H.B. 448
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
Mar 30, 2021
SESSION 2021 HOUSE PRINCIPAL CLERK
H D
HOUSE BILL DRH30217-MW-69B
Short Title: Auth. Use of Blue Lights on Fire Apparatus. (Public)
Sponsors: Representatives Potts, Boles, and Moss (Primary Sponsors).
Referred to:
1 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
2 AN ACT TO AUTHORIZE THE USE OF BLUE LIGHTS ON FIRE APPARATUS.
3 The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
4 SECTION 1. G.S. 20-130.1(c) reads as rewritten:
5 "(c) It is unlawful for any person to possess a blue light or to install, activate, or operate a
6 blue light in or on any vehicle in this State, except for a publicly owned vehicle used for law
7 enforcement purposes or purposes, any other vehicle when used by law enforcement officers in
8 the performance of their official duties. duties, or the vehicle is a publicly owned fire apparatus,
9 and the blue lights are only visible from the rear of a fire apparatus when the parking brake is
10 engaged and the on-scene lights are activated. For purposes of this subsection, the term "fire
11 apparatus" means any of the following apparatus, as they are defined in the most recent version
12 of NFPA 1901, the Standard for Automotive Fire Apparatus, published by the National Fire
13 Protection Association: pumper apparatus, mobile foam apparatus, initial attack apparatus, quint,
14 tanker apparatus, and aerial apparatus. As used in this subsection, unless the context requires
15 otherwise, "blue light" means any blue light installed on a vehicle after initial manufacture of the
16 vehicle; or an operable blue light which:
17 (1) Is not (i) being installed on, held in inventory for the purpose of being installed
18 on, or held in inventory for the purpose of sale for installation on a vehicle on
19 which it may be lawfully operated or (ii) installed on a vehicle which is used
20 solely for the purpose of demonstrating the blue light for sale to law
21 enforcement personnel;
22 (1a) Is designed for use by an emergency vehicle, or is similar in appearance to a
23 blue light designed for use by an emergency vehicle; and
24 (2) Can be operated by use of the vehicle's battery, the vehicle's electrical system,
25 or a dry cell battery."
26 SECTION 2. This act becomes effective December 1, 2021.
*DRH30217-MW-69B*


Statutes affected:
Filed: 20-130.1
Edition 1: 20-130.1
Edition 2: 20-130.1