Arkansas · AR · Vehicles
Arkansas: Is it legal to put a train horn on a car?
Allowed with limits
Arkansas has no train horn ban, but no horn may make an unreasonably loud or harsh sound or a whistle.
Arkansas 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 the horn only when 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
(B) No horn or other warning device shall emit an unreasonably loud or harsh sound or a whistle.
Sources
- Ark. Code Ann. § 27-37-202 (FindLaw reproduction) Mirror of official text · codes.findlaw.com
Confirm with the state
- Agency
- Arkansas State Police
- Phone
- 501-618-8000
- Website
- dps.arkansas.gov
How bordering states compare
- Louisiana Allowed with limitsLouisiana bans horns that make an unreasonably loud or harsh sound or a whistle, which a typical train horn likely fails.
- Mississippi Allowed with limitsMississippi bars any horn from making an unreasonably loud or harsh sound or a whistle, which a train horn likely breaks.
- Missouri Allowed with limitsMissouri allows a horn or whistle but bars unnecessary noise and any other sound-producing signaling device, which may cover an added train horn.
- Oklahoma Allowed with limitsOklahoma has no express train-horn ban, but no horn or warning device may emit an unreasonably loud or harsh sound.
- Tennessee Allowed with limitsTennessee bans sirens and exhaust, compression or spark plug whistles, and forbids unreasonably loud or harsh horn sounds, without naming air horns.
- Texas Allowed with limitsTexas bans sirens, whistles and bells on ordinary vehicles, and says no horn may make an unreasonably loud or harsh sound.