California Vehicles Permitted to Use Emergency Vehicle Lights
V C Sect 165An authorized emergency vehicle is:
(a) Any publicly owned and operated ambulance, lifeguard, or lifesaving equipment or any privately owned or operated ambulance licensed by the Commissioner of the California Highway Patrol to operate in response to emergency calls.
(b) Any publicly owned vehicle operated by the following persons, agencies, or organizations:
(1) Any federal, state, or local agency, department, or district employing peace officers as that term is defined in Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 830) of Part 2 of Title 3 of the Penal Code, for use by those officers in the performance of their duties.
(2) Any forestry or fire department of any public agency or fire department organized as provided in the Health and Safety Code.
(c) Any vehicle owned by the state, or any bridge and highway district, and equipped and used either for fighting fires, or towing or servicing other vehicles, caring for injured persons, or repairing damaged lighting or electrical equipment.
(d) Any state-owned vehicle used in responding to emergency fire, rescue, or communications calls and operated either by the California Emergency Management Agency or by any public agency or industrial fire department to which the California Emergency Management Agency has assigned the vehicle.
(e) Any vehicle owned or operated by any department or agency of the United States government when the vehicle is used in responding to emergency fire, ambulance, or lifesaving calls or is actively engaged in law enforcement work.
(f) Any vehicle for which an authorized emergency vehicle permit has been issued by the Commissioner of the California Highway Patrol.
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Every authorized emergency vehicle shall be equipped with at least one steady burning red warning lamp visible from at least 1,000 feet to the front of the vehicle to be used as provided in this code.
In addition, authorized emergency vehicles may display revolving, flashing, or steady red warning lights to the front, sides or rear of the vehicles.