Illinois: Is it legal to put a train horn on a car?
Illinois bans horns that make an unreasonably loud or harsh sound or a whistle, which a typical train horn likely fails.
Illinois requires a working horn audible from at least 200 feet, but no horn or warning device may be unreasonably loud or harsh or emit a whistle. A separate rule bars sirens, whistles, and bells except on listed emergency vehicles. Air and train horns are not named, but a locomotive-style horn is likely to be treated as unreasonably loud. Drivers may sound the horn only when reasonably necessary for safety.
Conditions
- Horn may not be unreasonably loud or harsh
- No siren, whistle, or bell on non-emergency vehicles
- Horn use only when reasonably necessary for safety
What the law says
but no horn or other warning device shall emit an unreasonable loud or harsh sound or a whistle. ... No vehicle shall be equipped with nor shall any person use upon a vehicle any siren, whistle, or bell, except as otherwise permitted in this Section.
Sources
- 625 ILCS 5/12-601 (Illinois General Assembly) Official · ilga.gov
- 625 ILCS 5/12-601 (FindLaw reproduction) Mirror of official text · codes.findlaw.com
Confirm with the state
- Agency
- Illinois State Police
- Website
- isp.illinois.gov
How bordering states compare
- Indiana Allowed with limitsIndiana bans horns that make an unreasonably loud or harsh sound or a whistle, which a typical train horn likely fails.
- Iowa Allowed with limitsIowa bans horns that make an unreasonably loud or harsh sound or a whistle, which a typical train horn likely fails.
- Kentucky Allowed with limitsKentucky sets no horn loudness limit but bars sirens, whistles, and bells on non-emergency vehicles.
- 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.
- Wisconsin Allowed with limitsWisconsin bans sirens and compression or exhaust whistles, and forbids unreasonably loud or harsh horn sounds, but does not name air horns.