A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to authorize the use of blue lights on fire apparatus.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 20‑130.1(c) reads as rewritten:
"(c)	It is unlawful for any person to possess a blue light or to install, activate, or operate a blue light in or on any vehicle in this State, except for a publicly owned vehicle used for law enforcement purposes, any other vehicle when used by law enforcement officers in the performance of their official duties, or the vehicle is a publicly owned automotive fire apparatus. Blue lights shall only be visible from the rear of an automotive fire apparatus when the parking brake is engaged and the on‑scene lights are activated. For purposes of this subsection, the term "automotive fire apparatus" means any of the following apparatus as they are defined in the most recent version of National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1901: Standard for Automotive Fire Apparatus: pumper fire apparatus, mobile foam fire apparatus, initial attack fire apparatus, quint fire apparatus, tanker fire apparatus, and aerial fire apparatus. As used in this subsection, unless the context requires otherwise, "blue light" means any blue light installed on a vehicle after initial manufacture of the vehicle; or an operable blue light which:
(1)	Is not (i) being installed on, held in inventory for the purpose of being installed on, or held in inventory for the purpose of sale for installation on a vehicle on which it may be lawfully operated or (ii) installed on a vehicle which is used solely for the purpose of demonstrating the blue light for sale to law enforcement personnel;
(1a)	Is designed for use by an emergency vehicle, or is similar in appearance to a blue light designed for use by an emergency vehicle; and
(2)	Can be operated by use of the vehicle's battery, the vehicle's electrical system, or a dry cell battery."
SECTION 2.  This act becomes effective December 1, 2021.