Are Car Strobe Lights Illegal for Private Vehicles?

It is legal for anyone to buy car strobe lights for their private vehicles. However, the laws surrounding the usage of strobe lights for your personal vehicle vary greatly state by state. 

By and large, in most states, car strobe lights are not allowed on public roads, but are permitted on private property. 

What does that mean in practical terms? If you’re shopping for car strobe lights for an upcoming car show, then you’re in the clear. Strobe lights will immediately wow the crowds when you’re at an auto show and you won’t have to worry about breaking the law. 

Farmers also can use strobe lights on their vehicles while on their farms. Strobe lights can help farmers patrol their fields for intruders and examine their crowd yield even when it’s dark out.

Security vehicles on private property can get a lot of use out of car strobe lights for surveillance, too. These security vehicles can patrol places ranging from business parking lots to amusement parks. 

We’ve all seen red and blue car strobe lights on emergency vehicles like police cars, fire trucks, and ambulances. These vehicles often use their strobe lights in combination with sirens so that they can alert their fellow drivers as quickly as possible to their presence. 

Generally speaking, red and blue strobe lights, when a vehicle is on a public road, are only legal on fire trucks, police cars, and ambulances. This is because these two colors are associated with emergency situations. Red and blue flashing lights immediately alert pedestrians and commercial drivers to change lanes or pull to the side of the road as needed. In most places, there is a heavy fine for attempting to impersonate a police officer by using red or blue strobe lights.