New Jersey: Is it legal to put a train horn on a car?
New Jersey bars any horn from making an unreasonably loud or harsh sound or a whistle, which a train horn likely breaks.
Every car needs a horn audible from 200 feet, but no horn may make an unreasonably loud or harsh sound or a whistle. Sirens, whistles and bells are banned except on authorized emergency vehicles, and so are exhaust-powered sound devices unless the state authorizes them. Air horns and train horns aren't named, so this is not an express ban, but a typical train horn likely fails the loudness rule.
Conditions
- Horn must not emit an unreasonably loud or harsh sound or a whistle
- Horn may be used only when reasonably necessary for safe operation
What the law says
Every motor vehicle except a motor-drawn 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 200 feet, 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
- N.J.S.A. 39:3-69 (FindLaw, current as of Jan. 1, 2024) Mirror of official text · codes.findlaw.com
Confirm with the state
- Agency
- New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission
- Phone
- 609-292-6500
- Website
- nj.gov
How bordering states compare
- Delaware Allowed with limitsDelaware has no train horn ban, but drivers may not use a horn to make an unreasonably loud or harsh sound.
- New York Allowed with limitsNew York has no express train-horn ban, but a car horn may not be unnecessarily loud or harsh.
- Pennsylvania Allowed with limitsPennsylvania bans whistles, whistle-like devices and any unreasonably loud or harsh sound device on vehicles driven on highways.
All 50 states for this question · Other topics in New Jersey