Arizona: Is it legal to put a train horn on a car?
Arizona has no train horn ban, but no horn may make an unreasonably loud or harsh sound or a whistle.
Arizona requires a working horn audible from 200 feet and bars any horn from making an unreasonably loud or harsh sound. Sirens, whistles, and bells are banned on ordinary vehicles. A train horn, built to sound like a locomotive, is likely to fail the loud-or-harsh rule, though the law sets no decibel number. Drivers may sound a horn only when reasonably needed for safety.
Conditions
- Horn must be audible from 200 feet
- No unreasonably loud or harsh sound or whistle
- Horn may be used only when reasonably necessary for safe operation
- No sirens, whistles, or bells on non-emergency vehicles
What the law says
A motor vehicle when operated on a highway shall be equipped with a horn that is in good working order and that is capable of emitting sound audible under normal conditions from a distance of at least two hundred feet. Any horn or other warning device shall not emit an unreasonably loud or harsh sound or a whistle.
Sources
- A.R.S. § 28-954 Official · azleg.gov
Confirm with the state
- Agency
- Arizona Department of Public Safety
- Phone
- 602-223-2000
- Website
- azdps.gov
How bordering states compare
- California Allowed with limitsCalifornia has no train horn ban, but no horn may make an unreasonably loud or harsh sound.
- Colorado Allowed with limitsColorado has no named train horn ban, but horns may not be unreasonably loud or harsh, and extra audible devices are barred.
- Nevada Allowed with limitsNevada bars any horn from making an unreasonably loud or harsh sound or a whistle, which a train horn likely breaks.
- New Mexico Allowed with limitsNew Mexico has no express train-horn ban, but every horn must make a harmonious sound, and sirens, whistles and bells are banned.
- Utah Allowed with limitsUtah says no horn may make an unreasonably loud or harsh sound or a whistle, and bans sirens, whistles and bells on ordinary vehicles.