Disclaimer

This article was written by a contributing author, and is not meant to be taken as legal advice, nor is it intended to replace the state statutes. Do your due diligence, cross-check the statutes linked, and communicate with your local municipalities, registrar, or commissioner to ensure that you remain compliant and avoid costly fees.

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State Overview

Kentucky has a fairly comprehensive and easy to follow set of statutes surrounding the use of LED lights and lighting. Everything that you need to know for your specific industry should fall within Kentucky Revised Statutes 189.910 and 189.950. The to-the-point statutes are easy to read for the average person. Double check the statutes surrounding your industry before equipping LED lighting to your fleet.

Note: Kentucky Revised Statute 189.910 defines an emergency vehicle as a vehicle owned and operated by:

• State Police
• Public Police Department
• Department of Corrections
• Sheriff’s Office
• Rescue Squad
• Emergency Management Agency
• Ambulance Service
• Commandeered Vehicle
• Coroners
• Conservation Officers of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife

Law Enforcement Statutes 

Police, Marshall, and Sheriff Vehicles

Police cars and police vehicles must be equipped with one or more flashing, rotating, or oscillating blue lights according to  Kentucky Revised Statute 189.920. This light must be visible at 500 feet to the front of the vehicle under normal atmospheric conditions. It must also be accompanied by an installed siren, whistle or bell that is audible at 500 feet. In addition, a green light may be equipped and only used if the emergency vehicle is used as a command post at an emergency scene. Cities and counties may also direct their police vehicles to have a red light installed in addition to the blue light.

Kentucky Revised Statute 189.940 allows police cars and police vehicles to disregard the posted speed limit and any other traffic law when responding to an emergency call. The police vehicle must do so while utilizing it’s LED emergency lights and while it is utilizing an audible signal, such as a bell, siren, or whistle. The police officer driving the law enforcement vehicle must do so with due regard to the safety of every other motor vehicle on the road or highway to prevent a car accident. 

It is required by Kentucky Revised Statute 189.930 for traffic to yield to police cars and police vehicles when they are utilizing their emergency lights. This is done by changing lanes, slowing down, or driving the vehicle to the side of the road or highway completely. This allows for the safe operation and passage of emergency personnel when responding to an emergency call. 

Fire and EMS Statues

Fire Trucks and Fire Chief SUVs

Fire trucks or vehicles owned and operated by the fire department must have one or more red light that is flashing, rotating, or oscillating that is visible at 500 feet under normal atmospheric conditions per Kentucky Revised Statute 189.920. The emergency lights must be accompanied with a siren, whistle, or bell that is audible at 500 feet. In addition to the red light, a fire truck or fire vehicle may come equipped with a green light that rotates, oscillates, or flashes and may be used when operating as a command post. 

Kentucky Revised Statute 189.940 permits fire trucks and other fire vehicles to disregard the posted speed limit and any other traffic law while responding to an emergency call with its emergency lights on and while using an audible signal such as a siren, whistle, or bell. Emergency personnel driving the fire truck or fire vehicle must do so with due regard to the safety of all traffic and every motor vehicle on the road or highway. 

Traffic is required to yield to a fire truck or fire department vehicle that is utilizing its emergency lights while responding to an emergency call according to Kentucky Revised Statute 189.930. This is done by changing lanes, slowing down, or driving their vehicle to the side of the road or highway to allow for the safe passage and operation of emergency personnel.

Volunteer Fire Fighter Vehicles

The same laws for fire vehicles apply to vehicles operated by volunteer firefighters except that the volunteer must gain permission from the fire chief to operate the emergency lighting. That means that, per Kentucky Revised Statute 189.920, they may equip their vehicle with one red light that flashes, oscillates, or rotates that is visible at 500 feet under normal atmospheric conditions. 

A volunteer firefighter may disregard the posted speed limit and any other traffic law as long as it is utilizing its red flashing lights while responding to an emergency call per Kentucky Revised Statute 189.940. They must do so with due regard to the safety of all traffic and motor vehicle on the road or highway to prevent a car accident.

Kentucky State Statute 189.930 requires traffic to yield to an emergency vehicle  that is utilizing its emergency lights while responding to an emergency call or while at an emergency scene. This is done by slowing down, changing lanes, or driving to the side of the road or highway completely. This allows emergency personnel to pass safely and provide lifesaving aid on scene.

Ambulance and EMT Vehicles

An ambulance or any other EMS vehicle that responds to emergency calls is required to be equipped with at least one red light that is oscillating, rotating, or flashing and is also visible at 500 feet under normal atmospheric conditions as indicated by Kentucky Revised Statute 189.920. If the ambulance or EMS vehicle is operating as a command station, then it must be equipped with, and display a green light that rotates, oscillates, or flashes. 

When an ambulance is utilizing its LED emergency lights and has an audible signal such as a bell, whistle, or siren on, it is permitted to disregard the posted speed limit or any other traffic law according to Kentucky Revised Statute 189.940. They must do so with due regard to the safety of every other motor vehicle on the road or highway.

Kentucky State Statute 189.930 mandates that traffic yield to an ambulance that has its emergency lights illuminated. This is done by changing lanes, slowing down, or driving to the side of the road or highway completely to allow emergency personnel to pass safely.

Commercial and Amber Statutes

Security Vehicles

Security vehicles are not mentioned under any of the Kentucky Revised statutes regarding the use of LED emergency lights. Per Kentucky Revised Statute 189.950, if your industries vehicle type is not mentioned, they are explicitly excluded from using yellow lights or any other LED lights.

Wreckers and Tow Trucks

As a public safety vehicle, a tow truck is permitted to utilize a yellow light that is flashing, rotating, or oscillating, and is visible at 500 feet under normal atmospheric conditions per Kentucky Revised Statute 189.920. Place of the LED lighting is not indicated under Kentucky law. 

While utilizing its emergency lights, a tow truck may park in places traffic is not generally permitted and may block lanes, if necessary, when servicing or loading a disabled vehicle and traffic must yield to allow tow truck drivers to operate safely. 

Tractors

Since tractors may be used with road construction that enhances the safety of the roads, they are considered a public safety vehicle. As such, Kentucky Revised Statute 189.920 says a tractor is permitted to have one or more flashing, rotating, or oscillating yellow lights that is visible at 500 feet under normal atmospheric conditions. This yellow light will warn traffic of the safety hazard present on the road due to slow moving tractors or other dangers that may occur due to their presence.

Utility Vehicles

Utility vehicles are listed as a public safety vehicle as they provide services to the community and ensure that public utilities are maintained. Kentucky Revised Statute 189.920 allows every public safety vehicle to be equipped with a yellow light that is flashing, oscillating, or rotating to warn traffic of the safety hazard that is present due to their presence on the road or highway. These lights must be visible at 500 feet under normal atmospheric conditions.

Traffic is required to yield to a utility vehicle that has its warning lights emitted by changing lanes and or slowing down. This creates a safe working environment for utility employees to work so that there isn’t an accident requiring EMS.

Pilot and Escort Vehicles

Kentucky Revised Statute 189.920 counts a pilot car or escort vehicle as a public safety vehicle and allows them to be equipped with one or more flashing, rotating, or oscillating yellow light. This light must be visible at 500 feet under normal atmospheric conditions and may only be used for wide loads or to alert traffic of the safety hazard from a slowing moving truck or trailer.

Construction Vehicles

Since a construction vehicle often provides services to roads and highways, it is considered a public safety vehicle. This means that they are allowed, per Kentucky Revised Statute 189.920, to be equipped with one or more yellow lights. The yellow lights must be rotating, oscillating, or flashing and must be visible at 500 feet under normal atmospheric conditions so that every motor vehicle is able to have ample reaction time to the safety hazard present on the road or highway. 

Funeral Procession

Funeral procession pilot vehicles are not necessarily public safety vehicles but Kentucky Revised Statute 189.920 permits them to qualify as one. This means that they are permitted to be equipped with a yellow flashing, rotating, or oscillating light that is visible at 500 feet under normal atmospheric conditions. This alerts traffic of the safety hazard present with the slow-moving procession and will aid in keeping the procession together. 

There wasn’t any mention in Kentucky law regarding the requirements for traffic to yield to a funeral procession, but there are generally regulations requiring traffic to yield to the procession. 

Personal Use 

Emergency Lights on Personal Vehicles

Under Kentucky law, the only personal vehicles that are permitted to display flashing lights or emergency lights are volunteer vehicles operated for EMS and the fire department. It is unclear whether a pilot vehicle or vehicle operated for a funeral procession may be privately owned or if they must be owned by an escort vehicle company.

Summary

Special Permits

Within Kentucky Revised Statutes 189.910-189.950, the only special permit that is declared necessary is for volunteer firefighters to obtain permission from the fire chief to equip their personal vehicle with flashing lights or red light to be used while on the way to emergency scene. No other permits are indicated.

Takeaway

Sometimes states allow additional vehicles to utilize LED emergency lights. The state of Kentucky permits the use of a red light on a school bus and has extensive provisions and regulations expressed for corrections department vehicles as well as coroner vehicles. Most states do not offer any special privileges for these departments, which makes Kentucky unique in its LED light permissions.

Please ensure that you are doing your due diligence and verifying the information above with the corresponding statutes and local municipalities if necessary for further clarification. This article is meant to be a point of reference and is not intended to be legal advice, nor should you use it as a replacement for the actual statutes surrounding your industry. Make sure that you are remaining compliant to avoid costly fines and penalties.