State siren/light restrictions?

[SCRob]

Hi,


I never really venture off to any other states but I have a question. I seen on here someone was asking if they could drive their vehicle with a red lightbar on it in another state without being stopped by the police. Does law enforcement in other states actually cite people for having led's all over their vehicles with sirens if they have an out of state license plate?


Thanks

 

[Fast LT1]

I wouldn't worry about it as long as you have the proper documentation. I drove around a 96 impala ss through 6 states with a R/B edge on it and didn't have a single problem.

 

[C420sailor]

I'd unhook the light system from your battery just to cover your ass.

 

[RL1]

If they didn't have blue lenses, I wouldn't bother them. If they did, I would check out their paperwork, then make them cover the lenses, no ticket or anything though.

 

[ParkPiggy]

Your profile says your a law enforcement officer-do you cite people form out of state?

 

[Bonanno]

As long as the person had proper credentials, permits, and paperwork, and wasn't using what's on their POV wrongly I'd have no problem with it.

 

[NPS Ranger]

From what others have posted on here, don't show up in Florida or the city of Chicago with blue lights, or in California with lights of any sort. Total hearsay, your experience may vary.

 

[rwo978]

Depends on where you're at. Some trooper with a hardon might bust your balls. I've personally been cited for it while a vollie in another state. After a bunch of BS and lawyer fees, they finally dropped the cite. It was a PITA.

 

[lagunagrande]

I am not an L.E.O but this is one reason I encourage the use of LED lighting for vollies. If you are pulled over, unless you had your lights on, the officer cannot tell the color of your lights.

 

[RL1]

Your profile says your a law enforcement officer-do you cite people form out of state?

Me or the OP?

 

[shues]

From what others have posted on here, don't show up in Florida or the city of Chicago with blue lights, or in California with lights of any sort. Total hearsay, your experience may vary.

I've had no problems in and around Chicago, but then again everything I have has clear lenses.

 

[patrol530]

No blue in Florida, on or off.

 

[Ben E.]

From what others have posted on here, don't show up in Florida or the city of Chicago with blue lights, or in California with lights of any sort. Total hearsay, your experience may vary.

I drove like 3 miles down Lakeshore in heavy traffic one day with red and blue lights going on the rear of my Expedition, and people were still hauling ass past me on either side and I didn't get stopped. The Valet driver was either messing with my lights or bumped the pursuit switch to 1 when he got in, and I had no clue until I pulled into a parking garage and the rear window got dark enough for me to see the reflection of the lights.

 

[MJDNRP-6885]

From what others have posted on here, don't show up in Florida or the city of Chicago with blue lights, or in California with lights of any sort. Total hearsay, your experience may vary.

I can testify to the city of Chicago (lived in the south-westernern burbs most of my life).


You don't want to have any kind of blue light (vol/poc FF/ems courtesy light in Illinois) displayed in/on your POV in Chicago.


I've never seen/heard of a Chicago cop give any suburban vol/poc FF's a ticket, but I have heard that you will get pulled over and harassed about it.

 

[NC lawdog]

It all depends on the attitude of the person being stopped also. Visible blue lights for non LEO is a big no-no in NC. I've stopped Vollys from states that allow blue lights and done nothing but had a nice conversation with them and sent them on their way. Then there are the ones who start flashing badges they bought from Galls before I even get to their window and telling me what they THINK the law is. Those are the ones that are given the option to either remove the lights on the side of the road or carry a ticket. I'm a firm believer in professional courtesy, but the bottom line is...don't be a dick.

 

[TNFF412N]

I have to say that i just traveled to Florida thru AL, and GA, My truck is by far not Whacked Out but the lights are noticable. I stopped and talked to sevral law enforcement officers on the way down, most about the setups on the cars they were driving. It came up with most of them about the lights and how they react to it, and the overall majority was if you act like a douche bag to them then they are going to be a dick about it. I have EMERGENCY tags on my truck, have ID and once in 10 years have i been stopped and asked about my lights and the purpose of them. I have traveled almost every southern state, and the officer wanted to see the liberty lightbar lit up........

 

[RBRONKEMA GHTFD]

My dad drove from MI to Alabama a few different times with his truck. Never had a issue. He has a full size MX7000 on the roof all red. I think as long as you are just driving along and not being stupid in other states you'll be fine.

 

[Grotonems5]

I've heard of a couple people from Maine coming through VT with blue lights on their rigs and had to remove them or cover them, but no real horror stories. I've seen people with garbage bags over their lights here before. I would think as long as you are not doing anything crazy you'd be ok.. and I agree if someone did get stopped and had a good attitude about it any officer anywhere would be pretty decent about it.

 

[calebsheltonmed23]

I drove like 3 miles down Lakeshore in heavy traffic one day with red and blue lights going on the rear of my Expedition, and people were still hauling ass past me on either side and I didn't get stopped. The Valet driver was either messing with my lights or bumped the pursuit switch to 1 when he got in, and I had no clue until I pulled into a parking garage and the rear window got dark enough for me to see the reflection of the lights.

I've done that before. Went to a call and thought I shut down the pursuit switch but it was still on the first position which is rear in mine, and it all goes off when the ignition is off. When I got back I started it up drove the interstate about 80 some miles, and people were still hauling ass past me!


Caleb

 

[Bigredinstalls]

So how would this relate to a fully decked out demo vehicle? What do the laws say about demo vehicles, I've never been able to get a straight answer.

 

[TritonBoulder47]

I've driven the East Coast from NY to NC and I've never had a problem... I get second looks and sometimes i'll get a tail, but its not for long. Usually just long enough to see whay state my plate is... I've even gotten commentes about my lights by some of the local cops where my g/fs mother lives in NC... LoL

 

[MississippiPI]

I'm a volunteer FF and have LED's in the rear of my explorer, red LED's in the grill and red dash lite aboove my mirror. Red lites here in Missisippi but varies in other states. I had a NJ tropper ask me to remove my lite from above my mirror, red there are police---I did so.


Be safe

 

[StLFC-Mike]

I had a Suburban with a full MX bar, clear domes, red filters. This vehicle has been in about twenty states and 3 provinces. The only problem I had was reentry from Ontario to Michigan, they actually called my local PD to verify my credentials

 

[nerdly_dood]

So how would this relate to a fully decked out demo vehicle? What do the laws say about demo vehicles, I've never been able to get a straight answer.

Virginia is generally strict about warning lights, but they have a specific law on this subject:

§ 46.2-1027. Warning lights on certain demonstrator vehicles.

Dealers or businesses engaged in the sale of fire, rescue, or law-enforcement vehicles or ambulances may, for demonstration purposes, equip such vehicles with colored warning lights.

 

[TNFF412N]

As for the Demo, The Larger companies that have demo vehicles have them lettered saying just that. You can look at youtube and see several and they dont hide the fact of what the vehicle is for. We had one at a fatality fire this morning. It was a tahoe decked out with all Whelen Lights but there was no mistaking that it was not an Emergency vehicle.