the department heads choice. There is always a desire to individualize and stand out. When a new sheriff comes in two things happen: he or she cleans house, or he or she just follows suite from previous administrations.
 

Phillyrube

Member
May 21, 2010
1,272
Flatistan
Virginia code used to specify that all sheriffs drove brown cars, and wore brown uniforms. That has changed, with white cars being phased in as no one painted brown cars stock anymore. Uniforms have also changed, with different colors, mostly greys and metro blue.
 

Wakko

Member
Aug 4, 2010
32
South Florida
This is one old a55 thread! Broward S/O started ordering all green vehicles and using white wrap on the doors only. Cheaper than paying a body shop $800 to squirt the doors and roof, and if the wrap gets buggered, it's simple to redo.
 
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Skippy

Member
Jul 3, 2010
423
Florida, USA
When the vehicles get sold it's nicer too because it's a solid color instead of a green/white (or black and white) that's out driving around
 

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