CS/HB 463 2024
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to lights displayed on fire department 2
vehicles; amending s. 316.2397, F.S.; authorizing 3
certain government-owned fire department vehicles to 4
show or display blue lights under certain 5
circumstances; providing an effective date. 6
7
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 8
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Section 1. Subsections (2) and (3) of section 316.2397, 10
Florida Statutes, are amended to read: 11
316.2397 Certain lights prohibited; exceptions. — 12
(2) It is expressly prohibited for any vehicle or 13
equipment to show or display blue lights , except the following: 14
(a) Police vehicles; 15
(b) Government-owned fire department vehicles, except 16
vehicles of the fire patrol or volunteer fire departments, with 17
a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 24,000 pounds if 18
authorized in writing by the fire chief of the government agency 19
and if shown or displayed only on the rear of such vehicles; 20
and, to show or display blue lights. However, 21
(c) Vehicles owned, operated, or leased by the Department 22
of Corrections or any county correctional agency may show or 23
display blue lights when responding to emergencies. 24
(3)(a) Vehicles of the fire department and fire patrol, 25
CS/HB 463 2024
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
including vehicles of volunteer firefighters as permitted under 26
s. 316.2398, may show or display red or red and white lights. 27
However, blue lights may be shown or displayed on fire 28
department vehicles in accordance with paragraph (2)(b). 29
(b) Vehicles of medical staff physicians or technicians of 30
medical facilities licensed by the state or of volunteer 31
ambulance services as authorized under s. 316.2398, ambulances 32
as authorized under this chapter, and buses and taxicabs as 33
authorized under s. 316.2399 may sh ow or display red lights. 34
(c) Vehicles of the fire department and, fire patrol, 35
police vehicles, and such ambulances and emergency vehicles of 36
municipal and county departments, volunteer ambulance services, 37
public service corporations operated by private corporations, 38
the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Department of 39
Environmental Protection, the Department of Transportation, the 40
Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and the 41
Department of Corrections as are designated or authoriz ed by 42
their respective department or the chief of police of an 43
incorporated city or any sheriff of any county may operate 44
emergency lights and sirens in an emergency. 45
(d) Wreckers, mosquito control fog and spray vehicles, and 46
emergency vehicles of govern mental departments or public service 47
corporations may show or display amber lights when in actual 48
operation or when a hazard exists provided they are not used 49
going to and from the scene of operation or hazard without 50
CS/HB 463 2024
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
specific authorization of a law enforc ement officer or law 51
enforcement agency. Wreckers must use amber rotating or flashing 52
lights while performing recoveries and loading on the roadside 53
day or night, and may use such lights while towing a vehicle on 54
wheel lifts, slings, or under reach if the operator of the 55
wrecker deems such lights necessary. A flatbed, car carrier, or 56
rollback may not use amber rotating or flashing lights when 57
hauling a vehicle on the bed unless it creates a hazard to other 58
motorists because of protruding objects. Further, e scort 59
vehicles may show or display amber lights when in the actual 60
process of escorting overdimensioned equipment, material, or 61
buildings as authorized by law. 62
(e) Vehicles owned or leased by private security agencies 63
may show or display green and amber lights, with either color 64
being no greater than 50 percent of the lights displayed, while 65
the security personnel are engaged in security duties on private 66
or public property. 67
Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024. 68