South Dakota: Is it legal to put a train horn on a car?
South Dakota bans exhaust horns, sirens and harsh whistles, and forbids unreasonably loud or harsh horn sounds, but does not name air horns.
A car must have a working horn that can be heard from 200 feet. State law bans sirens, compression or spark plug whistles, exhaust horns, and whistles that don't make a harmonious sound, and it makes any unreasonably loud or harsh horn sound a Class 2 misdemeanor. A train horn runs on compressed air, not engine exhaust, so the exhaust-horn ban doesn't clearly cover it, but its blast is very likely to count as unreasonably loud or harsh.
Conditions
- Horn must be audible from at least 200 feet
- No exhaust horn, siren, or compression or spark plug whistle
- No unreasonably loud or harsh horn sound
- Horn may be used only as a reasonable warning
What the law says
It is a Class 2 misdemeanor, except as otherwise provided in § 32-15-12, for any vehicle to be equipped with or for any person to use upon a vehicle any siren, or any compression or spark plug whistle, or any exhaust horn, or whistle which does not produce a harmonious sound, or for any person at any time to use a horn otherwise than a reasonable warning or to make any unnecessary or unreasonably loud or harsh sound by means of a horn or other warning device.
Sources
- SDCL 32-15-11 Official · sdlegislature.gov
- SDCL 32-15-10 Official · sdlegislature.gov
- SDCL 32-15-12 Official · sdlegislature.gov
Confirm with the state
- Agency
- South Dakota Highway Patrol
- Phone
- (605) 773-3105
- Website
- sdtruckinfo.sd.gov
How bordering states compare
- Iowa Allowed with limitsIowa bans horns that make an unreasonably loud or harsh sound or a whistle, which a typical train horn likely fails.
- Minnesota Allowed with limitsMinnesota bars horns that are unreasonably loud or harsh or that whistle, and only emergency vehicles may carry sirens, whistles or bells.
- Montana Allowed with limitsMontana bars any horn from making an unreasonably loud or harsh sound or a whistle, which a train horn likely breaks.
- 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.
- North Dakota Allowed with limitsNorth Dakota has no express train-horn ban, but no horn may make an unreasonably loud or harsh sound or a whistle.
- 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.
All 50 states for this question · Other topics in South Dakota