Fire Truck Lights Can Now Be Blue: DeSantis Signed New Law

Photo for illustrative purposes only. Photo by Elias Null on Unsplash

When you see flashing blue lights on the road, you probably think of a police car. Now, in the state of Florida, you might also think of a fire truck, as blue lights are no longer reserved for the police. Recently passed House Bill 463 allows for the display of blue lights, in addition to the usual red or red and white lights, on the rear of government-owned fire department vehicles. 

Up until this law was passed, it was prohibited for any equipment or vehicle, besides police vehicles, to be equipped with blue lights. However, in emergency situations, the Department of Corrections could also use vehicles with blue lights.

In the House of Representatives Staff Final Bill Analysis, the House reports that the purpose of House Bill 463 is to increase visibility of emergency vehicles. The House found that 16 states at minimum allow for fire department vehicles to display blue lights.

The House also cited this study that finds blue and red lights to be “the most visible colors, with red lights being most visible in the daytime and blue lights being most visible at night”. As such, based on the study, the House finds that emergency vehicles should “use a combination of red and blue lights to maximize visibility under all ambient lighting conditions”.

Effective July 1, 2024, in Florida, for the use of blue lights on fire department vehicles to be legal, the governmental agency’s fire chief must provide written authorization, the lights must only go on the rear of the vehicle, the blue lights cannot be used on fire patrol or volunteer fire department vehicles, and the vehicle must have a gross weight of 24,000 pounds or greater. For reference, a standard sized fire engine usually weighs between 20,000 and 40,000 pounds.

It is also worth noting that House Bill 463 does not require eligible fire department vehicles to have rear blue lights. It only allows for fire departments to voluntarily add them. The House also suggests that this bill may have a positive economic impact on the private businesses that may be employed to retrofit blue lights onto fire department vehicles.

House Bill 463 was originally prepared by the Transportation Committee, filed on November 15, 2023; and unanimously voted through in the Senate and House with votes of 40-0 and 118-0, respectively. It was presented to Governor DeSantis on March 21, 2024, and he approved it on March 22, 2024.

For complete details on this new law, click here to read all three pages of House Bill 463. For the official summary of the bill, click here. 
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Article by Ema Tibbetts