State Codes and Statutes
Statutes > Connecticut > Title14 > Chap246 > Sec14-96pSec. 14-96p. Color of lights. Flashing or revolving lights. Authorized use of blue or green lights. (a)(1) No person shall display upon any motor vehicle any light visible from the front thereof other than white, yellow or amber, or any light other than red, yellow, amber or white visible from the rear thereof, except a light used with any school bus, without a special permit from the commissioner, in accordance with the provisions of subsection (c) of section 14-96q. If the Department of Transportation obtains from the commissioner such a permit covering more than one motor vehicle operated by the department, it may display the lights allowed under the permit on each such vehicle without placing a copy of the permit in each vehicle.
(2) Any vehicle accommodating fifteen or fewer handicapped students may use a flashing red light or lights during the time such vehicle is stopped for the purpose of receiving or discharging such handicapped students, any motor bus may carry a purple light or lights, any interstate public service vehicle may carry a green light or lights, any taxicab may carry a lunar white light or lights, and any interstate commercial motor vehicle may display green identification lights, in front thereof, as the commissioner may permit.
(3) A vehicle being operated by the chief executive officer of an emergency medical service organization, as defined in section 19a-175, the first or second deputies, or if there are no deputies, the first or second assistants, of such an organization that is a municipal or volunteer or licensed organization, an ambulance, as defined in section 19a-175, a vehicle being operated by a local fire marshal or a local director of emergency management may use a flashing red light or lights or flashing white head lamps and a flashing amber light while on the way to the scene of an emergency, except that an ambulance may use flashing lights of other colors specified by federal requirements for the manufacture of such vehicle. The chief executive officer of each such organization shall provide annually during the month of January, on forms provided by the commissioner, such officer's name and address and the registration number on the number plate or plates of the vehicle on which the authorized red light is or white head lamps and amber light are to be used. A vehicle being operated by a member of a volunteer fire department or company or a volunteer emergency medical technician may use flashing white head lamps, provided such member or emergency medical technician is on the way to the scene of a fire or medical emergency and has received written authorization from the chief law enforcement officer of the municipality to use such head lamps. Such head lamps shall only be used within the municipality granting such authorization or from a personal residence or place of employment, if located in an adjoining municipality. Such authorization may be revoked for use of such head lamps in violation of this subdivision.
(4) Flashing or revolving white lights may not be displayed upon a motor vehicle except (A) on fire emergency apparatus, (B) on motor vehicles of paid fire chiefs and their deputies and assistants, up to a total of five individuals per department, and may be displayed in combination with flashing or revolving red lights, (C) on motor vehicles of volunteer fire chiefs and their deputies and assistants, up to a total of five individuals per department, and may be displayed in combination with flashing or revolving red lights, (D) as a means of indicating a right or left turn, (E) in conjunction with flashing red lights on an ambulance responding to an emergency call, or (F) on the top rear of any school bus. For the purpose of this subsection, the term "handicapped students" means mentally retarded, hard of hearing, deaf, speech-impaired, visually handicapped, emotionally disturbed, orthopedically impaired or other health-impaired students, or students with specific learning disabilities, who by reason thereof, require special education and related services; and the term "flashing white lights" shall not include the simultaneous flashing of head lamps.
(b) A blue light may not be illuminated upon a motor vehicle, except that a vehicle being operated by an active member of a volunteer fire department or company or an active member of an organized civil preparedness auxiliary fire company who has been authorized in writing by the chief executive officer of such department or company may use such a light, including a flashing blue light, while on the way to the scene of a fire or other emergency requiring his services. Such authorization may be revoked by such officer or his successor. The chief executive officer of each volunteer fire department or company or organized civil preparedness auxiliary fire company shall certify annually during the month of January, on forms provided by the commissioner, the names and addresses of members whom he has authorized to use a blue light as provided in this subsection. Such listing shall also designate the registration number on the number plate or plates of the vehicle on which the authorized blue light is to be used.
(c) A flashing green light may not be used upon a motor vehicle, except that a vehicle being operated by an active member of a volunteer ambulance association or company who has been authorized in writing by the chief executive officer of such association or company may use such a light while on the way to the scene of an emergency requiring his services. Such authorization may be revoked by such officer or his successor. The chief executive officer of each volunteer ambulance association or company shall certify annually during the month of January, on forms provided by the commissioner, the names and addresses of members whom he has authorized to use a green light as provided in this subsection. Such listing shall also designate the registration number on the number plate or plates of the vehicle on which the authorized green light is to be used.
(d) Use of lights except as authorized by this section shall be an infraction.
(1967, P.A. 834, S. 17, 18; 1969, P.A. 710; P.A. 73-544, S. 23; P.A. 74-99, S. 1, 3; P.A. 75-577, S. 42, 126; P.A. 78-156, S. 2; P.A. 80-466, S. 16, 25; P.A. 83-41; 83-412, S. 3, 5; P.A. 85-153; 85-217, S. 1; P.A. 87-41, S. 1; P.A. 93-307, S. 4, 34; P.A. 94-189, S. 7; P.A. 96-167, S. 29; P.A. 99-150, S. 1; P.A. 01-192, S. 1; P.A. 04-161, S. 1; P.A. 05-218, S. 9; 05-288, S. 234.)
History: 1969 act replaced "displayed" with "illuminated" and "display" with "use" for clarity; P.A. 73-544 replaced "civil defense" with "civil preparedness" in Subsec. (b); P.A. 74-99 added Subsec. (c) re flashing green lights; P.A. 75-577 added Subsec. (d); P.A. 78-156 amended Subsec. (a) re use of flashing red lights on vehicles accommodating nine or less handicapped students when vehicle stopped to pick up or discharge the students; P.A. 80-466 amended Subsecs. (b) and (c) to refer to single license plate; P.A. 83-41 amended Subsec. (a) re blanket permits for department of transportation motor vehicles; P.A. 83-412 amended Subsec. (a), permitting any motor vehicle accommodating fifteen or less handicapped students (increased from nine) to use flashing red lights while receiving or discharging passengers and defining "handicapped students" for the purposes of this subsection; P.A. 85-153 amended Subsec. (a) to specify that term "flashing white lights" shall not include simultaneous flashing of head lamps; P.A. 85-217 amended Subsec. (a), permitting the chief executive officer of an emergency medical service organization to use flashing red lights while responding to an emergency; P.A. 87-41 amended Subsec. (a), permitting the use of flashing white lights with flashing red lights on an ambulance responding to an emergency call; P.A. 93-307 amended Subsec. (a) to provide that an ambulance on the way to the scene of an emergency may use "flashing white head lamps", effective June 29, 1993; P.A. 94-189 amended Subsec. (a) by making minor grammatical changes and providing for the use of flashing white head lamps and a flashing amber light while on the way to the scene of an emergency; P.A. 96-167 amended Subsec. (a) to add exception to allow ambulances to use flashing lights of other colors specified by federal requirements for manufacture of such vehicles; P.A. 99-150 amended Subsec. (a) by specifying that local fire marshals, emergency management directors and school buses may use certain flashing lights and by making a technical change; P.A. 01-192 amended Subsec. (a) by dividing existing provisions into Subdivs. (1) to (4), changing "less" to "fewer" in Subdiv. (2), adding provision in Subdiv. (3) which allows a member of a volunteer fire department or company or a volunteer emergency medical technician to use flashing white lamps in certain circumstances, deleting "or" in Subdiv. (3) and redesignating existing Subdivs. (1) to (5) as Subparas. (A) to (E), in Subdiv. (4); P.A. 04-161 amended Subsec. (a)(4) to provide that both volunteer and paid fire chiefs, deputies and assistants may display flashing or revolving white lights in combination with flashing or revolving red lights up to four paid and four volunteer individuals per municipality, to move provisions re volunteers from Subpara. (B) to new Subpara. (C) and to redesignate existing Subparas. (C) to (E) as new Subparas. (D) to (F), respectively; P.A. 05-218 amended Subsec. (a) by changing "written" to "special" permit and inserting "in accordance with the provisions of subsection (c) of section 14-96q" in Subdiv. (1) and, in Subdiv. (3) by adding "the first or second deputies, or if there are no deputies, the first or second assistants, of such an organization that is a municipal or volunteer organization" and, in Subdiv. (4), by changing "four" to "five" and "municipality" to "department", effective July 6, 2005; P.A. 05-288 amended Subsec. (a)(3) by replacing "municipal or volunteer organization" with "municipal or volunteer or licensed organization", effective July 13, 2005.
See chapter 881b re infractions of the law.
