Colors of Police and Fire Truck Lights in Every US State

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Here’s the Color of Police and Fire Truck Lights in Every State

Double-check the emergency vehicle light colors in your hometown or next road trip destination.
Published on August 5, 2022
5 min read

Identifying police and fire trucks enforcing car safety is not always simple. In most states, only police cars use blue lights while fire trucks use red lights. But in certain states, the opposite is true. Double-check your local laws in our handy table.

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Police car and fire truck light color by state

Emergency vehicle lights | Scott Rodgerson via Unsplash
StatePolice Car Lights
AlabamaPolice cars may use both red and blue lights. No other emergency vehicle may use blue lights.
AlaskaPolice may use red lights. At the discretion of a police chief, a marked police vehicle may also use a blue light at the same time as its red lights.
ArizonaCity and county police departments must use a red light and can also use a blue light. State police use mostly blue lights and can also use a red light.
ArkansasPolice only use blue lights.
CaliforniaAll emergency vehicles must have a solid red light. Police officers may also have a flashing blue light. Finally, police must use flashing amber lights when enforcing an order of the court in a densely populated area.
ColoradoPolice officers must use a red light and may use a blue or white light as well.
ConnecticutPolice only use red lights. Blue lights may be used on the personal vehicles of volunteer firefeighters.
DelawarePolice use red lights. Fire fighters use blue lights.
FloridaOnly police officers can possess or use blue lights. Fire fighters use red lights.
GeorgiaPolice may use blue, red, or amber lights. Fire fighters may not use blue lights.
HawaiiMost police vehicles use blue and red lights, though arrangement may vary by county.
IdahoPolice are required to use blue lights, and many are equipped with red lights as well.
IllinoisPolice use red and white lights. Fire trucks can use red, white, and blue lights.
IndianaPolice must use both red and blue lights. Firefighters use red and white lights.
IowaPolice must use both red lights (drivers side roof) and blue lights (passengers side roof). Fire trucks also use blue lights.
KansasPolice may use both red and blue lights. Fire fighters must use red lights.
KentuckyPolice vehicles must have a blue light while fire vehicles must have a red light.
LouisianaBoth police vehicles and fire vehicles must use red lights and may use blue lights as well.
MainePolice must use blue lights and may use red lights too. Fire fighters may use both blue and red lights.
MarylandPolice must use red lights and can use blue lights as well. Fire fighters may not use blue lights.
MassachusettsPolice may use both red and blue lights, including a reverse-facing red light. Fire fighters use red lights, though they can also have a reverse-facing blue light.
MichiganPolice can use red or blue lights. Fire fighters must use red lights.
MinnesotaPolice cars must have a red light and can have a blue light, either on the passenger side roof or facing backward. Fire trucks may not use blue lights.
MississippiPolice must use blue lights and can use red lights as well. Fire trucks must use red lights.
MissouriPolice must have one red light and one blue flashing light. Fire trucks can also use blue lights.
MontanaPolice lights should flash both blue and red. Fire trucks use red lights. Any emergency vehicle can use green lights for crowd control.
NebraskaPolice are free to use red, white, and blue lights. Fire trucks may only use red and white lights.
NevadaPolice must have a solid blue and flashing red light. Fire trucks must have a flashing red light and can also use a blue light.
New HampshirePolice must use blue lights and may use red lights. Fire trucks must use red lights and cannot use blue lights.
New JerseyPolice are able to use blue or red lights in any configuration. Fire trucks must use red flashing lights.
New MexicoPolice use red lights. Fire fighters also use red lights, though they may mount a single blue light on the back of a fire truck.
New YorkPolice use red, white, and/or blue lights. The blue lights must face backward. Fire trucks may not use blue lights.
North CarolinaPolice use blue lights, though some city police departments have added red lights. Fire trucks use red lights.
North DakotaPolice must display red flashing lights and may also use white and blue lights. Government fire trucks have the same laws.
OhioPolice must use red and white. Police may also choose to use blue lights, but fire trucks cannot.
OklahomaPolice and must have flashing lights that are blue, red, or both. Fire trucks also can use blue or red lights.
OregonPolice use blue, white, and amber colored flashing lights. Red lights are reserved for fire trucks.
PennsylvaniaMost police use red and blue lights, but they can also use white and yellow lights. Fire trucks may also use red, blue, and amber lights.
Rhode IslandOnly police cars may use blue lights. Both police and fire may use red and white flashing lights.
South CarolinaPolice must have blue lights. They may also have red and white lights. Fire trucks must have red lights.
South DakotaPolice can use a combination of red and blue lights. Fire trucks may also use a combination of red and blue lights.
TennesseePolice can use red, white, and blue lights. Fire trucks can only use red and white lights.
TexasPolice can use red, white, and blue lights. Fire trucks can only use red and white lights.
UtahOnly police cars can have blue flashing lights and rotating lights. Both police and fire can use red and white lights.
VermontPolice are only allowed to have blue and whtie lights. Fire trucks are only allowed to have red and white lights.
VirginiaPolice can use any combination of red, white, and blue lights. Fire trucks can only use red and white lights.
WashingtonPolice must have at least one blue light. They can also use amber, white, and red lights. All fire trucks must have red lights to be recognizable.
West VirginiaOnly police can use flashing blue lights. Fire trucks are allowed to use red lights.
WisconsinOnly police are allowed to use a combination of red and blue lights. Fire trucks use red adn white lights.
WyomingPolice cars aren’t subject to any color restrictions. Fire trucks must have at least one red light and can also have amber and blue lights.

How can I learn more about my state’s emergency vehicle lights?

There’s much more to the laws dictating emergency vehicle lights than their color. Certain states regulate when police or fire vehicles can use their lights or where they can place them.

Police car light bar | Michael Förtsch via Unsplash

For example, many states require fire trucks use red lights and police to use blue lights. But certain states also allow a non-flashing blue light at the back of a fire truck, to make it more visible in the daylight. If you think blue lights always mean police in these states, think again.

Our source for the above table is Extreme Tactical Dynamics. This website maintains a database of the current emergency vehicle light laws in every country.

Can unmarked police cars have emergency lights?

Like the laws around emergency light colors, the laws around unmarked police cars vary by state. States that do allow traffic stops with unmarked police cars require that those cars have light bars. But those lights can be hidden behind the grille or inside the cab of the car.

Police car | Kenny Eliason via Unsplash

Not only do unmarked police car laws vary by state, but several states have recently changed their laws or best practices. Make certain to check out our state-by-state guide to unmarked police cars or find out why the color of police car lights varies by state in the video below.

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