GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1999

S	3 

SENATE BILL 172
Judiciary I Committee Substitute Adopted 4/19/99
House Committee Substitute Favorable 5/26/99

Short Title:  Clarify Blue Lights Illegal.	(Public)

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Sponsors:

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Referred to:  

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February 25, 1999

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO CLARIFY WHEN THE POSSESSION OF BLUE LIGHTS IS ILLEGAL.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  G.S. 20-130.1 reads as rewritten:
"§ 20-130.1.  Use of red or blue lights on vehicles prohibited; exceptions.
…
(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 primarily for law enforcement purposes or any other vehicle used by a public official or law enforcement officers in the performance of their official duties.  As used in this subsection, unless the context requires otherwise, "blue light"means 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, 1999, and applies to offenses committed on or after that date.