Washington: Is it legal to put a train horn on a car?
Washington says no horn may make an unreasonably loud or harsh sound or a whistle, and bans sirens, whistles and bells on ordinary vehicles.
A car must have a working horn that can be heard from 200 feet. No horn or other warning device may emit an unreasonably loud or harsh sound or a whistle, and sirens, whistles and bells are limited to emergency vehicles, organ transport vehicles and theft alarms. Train horns aren't named, but a typical train horn very likely fails the loud-or-harsh rule.
Conditions
- Horn must be audible from at least 200 feet
- No unreasonably loud or harsh sound or whistle
- No siren, whistle or bell except permitted uses
- Horn may be used only when reasonably necessary for safe operation
What the law says
(1) Every motor 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 may emit an unreasonably loud or harsh sound or a whistle. The driver of a motor vehicle shall when reasonably necessary to insure safe operation give audible warning with his or her horn but shall not otherwise use such horn when upon a highway. (2) No vehicle may be equipped with nor may any person use upon a vehicle any siren, whistle, or bell, except as otherwise permitted in this section.
Sources
- RCW 46.37.380 Official · app.leg.wa.gov
Confirm with the state
- Agency
- Washington State Patrol, Equipment and Standards Section
- Phone
- (360) 596-4017
- Website
- wsp.wa.gov
How bordering states compare
- Idaho Allowed with limitsIdaho bans horns that make an unreasonably loud or harsh sound or a whistle, which a typical train horn likely fails.
- Oregon Allowed with limitsOregon has no express train-horn ban, but unreasonably loud or harsh horn sounds are illegal, and bells, sirens and certain whistles are banned.
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