Colorado: Is it legal to put a train horn on a car?
Colorado has no named train horn ban, but horns may not be unreasonably loud or harsh, and extra audible devices are barred.
Colorado requires a working horn audible from 200 feet and bars any horn from making an unreasonably loud or harsh sound. The law also bars any audible device beyond those it allows, such as the horn, theft alarms, and backup beepers. A train horn, built to sound like a locomotive, is likely to fail the loud-or-harsh rule, and a second add-on horn may also run into the ban on extra audible devices.
Conditions
- Horn must be audible from 200 feet
- No unreasonably loud or harsh sound
- No audible devices other than those the statute allows
- Horn may be used only when reasonably necessary for safe operation
What the law says
Every motor vehicle, when operated upon a highway, shall be equipped with a horn in good working order and capable of emitting sound audible under normal conditions from a distance of not less than two hundred feet, but no horn or other warning device shall emit an unreasonably loud or harsh sound, except as provided in section 42-4-213 (1) in the case of authorized emergency vehicles or as provided in section 42-4-222. ... No vehicle shall be equipped with nor shall any person use upon a vehicle any audible device except as otherwise permitted in this section.
Sources
- C.R.S. § 42-4-224 (public.law) Mirror of official text · colorado.public.law
Confirm with the state
- Agency
- Colorado State Patrol
- Phone
- 303-239-4500
- Website
- csp.colorado.gov
How bordering states compare
- Arizona Allowed with limitsArizona has no train horn ban, but no horn may make an unreasonably loud or harsh sound or a whistle.
- Kansas Allowed with limitsKansas bans horns that make an unreasonably loud or harsh sound or whistle, which a typical train horn likely fails.
- Nebraska Allowed with limitsNebraska bans sirens and exhaust whistles on vehicles and bars unnecessary or unreasonably loud or harsh horn use, which likely covers train horns.
- 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.
- Oklahoma Allowed with limitsOklahoma has no express train-horn ban, but no horn or warning device may emit an unreasonably loud or harsh sound.
- 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.
- Wyoming Allowed with limitsWyoming says no horn may make an unreasonably loud or harsh sound or a whistle, and bans sirens, whistles and bells on ordinary vehicles.