Pennsylvania: Is it legal to put a train horn on a car?
Pennsylvania bans whistles, whistle-like devices and any unreasonably loud or harsh sound device on vehicles driven on highways.
Pennsylvania requires a horn of a type approved by PennDOT. No vehicle driven on a highway may be equipped with a siren, bell, whistle, any device emitting a similar sound, or any unreasonably loud or harsh sound. Train horns are not named, but a typical one likely fails the loud-or-harsh test. State safety inspection rules tell inspectors to reject vehicles fitted with such devices.
Conditions
- Horn must be a PennDOT-approved type
- No siren, bell, whistle or similar-sounding device
- No device emitting an unreasonably loud or harsh sound
- Fails state safety inspection if so equipped
What the law says
Except as specifically provided in this part or by regulations of the department, no vehicle operated on a highway shall be equipped with a siren, bell, whistle or any device emitting a similar sound or any unreasonably loud or harsh sound.
Sources
- 75 Pa.C.S. § 4535 Official · palegis.us
- 67 Pa. Code § 175.80(b)(3) (inspection procedure) Mirror of official text · law.cornell.edu
Confirm with the state
- Agency
- PennDOT Driver and Vehicle Services
- Phone
- 717-412-5300
- Website
- pa.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.
- Maryland Allowed with limitsMaryland bans horns that make an unreasonably loud or harsh sound or a whistle, which a typical train horn likely fails.
- New Jersey Allowed with limitsNew Jersey bars any horn from making an unreasonably loud or harsh sound or a whistle, which a train horn likely breaks.
- New York Allowed with limitsNew York has no express train-horn ban, but a car horn may not be unnecessarily loud or harsh.
- Ohio Allowed with limitsOhio sets no loudness limit for horns but bans sirens, whistles and bells on ordinary vehicles; whether that covers train horns is unsettled.
- West Virginia Allowed with limitsWest Virginia bars unreasonably loud or harsh horns and whistles, and bans sirens, whistles and bells on ordinary vehicles.
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