GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 1999

SENATE BILL 172
RATIFIED BILL

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 for law enforcement purposes or any other vehicle when used by 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.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 23rd day of June, 1999.

	─────────────────── 
	Dennis A. Wicker
	President of the Senate

	─────────────────── 
	James B. Black
	Speaker of the House of Representatives

	─────────────────── 
	James B. Hunt, Jr.
	Governor

Approved 	.m. this 	 day of 	, 19