2023 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 14 - Motor Vehicles. Use of the Highway by Vehicles. Gasoline
Chapter 246 - Motor Vehicles
Section 14-96q. - Permits for colored or flashing lights. Exceptions. Fee.

(a) A permit is required for the use of colored or flashing lights on all motor vehicles or equipment specified in this section except: (1) Motor vehicles not registered in this state used for transporting or escorting any vehicle or load, or combinations thereof, which is either oversize or overweight, or both, when operating under a permit issued by the Commissioner of Transportation pursuant to section 14-270; or (2) motor vehicles or equipment that are (A) equipped with lights in accordance with this section, (B) owned or leased by the federal government, the state of Connecticut, or any other state, commonwealth or local municipality, and (C) registered to such governmental entity. When used in this section the term “flashing” shall be considered to include the term “revolving”.

(b) The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles, or such other person specifically identified in this section, is authorized to issue permits for the use of colored or flashing lights on vehicles in accordance with this section, at the commissioner's or such person's discretion. Any person, firm or corporation other than the state or any metropolitan district, town, city or borough shall pay an annual permit fee of twenty dollars to the commissioner for each such vehicle. Such fee shall apply only to permits issued by the commissioner.

(c) A flashing blue light or lights may be used on a motor vehicle 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 issued a permit by the chief executive officer of such department or company to use a flashing blue light or lights while on the way to or at the scene of a fire or other emergency requiring such member's services. Such permit shall be on a form provided by the commissioner and may be revoked by such chief executive officer or successor. The chief executive officer of each volunteer fire department or company or organized civil preparedness auxiliary fire company shall keep on file, on forms provided by the commissioner, the names and addresses of members who have been authorized to use a flashing blue light or lights as provided in this subsection. Such listing shall also designate the registration number of the motor vehicle on which authorized a flashing blue light or lights are to be used.

(d) A green light or lights, including a flashing green light or lights, may be used on a motor vehicle operated by an active member of a volunteer ambulance association or company who has been issued a permit by the chief executive officer of such association or company to use such a light or lights, while on the way to or at the scene of an emergency requiring such member's services. Such permit shall be on a form provided by the commissioner and may be revoked by such chief executive officer or successor. The chief executive officer of each volunteer ambulance association or company shall keep on file, on forms provided by the commissioner, the names and addresses of members who have been authorized to use a flashing green light or lights as provided in this subsection. Such listing shall also designate the registration number of the vehicle on which the authorized flashing green lights are to be used.

(e) The commissioner may issue a permit for a flashing red light or lights which may be used on a motor vehicle or equipment (1) used by paid fire chiefs and their deputies and assistants, up to a total of five individuals per department, (2) used by volunteer fire chiefs and their deputies and assistants, up to a total of five individuals per department, (3) used by members of the fire police on a stationary vehicle as a warning signal during traffic directing operations at the scene of a fire or emergency, (4) used by chief executive officers of emergency medical service organizations, 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, (5) used by local fire marshals, or (6) used by directors of emergency management.

(f) The commissioner may issue a permit for a yellow or amber light or lights, including a flashing yellow or amber light or lights, which may be used on motor vehicles or equipment that are (1) specified in subsection (e) of this section, (2) maintenance vehicles, or (3) vehicles transporting or escorting any vehicle or load or combinations thereof, which is or are either oversize or overweight, or both, and being operated or traveling under a permit issued by the Commissioner of Transportation pursuant to section 14-270. A yellow or amber light or lights, including a flashing yellow or amber light or lights, may be used without obtaining a permit from the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles on wreckers registered pursuant to section 14-66, on vehicles of carriers in rural mail delivery service or on vehicles operated by construction inspectors employed by the state of Connecticut, authorized by the Commissioner of Transportation, used during the performance of inspections on behalf of the state. The Commissioner of Transportation shall maintain a list of such authorized construction inspectors, including the name and address of each inspector and the registration number for each vehicle on which the light or lights are to be used.

(g) The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles may issue a permit for a white light or lights, including a flashing white light or lights, which may be used on a motor vehicle or equipment as specified in subdivision (1), (2), (4), (5) or (6) of subsection (e) of this section. 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. For the purposes of this subsection, the term “flashing white lights” shall not include the simultaneous flashing of head lamps.

(h) The commissioner may issue a permit for emergency vehicles, as defined in subsection (a) of section 14-283, to use a blue, red, yellow, or white light or lights, including a flashing light or lights or any combination thereof, except as provided in subsection (k) of this section.

(i) The commissioner may issue a permit for ambulances, as defined in section 19a-175, which may, in addition to the flashing light or lights allowed in subsection (h) of this section, use flashing lights of other colors specified by federal requirements for the manufacture of an ambulance. If the commissioner issues a permit for any ambulance, such permit shall be issued at the time of registration and upon each renewal of such registration.

(j) A green, yellow or amber light or lights, including a flashing green, yellow or amber light or lights or any combination thereof, may be used on a maintenance vehicle owned and operated by the Department of Transportation.

(k) No person, other than a police officer or inspector of the Department of Motor Vehicles operating a state or local police vehicle, shall operate a motor vehicle displaying a steady blue or steady red illuminated light or both steady blue and steady red illuminated lights that are visible externally from the front of the vehicle.

(l) Use of colored and flashing lights except as authorized by this section shall be an infraction.

(1967, P.A. 834, S. 19; 1969, P.A. 759, S. 12; 1971, P.A. 459, S. 1; P.A. 73-544, S. 24; P.A. 74-99, S. 2, 3; P.A. 75-577, S. 43, 126; P.A. 78-156, S. 3; P.A. 79-4; P.A. 84-254, S. 47, 62; 84-377, S. 3, 4; P.A. 85-217, S. 2; P.A. 87-41, S. 2; P.A. 93-307, S. 5, 34; P.A. 94-189, S. 8; P.A. 96-167, S. 30; P.A. 99-150, S. 2; 99-268, S. 23; P.A. 00-169, S. 22; P.A. 04-182, S. 11; P.A. 05-218, S. 10; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5, S. 214; P.A. 16-55, S. 22; P.A. 17-230, S. 8; P.A. 19-161, S. 10; P.A. 21-40, S. 15, 16; 21-106, S. 33.)

History: 1969 act increased fee in Subsec. (c) from $1 to $2 per vehicle; 1971 act amended Subsec. (c)(4) to add “revolving” yellow lights and to allow their use on oversize or overweight loads, allowed use of flashing lights to indicate slow speed of vehicle, included escort vehicles in permit provisions and added proviso re required permit for vehicles not registered in this state; P.A. 73-544 replaced “civil defense” with “civil preparedness” in Subsec. (c); P.A. 74-99 amended Subsec. (c) to allow use of flashing green lights by members of volunteer ambulance associations or companies; P.A. 75-577 added Subsec. (d); P.A. 78-156 amended Subsec. (c) to allow use of flashing red lights on vehicles used to pick up or discharge not more than nine handicapped students when stopped to do so; P.A. 79-4 amended Subsec. (c) to allow use of flashing red lights on rescue vehicles; P.A. 84-254 amended Subsec. (c) to increase periodically the permit fee from $2 to $7 as of July 1, 1993; P.A. 84-377 amended Subsec. (c), permitting motor vehicles accommodating fifteen or less handicapped students to use flashing red lights when receiving or discharging such students; P.A. 85-217 amended Subsec. (c), permitting the chief executive officers of emergency medical service organizations to use flashing red lights as provided in Subsec. (a) of Sec. 14-96p and deleting references to the flashing of red lights by motor vehicles used as buses by handicapped students and by stationary vehicles used by fire police as warning signals; P.A. 87-41 amended Subsec. (c), permitting use of flashing white lights in conjunction with flashing red lights on an ambulance responding to an emergency call; P.A. 93-307 amended Subsec. (c) to permit flashing red lights on ambulances and to permit flashing white lights used in conjunction with “flashing head lamps” on ambulances responding to emergency calls, effective June 29, 1993; P.A. 94-189 amended Subsec. (c)(7) by adding “and a flashing amber light” after “flashing head lamps”; P.A. 96-167 amended Subsec. (c)(7) to authorize use of flashing lights of colors other than white specified by federal requirements for manufacture of ambulances; P.A. 99-150 amended Subsec. (c) by adding local fire marshals and directors of emergency management to the list of those authorized to use flashing red lights; P.A. 99-268 amended Subsec. (c) by allowing wreckers, registered pursuant to Sec. 14-66, to have flashing or revolving yellow lights and by making technical changes re gender neutrality; P.A. 00-169 revised effective date of P.A. 99-268 but without affecting this section; P.A. 04-182 amended Subsec. (c) to increase annual permit fee to $20 and to delete provision re past fee increases, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 05-218 amended Subsec. (c) by changing “written” to “special” permit, adding “and on other vehicles that display lights for which a permit is required, in accordance with the provisions of subsection (a) of section 14-96p”, deleting “of two dollars” re annual permit fee and adding provision requiring special permits for ambulances to be issued at time of registration or renewal, effective July 6, 2005; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 15-5 replaced former Subsecs. (a) to (d) with new Subsec. (a) re permit for use of colored or flashing lights on motor vehicles or equipment, new Subsec. (b) re issuance of permits for use of colored or flashing lights, new Subsec. (c) re use of blue lights on motor vehicles and new Subsec. (d) re use of green lights on motor vehicles, added Subsec. (e) re issuance of permits for use of red lights on motor vehicles or equipment, added Subsec. (f) re issuance of permits for use of yellow or amber lights on motor vehicles or equipment, added Subsec. (g) re issuance of permits for use of white lights on motor vehicles or equipment, added Subsec. (h) re issuance of permit for use of certain colored lights on emergency vehicles, added Subsec. (i) re issuance of permit for use of flashing lights of other colors specified by federal requirements on ambulances, and added Subsec. (j) re penalty, effective June 30, 2015; P.A. 16-55 amended Subsecs. (c) and (d) by making technical changes, effective May 31, 2016; P.A. 17-230 amended Subsec. (f) to add provision re use of yellow or amber lights for vehicles operated by construction inspectors employed by the state; P.A. 19-161 amended Subsec. (h) by adding exception re provisions of Subsec. (j), added new Subsec. (j) re use of green, yellow or amber lights on maintenance vehicles, added Subsec. (k) re prohibition re display of steady blue or red light or both blue and red lights on motor vehicles, redesignated existing Subsec. (j) as Subsec. (l) and made conforming and technical changes; P.A. 21-40 made technical changes in Subsecs. (f) and (h); P.A. 21-106 amended Subsec. (h) to replace reference to Subsec. (j) with reference to Subsec. (k), effective June 30, 2021.