§ 20-130.1. Use of red or blue lights on vehicles prohibited; exceptions.
§ 20‑130.1. Use of redor blue lights on vehicles prohibited; exceptions.
(a) It is unlawful forany person to install or activate or operate a red light in or on any vehiclein this State. As used in this subsection, unless the context requiresotherwise, "red light" means an operable red light not sealed in themanufacturer's original package which: (i) is designed for use by an emergencyvehicle or is similar in appearance to a red light designed for use by anemergency vehicle; and (ii) can be operated by use of the vehicle's battery,vehicle's electrical system, or a dry cell battery. As used in this subsection,the term "red light" shall also mean any forward facing red lightinstalled on a vehicle after initial manufacture of the vehicle.
(b) The provisions ofsubsection (a) of this section do not apply to the following:
(1) A police car;
(2) A highway patrolcar;
(3) A vehicle owned bythe Wildlife Resources Commission and operated exclusively for law‑enforcementpurposes;
(4) An ambulance;
(5) A vehicle used by anorgan procurement organization or agency for the recovery and transportation ofblood, human tissues, or organs for transplantation;
(6) A fire‑fightingvehicle;
(7) A school bus;
(8) A vehicle operatedby any member of a municipal or rural fire department in the performance of hisduties, regardless of whether members of that fire department are paid orvoluntary;
(9) A vehicle of avoluntary lifesaving organization (including the private vehicles of themembers of such an organization) that has been officially approved by the localpolice authorities and which is manned or operated by members of thatorganization while answering an official call;
(10) A vehicle operated bymedical doctors or anesthetists in emergencies;
(11) A motor vehicle usedin law enforcement by the sheriff, or any salaried rural policeman in anycounty, regardless of whether or not the county owns the vehicle;
(11a) A vehicle operated bythe State Fire Marshal or his representatives in the performance of theirduties, whether or not the State owns the vehicle;
(12) A vehicle operated byany county fire marshal, assistant fire marshal, or emergency managementcoordinator in the performance of his duties, regardless of whether or not thecounty owns the vehicle;
(13) A light required bythe Federal Highway Administration;
(14) A vehicle operated bya transplant coordinator who is an employee of an organ procurementorganization or agency when the transplant coordinator is responding to a callto recover or transport human tissues or organs for transplantation;
(15) A vehicle operated byan emergency medical service as an emergency support vehicle; and
(16) A State emergencymanagement vehicle.
(c) It is unlawful forany person to possess a blue light or to install, activate, or operate a bluelight in or on any vehicle in this State, except for a publicly owned vehicleused for law enforcement purposes or any other vehicle when used by lawenforcement officers in the performance of their official duties. As used inthis subsection, unless the context requires otherwise, "blue light"means any forward facing blue light installed on a vehicle after initialmanufacture of the vehicle; or an operable blue light which:
(1) Is not (i) beinginstalled on, held in inventory for the purpose of being installed on, or heldin inventory for the purpose of sale for installation on a vehicle on which itmay be lawfully operated or (ii) installed on a vehicle which is used solelyfor the purpose of demonstrating the blue light for sale to law enforcementpersonnel;
(1a) Is designed for useby an emergency vehicle, or is similar in appearance to a blue light designedfor use by an emergency vehicle; and
(2) Can be operated byuse of the vehicle's battery, the vehicle's electrical system, or a dry cellbattery.
(c1) The provisions ofsubsection (c) of this section do not apply to the possession and installationof an inoperable blue light on a vehicle that is inspected by and registeredwith the Department of Motor Vehicles as a specially constructed vehicle andthat is used primarily for participation in shows, exhibitions, parades, orholiday/weekend activities, and not for general daily transportation. Forpurposes of this subsection, "inoperable blue light" means a blue‑coloredlamp housing or cover that does not contain a lamp or other mechanism havingthe ability to produce or emit illumination.
(d) Repealed by SessionLaws 1999‑249, s. 1.
(e) Violation ofsubsection (a) or (c) of this section is a Class 1 misdemeanor. (1943, c. 726; 1947, c.1032; 1953, c. 354; 1955, c. 528; 1957, c. 65, s. 11; 1959, c. 166, s. 2; c.1170, s. 2; 1967, c. 651, s. 1; 1971, c. 1214; 1977, c. 52, s. 2; c. 438, s. 2;1979, c. 653, s. 1; c. 887; 1983, c. 32, s. 1; c. 768, s. 6; 1985 (Reg. Sess.,1986), c. 1027, s. 50; 1989, c. 537, s. 2; 1989 (Reg. Sess., 1990), c. 1020, s.2; 1991, c. 263, s. 1; 1993, c. 539, s. 361; 1994, Ex. Sess., c. 24, s. 14(c);1993 (Reg. Sess., 1994), c. 719, s. 1; 1995, c. 168, s. 1; 1995 (Reg. Sess.,1996), c. 756, s. 16; 1999‑249, s. 1; 2005‑152, s. 1; 2009‑526,s. 1; 2009‑550, s. 3.)