Article 7. Flashing And Colored Lights of California Vehicle Code >> Division 12. >> Chapter 2. >> Article 7.

Flashing lights are prohibited on vehicles except as otherwise permitted.

(a) Flashing lights are permitted on vehicles as follows:
  (1) To indicate an intention to turn or move to the right or left upon a roadway, turn signal lamps and turn signal exterior pilot indicator lamps and side lamps permitted under Section 25106 may be flashed on the side of a vehicle toward which the turn or movement is to be made.
  (2) When disabled or parked off the roadway but within 10 feet of the roadway, or when approaching, stopped at, or departing from, a railroad grade crossing, turn signal lamps may be flashed as warning lights if the front turn signal lamps at each side are being flashed simultaneously and the rear turn signal lamps at each side are being flashed simultaneously.
  (3) To warn other motorists of accidents or hazards on a roadway, turn signal lamps may be flashed as warning lights while the vehicle is approaching, overtaking, or passing the accident or hazard on the roadway if the front turn signal lamps at each side are being flashed simultaneously and the rear turn signal lamps at each side are being flashed simultaneously.
  (4) For use on authorized emergency vehicles.
  (5) To warn other motorists of a funeral procession, turn signal lamps may be flashed as warning lights on all vehicles actually engaged in a funeral procession, if the front turn signal lamps at each side are being flashed simultaneously and the rear turn signal lamps at each side are being flashed simultaneously.
  (b) Turn signal lamps shall be flashed as warning lights whenever a vehicle is disabled upon the roadway and the vehicle is equipped with a device to automatically activate the front turn signal lamps at each side to flash simultaneously and the rear turn signal lamps at each side to flash simultaneously, if the device and the turn signal lamps were not rendered inoperative by the event which caused the vehicle to be disabled.
  (c) Side lamps permitted under Section 25106 and used in conjunction with turn signal lamps may be flashed with the turn signal lamps as part of the warning light system, as provided in paragraphs (2) and (3) of subdivision (a).
  (d) Required or permitted lamps on a trailer or semitrailer may flash when the trailer or semitrailer has broken away from the towing vehicle and the connection between the vehicles is broken.
  (e) Hazard warning lights, as permitted by paragraphs (2) and (3) of subdivision (a) may be flashed in a repeating series of short and long flashes when the driver is in need of help.

Any implement of husbandry displaying a slow moving vehicle emblem, as defined in Section 24615, and being operated at a speed of 25 miles per hour or less, may be equipped with double-faced amber turn signals which may be flashed simultaneously as warning lights.

Any motorcycle may be equipped with a means of modulating the upper beam of the headlamp between a high and a lower brightness at a rate of 200 to 280 flashes per minute. Such headlamps shall not be so modulated during darkness.

No civil liability shall attach to any person for the use or nonuse of turn signal lamps in the manner permitted by paragraph (3) or (5) of subdivision (a) of Section 25251, except for such civil liability as would attach for the use or nonuse of any other device required by this article or Article 8 (commencing with Section 25300).

Any motor vehicle may also be equipped with a theft alarm system which flashes any of the lights required or permitted on the motor vehicle and which operates as specified in Article 13 (commencing with Section 28085) of Chapter 5 of this division.

(a) Any motor vehicle may also be equipped with a system in which an amber light is center mounted on the rear of a vehicle to communicate a component of deceleration of the vehicle, and which light pulses in a controlled fashion at a rate which varies exponentially with a component of deceleration.
  (b) Any motor vehicle may be equipped with two amber lamps on the rear of the vehicle which operate simultaneously with not more than four flashes within four seconds after the accelerator pedal is in the deceleration position and which are not lighted at any other time. The lamps shall be mounted at the same height, with one lamp located on each side of the vertical centerline of the vehicle, not higher than the bottom of the rear window, or if the vehicle has no rear window, not higher than 60 inches. The light output from each of the lamps shall not exceed 200 candlepower at any angle horizontal or above. The amber lamps may be used either separately or in combination with another lamp.
  (c) Any stoplamp or supplemental stoplamp required or permitted by Section 24603 may be equipped so as to flash not more than four times within the first four seconds after actuation by application of the brakes.

Every authorized emergency vehicle shall be equipped with at least one steady burning red warning lamp visible from at least 1,000 feet to the front of the vehicle to be used as provided in this code. In addition, authorized emergency vehicles may display revolving, flashing, or steady red warning lights to the front, sides or rear of the vehicles.

(a) Every authorized emergency vehicle may be equipped with a system which flashes the upper-beam headlamps of the vehicle with the flashes occurring alternately from the front headlamp on one side of the vehicle to the front headlamp on the other side of the vehicle. The flashing of the headlamps shall consist only of upper-beam flashing, and not the flashing of any other light beam.
  (b) "Upper-beam headlamp," as used in this section, means a headlamp or that part of a headlamp which projects a distribution of light, or composite beam, so aimed and of such intensity as to reveal persons and vehicles at a distance of at least 350 feet ahead for all conditions of loading.
  (c) The system provided for in subdivision (a) shall only be used when an authorized emergency vehicle is being operated pursuant to Section 21055.

(a) Tow trucks used to tow disabled vehicles shall be equipped with flashing amber warning lamps. This subdivision does not apply to a tractor-trailer combination.
  (b) Tow trucks may display flashing amber warning lamps while providing service to a disabled vehicle. A flashing amber warning lamp upon a tow truck may be displayed to the rear when the tow truck is towing a vehicle and moving at a speed slower than the normal flow of traffic.
  (c) A tow truck shall not display flashing amber warning lamps on a freeway except when an unusual traffic hazard or extreme hazard exists.

An automobile dismantler's tow vehicle used to tow a disabled vehicle may be equipped with flashing amber warning lamps. A flashing amber warning lamp upon an automobile dismantler's tow vehicle may be displayed to the rear when the automobile dismantler's tow vehicle is towing a vehicle and moving at a speed slower than the normal flow of traffic.

In any county with a population of 250,000 or more persons, publicly owned vehicles operated by peace officer personnel of a marshal's department, when actually being used in the enforcement of the orders of any court, including, but not limited to, the transportation of prisoners, may display flashing amber warning lights to the rear when such vehicles are necessarily parked upon a roadway and such parking constitutes a hazard to other motorists.

Vehicles used by highway authorities or bridge and highway districts, and vehicles of duly authorized representatives thereof, used in highway maintenance, inspection, survey or construction work may display flashing amber warning lights to the front, sides or rear when such vehicles are parked or working on the highway.

(a) Every schoolbus, when operated for the transportation of schoolchildren, shall be equipped with a flashing red light signal system.
  (b) (1) Every schoolbus manufactured on or after September 1, 1992, shall also be equipped with a stop signal arm. Any schoolbus manufactured before September 1, 1992, may be equipped with a stop signal arm.
  (2) Any schoolbus manufactured on or after July 1, 1993, shall also be equipped with an amber warning light system, in addition to the flashing red light signal system. Any schoolbus manufactured before July 1, 1993, may be equipped with an amber warning light system.
  (3) On or before September 1, 1992, the department shall adopt regulations governing the specifications, installation, and use of stop signal arms, to comply with federal standards.
  (4) A "stop signal arm" is a device that can be extended outward from the side of a schoolbus to provide a signal to other motorists not to pass the bus because it has stopped to load or unload passengers, that is manufactured pursuant to the specifications of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 131, issued on April 25, 1991.

If a schoolbus is used for the transportation of persons of any age who are developmentally disabled, as defined by the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities Services Act (Division 4.5 (commencing with Section 4500) of the Welfare and Institutions Code), the amber light signal system, flashing red light signal system, and stop signal arm shall not be used other than as required by Sections 22112 and 22454.

To warn other motorists or pedestrians on a roadway during a backing maneuver, the operator of a schoolbus may flash turn signal lamps if the front turn signal lamps at each side are flashed simultaneously and the rear signal lamps at each side are flashed simultaneously.

(a) A schoolbus may be equipped with a white strobe light mounted so as to be visible from the front, sides, or rear of the bus. The strobe light may only be lighted when visibility is reduced to 500 feet or less due to atmospheric conditions including, but not limited to, fog, rain, snow, smoke, or dust. Reduced visibility due to atmospheric conditions does not include the time of darkness from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise.
  (b) The type and mounting requirements of strobe lights authorized by subdivision (a) shall be established by regulations adopted by the department by April 1, 1991. No schoolbus shall be equipped with a strobe light until the regulations are adopted.

(a) An authorized emergency vehicle operating under the conditions specified in Section 21055 may display a flashing white light from a gaseous discharge lamp designed and used for the purpose of controlling official traffic control signals.
  (b) An authorized emergency vehicle used by a peace officer, as defined in Section 830.1 of, subdivision (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), (g), or (i) of Section 830.2 of, subdivision (n) of Section 830.3 of, subdivision (b) of Section 830.31 of, subdivision (a) or (b) of Section 830.32 of, Section 830.33 of, subdivision (a) of Section 830.36 of, subdivision (a) of Section 830.4 of, or Section 830.6 of, the Penal Code, in the performance of the peace officer's duties, may, in addition, display a steady or flashing blue warning light visible from the front, sides, or rear of the vehicle.
  (c) Except as provided in subdivision (a), a vehicle shall not be equipped with a device that emits any illumination or radiation that is designed or used for the purpose of controlling official traffic control signals.

(a) Any authorized emergency vehicle may display flashing amber warning lights to the front, sides, or rear.
  (b) A vehicle operated by a police or traffic officer while in the actual performance of his or her duties may display steady burning or flashing white lights to either side mounted above the roofline of the vehicle.
  (c) Any authorized emergency vehicle may display not more than two flashing white warning lights to the front mounted above the roofline of the vehicle and not more than two flashing white warning lights to the front mounted below the roofline of the vehicle. These lamps may be in addition to the flashing headlamps permitted under Section 25252.5.

(a) Any vehicle operated by a disaster service worker who has received training in accordance with subdivision (b) and used by that worker in the performance of emergency or disaster services ordered by lawful authority during a state of war emergency, a state of emergency, or a local emergency, as those terms are defined in Section 8558 of the Government Code, may display flashing amber warning lights to the front, sides, or rear while at the scene of the emergency or disaster.
  (b) Any disaster service worker operating a vehicle that displays flashing amber warning lights shall receive a training course from the public agency, disaster council, or emergency organization described in Section 3101 of the Government Code concerning the safe operation of the use of flashing amber warning lights prior to operating a vehicle that displays flashing amber warning lights.
  (c) A person operating a vehicle that is authorized to display flashing amber warning lights under this section shall either completely cover or remove those lights when the lights are not in use.

An emergency response or disaster service vehicle owned or leased and operated by the American National Red Cross, or any chapter or branch thereof, and equipped and clearly marked as a Red Cross emergency service or disaster service vehicle, may display flashing amber warning lights to the front, sides, or rear of the vehicle while at the scene of an emergency or disaster operation. Vehicles not used on emergency response shall not be included.

(a) Public utility vehicles, and vehicles of duly authorized representatives of a public utility, actually engaged in the construction, removal, maintenance, or inspection of public utility facilities, including the cutting or trimming of trees immediately adjacent thereto, may display flashing amber warning lights to the front, sides, or rear when necessarily parked on a highway or when moving at a speed slower than the normal flow of traffic.
  (b) Vehicles owned by public transit operators which provide assistance to a disabled district bus may display flashing amber warning lights to the front, sides, or rear when necessarily parked on a highway.

Vehicles actually engaged in the construction, removal, maintenance, or inspection of any oil or gas pipeline may display flashing amber warning lights to the front, sides, or rear when necessarily parked on a highway or when necessarily moving at a speed slower than the normal flow of traffic and only in accordance with Section 25268.

Any vehicle having personnel aerial lift equipment, actually engaged in the construction, removal, maintenance or inspection of any building, structure, or appurtenances thereto, including the cutting or trimming of trees immediately adjacent thereto, may display flashing amber warning lights to the front, sides, or rear when necessarily parked on a highway or when moving at a speed slower than the normal flow of the traffic.

Any hazardous substance spill response vehicle, under contract to the Department of Transportation for the cleanup of hazardous substance spills, may display flashing amber warning lights to the front, sides, or rear of the vehicle while it is engaged in the actual cleanup of the spill. The warning lights shall be removed or covered with opaque material whenever the vehicle is not actually engaged in the cleanup of a hazardous substance at the scene of the spill.

Vehicles used by a county or county department of agriculture and vehicles of duly authorized representatives thereof, actually engaged in weed control or pest detection, may display flashing amber warning lights to the front, sides, or rear when necessarily parked on a highway or when moving at a speed slower than the normal flow of traffic.

An armored car may be equipped with red lights which may be used while resisting armed robbery. At all other times the red lights shall not be lighted. The authority to use red lights granted by this section does not constitute an armored car an authorized emergency vehicle, and all other provisions of this code applicable to drivers of vehicles apply to drivers of armored cars.

Trucks actually engaged in the towing of houses or buildings upon any highway may display flashing amber warning lights to the front, sides or rear on the vehicle or load.

Any motor vehicle operated by a coroner, or by a deputy coroner, and which is at the scene of any violent highway death, may display flashing amber warning lights to the front or rear.

Repair vehicles of sanitary districts or county sanitation districts necessarily parked other than adjacent to the curb in a highway for purposes of repairing district facilities, may display flashing amber warning lights to the front, sides or rear, but these lights shall not be lighted when the vehicle is in motion.

Vehicles owned by the state and operated by officers or employees of the state who are actually engaged in aqueduct or levee construction, maintenance, patrol, or inspection, or in stream measurement work, may display flashing amber warning lights to the front, sides and rear when parked on the traveled roadway so as to partially obstruct the free flow of traffic, or when moving at a speed slower than the normal flow of traffic.

Vehicles used by mosquito abatement districts or pest abatement districts when dispersing insecticides may display flashing amber warning lights to the front or rear while the vehicles are parked or working on the highway.

No person shall display a flashing amber warning light on a vehicle as permitted by this code except when an unusual traffic hazard exists.

No person shall display a flashing or steady burning red warning light on a vehicle except as permitted by Section 21055 or when an extreme hazard exists.

Any pilot car required by the permit referred to in Section 35780 or 35790, or any vehicle or combination of vehicles subject to the permit if specified in the permit, shall be equipped with flashing amber warning lights to the front, sides or rear. The pilot car and any vehicles required by the permit to have flashing amber warning lights, shall display the flashing amber warning lights while actually engaged in the movement described in the permit. The warning lamps shall be removed or covered with opaque material whenever the pilot car is not escorting the movement described in the permit.

Any motor vehicle engaged in, or aiding in, the herding of livestock along or across a public roadway may display flashing amber warning lights to the front, sides, or rear of the vehicle while it is stopped in the roadway near the livestock or is proceeding with the livestock along the roadway.

Any publicly owned vehicle or any vehicle operated by a corporation incorporated under Part 4 (commencing with Section 10400) of Division 2 of Title 1 of the Corporations Code for the purpose of the prevention of cruelty to animals, when used for removing dead animals, injured animals, or loose livestock, may, display flashing amber warning lights to the front or rear when necessarily parked on the roadway or when moving at a speed slower than the normal flow of traffic.

Any publicly owned vehicle used for the enforcement of animal control laws contained in a statute, local ordinance, or regulation may display flashing or revolving amber warning lights to the front, sides, or rear of the vehicle when actually engaged in the enforcement of those laws and when necessarily parked on a roadway or moving at a speed slower than the normal flow of traffic.

A motor vehicle used by a rural mail carrier may display flashing amber warning lights to the front and rear of the vehicle while the vehicle is necessarily stopped or stopping upon a roadway for the delivery of United States mail.

Any motor vehicle owned and operated by a school district with an average daily attendance in excess of 400,000 while being used to measure the distance from school to a school pupil's residence may display a flashing amber warning light to the rear of the vehicle when moving at a speed substantially slower than the normal flow of traffic.

Any vehicle owned by a cable television company and operated by employees, or duly authorized representatives, of a cable television company, when actually engaged in the construction, removal, maintenance or inspection of cable television facilities, including but not limited to, the cutting or trimming of trees immediately adjacent thereto, may display flashing amber warning lights to the front, sides, or rear when necessarily parked on a highway or when moving at a speed slower than the normal flow of traffic. For the purposes of this section, "cable television company" means any person engaged in the business of transmitting television programs by cable to subscribers for a fee.

Any truck or truck tractor which is primarily used in the transportation of loads specified in subdivision (a) of Section 35414, may be equipped with a flashing amber warning lamp. Such lamp may be displayed to the front, sides, or rear of the combination only when its length exceeds 75 feet and when an unusual traffic hazard exists.

Any bus operated either by a public agency or under the authority of a certificate of public convenience and necessity issued by the Public Utilities Commission may be equipped with a system of crime alarm lights. The system of crime alarm lights shall consist of the installation of additional lamp sources, not exceeding 32 standard candlepower or 30 watts, in the front and rear clearance lamps required or permitted by Section 25100. Such lamps shall be operated by a flasher unit or units that are not audible inside the bus. When actuated, both rear crime alarm lights shall flash simultaneously and both front crime alarm lights shall flash simultaneously. Crime alarm lights shall be actuated only when a crime is in progress on board the bus or has recently been committed on board the bus.

(a) A motor vehicle designed for carrying more than eight persons, including the driver, owned by a private, nonprofit organization that provides training or other activities for persons who have intellectual or physical disabilities, or both, and that is certified by the Department of Rehabilitation or licensed by the State Department of Developmental Services, with respect to the providing of this training or other activities, may be equipped with a flashing amber light signal system.
  (b) A motor vehicle, described in subdivision (a), may, while actually engaged in the transportation of persons described in subdivision (a) to or from a training or activity center operated by the organization, display the flashing amber lights of the system when necessarily parked upon a highway and in the process of loading or unloading persons.
  (c) Subdivisions (a) and (b) apply to a motor vehicle that is rented, leased, or chartered by the organization.

Any vehicle used by any police department, sheriff's office, or other governmental agency for the purpose of enforcing parking laws contained in the Vehicle Code or in a local ordinance or regulation may display flashing or revolving amber warning lights to the front, sides, or rear of the vehicle when actually engaged in the enforcement of such laws and when either necessarily stopped on a street, or when moving at a speed slower than the normal flow of traffic.

Any vehicle owned or operated by a land surveyor or civil engineer licensed to practice in this state may display flashing amber warning lights to the front, sides, or rear, if the vehicle is engaged in any phase of a project that requires surveying or surveying related activities to be performed on a highway, or in the vicinity of a highway, and the vehicle is parked on the highway or moving at a speed lower than the normal flow of traffic. The use of, or absence of, amber warning lights as authorized in this section shall not serve as the basis for any civil action, a defense to a civil action, or establish negligence as a matter of law or negligence per se for comparative fault purposes.

(a) Vehicles owned and operated by private security agencies and utilized exclusively on privately owned and maintained roads to which this code is made applicable by local ordinance or resolution, may display flashing amber warning lights to the front, sides, or rear, while being operated in response to emergency calls for the immediate preservation of life or property.
  (b) (1) Vehicles owned by a private security agency and operated by personnel who are registered with the Department of Consumer Affairs under Article 3 (commencing with Section 7582) of Chapter 11.5 of Division 3 of the Business and Professions Code may be equipped with a flashing amber warning light system while the vehicle is operated on a highway, if the vehicle is in compliance with Section 27605 and is distinctively marked with the words "PRIVATE SECURITY" or "SECURITY PATROL" on the rear and both sides of the vehicle in a size that is legible from a distance of not less than 50 feet.
  (2) The flashing amber warning light system authorized under paragraph (1) shall not be activated while the vehicle is on the highway, unless otherwise directed by a peace officer, as defined in Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 830) of Title 3 of Part 2 of the Penal Code.
  (c) A peace officer may order that the flashing amber warning light system of a vehicle that is found to be in violation of this section be immediately removed at the place of business of the vehicle's owner or a garage.
  (d) A flashing amber warning light system shall not be installed on a vehicle that has been found to be in violation of this section, unless written authorization is obtained from the Commissioner of the California Highway Patrol.

Vehicles operated by a local public entity, or pursuant to a permit, license, contract, or franchise with a local public entity, and used to collect and transport garbage, rubbish, or refuse may display flashing amber warning lights to the front, sides, or rear while stopped upon a street and actually engaged in the collection of garbage, rubbish, or refuse, or while moving between stops at a speed not greater than 10 miles per hour.

A privately owned or operated water tender vehicle, when used exclusively for contract emergency services provided to any public agency, may display flashing amber warning lights to the front, sides, or rear of the vehicle when necessarily parked on a highway or other public road, blocking or partially blocking a highway or other public road, traveling at a speed slower than the normal flow of traffic, or crossing or entering a highway or other public road. The flashing amber lights shall not be displayed when the water tender vehicle is traveling to or from an emergency at the normal speed and flow of traffic, except when the vehicle is traveling in escort with a fire engine or other authorized emergency vehicle. The lights shall be covered with an opaque material when not being displayed.

Any vehicle owned or operated by a contractor or a construction company licensed to operate in this state pursuant to the Business and Professions Code may display flashing amber warning lights to the front, sides, or rear, if the vehicle is engaged in any phase of a construction project performed on a highway, or in the vicinity of a highway, and the vehicle is parked on the highway or moving at a speed lower than the normal flow of traffic. The use of, or absence of, amber warning lights as authorized in this section shall not serve as the basis for any civil action, a defense to civil action, or establish negligence as a matter of law or negligence per se for comparative fault purposes.