Louisiana · LA · Vehicles
Louisiana: Is it legal to put a train horn on a car?
Allowed with limits
Louisiana bans horns that make an unreasonably loud or harsh sound or a whistle, which a typical train horn likely fails.
Louisiana requires a working horn audible from at least 200 feet, but no horn or warning device may emit an unreasonably loud or harsh sound or a whistle. A separate subsection bars sirens, whistles, and bells except as allowed, mainly for emergency vehicles. Air and train horns are not named, but a locomotive-style horn is likely to be treated as unreasonably loud.
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 unreasonably 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
- La. R.S. 32:351 Official · legis.la.gov
Confirm with the state
- Agency
- Louisiana State Police
- Phone
- 225-925-6006
- Website
- lsp.org
How bordering states compare
- Arkansas Allowed with limitsArkansas has no train horn ban, but no horn may make an unreasonably loud or harsh sound or a whistle.
- Mississippi Allowed with limitsMississippi bars any horn from making an unreasonably loud or harsh sound or a whistle, which a train horn likely breaks.
- Texas Allowed with limitsTexas bans sirens, whistles and bells on ordinary vehicles, and says no horn may make an unreasonably loud or harsh sound.