New Jersey Emergency Vehicle Light Laws: Blue Light Permits and the Amended Light Bar Rule

Key Takeaways

• N.J.S.A. 39:3-54.9 has been amended. Emergency warning lights in New Jersey may now be removable or permanently attached and may be blue light-bar type, in accordance with specifications prescribed by the chief administrator.
• The 7.5-inch diameter limit and 51 candlepower limit widely cited for New Jersey volunteer warning lights appear in a superseded version of N.J.S.A. 39:3-54.9 and are not in the current text.
• New Jersey assigns blue to rank-and-file volunteer members and red to volunteer fire chiefs and first assistant chiefs. Reversing the two is a common and visible compliance error.
• Eligible to mount blue warning lights under N.J.S.A. 39:3-54.7 are active members in good standing of a volunteer fire company, a volunteer first aid or rescue squad, or a county or municipal volunteer Office of Emergency Management whose official duties include responding to a fire or emergency call.
• Under N.J.S.A. 39:3-54.8, New Jersey emergency warning lights may be operated only while the vehicle is being used in answering a fire or emergency call.
• The Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission may not require a member to specify which motor vehicles the emergency warning light may be mounted on.

New Jersey's volunteer warning light framework sits in N.J.S.A. 39:3-54.7 et seq., originally enacted as P.L.1977, c.223. It covers who may run a blue light, when, what the light must be, and where it goes on the vehicle.

There is an important update here that a large share of published guidance still gets wrong. The specification section, 39:3-54.9, has been amended. Guides that still cite a 7.5-inch diameter limit and a 51 candlepower limit for temporarily attached lights describe a version of the statute that is no longer current.

Light Bars Are Now Included

The New Jersey Division of Fire Safety publishes Fire Service Reference Booklet 5, Emergency Lights, which reproduces the operative sections. Comparing the October 2014 edition with the September 2023 edition shows the change clearly.

The older text of 39:3-54.9 required emergency warning lights to be temporarily attached, removable lights of the flashing or revolving type, not more than 7.5 inches in diameter, equipped with a blue lens and a lamp of not more than 51 candlepower, controlled by a switch inside the vehicle.

The current text reads differently. Emergency warning lights shall be removable or permanently attached, of the flashing or revolving type, equipped with a blue lens and controlled by a switch installed inside the vehicle, or shall be blue of the light bar type, in accordance with the specifications prescribed by the chief administrator.

Three substantive changes follow from that. Permanent mounting is now expressly allowed. The 7.5-inch diameter cap is gone. The 51 candlepower cap is gone, which matters enormously given that the figure was written for incandescent lamps and makes little sense applied to modern LED output. And blue light bars are now expressly named as a permitted form factor.

Who May Mount a Blue Light?

Section 39:3-54.7 authorizes an active member in good standing of a volunteer fire company, a volunteer first aid or rescue squad recognized by and rendering service in any municipality, or any county or municipal volunteer Office of Emergency Management recognized by and rendering service in any county or municipality, provided the member's official duties include responding to a fire or emergency call.

The section also provides that the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission shall not require the member to specify on which motor vehicles the light may be mounted. That is a useful flexibility for members who run more than one vehicle.

Permits are administered through the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, with local approval requirements. Verify the current application path with your department and the MVC before ordering.

Color By Class

New Jersey is unusual in assigning blue to rank and file volunteers while reserving red for volunteer chiefs. Getting this backwards is a common error on POV builds, and it is visible to any officer who knows the state's system.

Time of operation and placement

Section 39:3-54.8 is short and absolute. Emergency warning lights may be operated only while the vehicle is being used in answering a fire or emergency call. There is no commuting allowance, no scene staging allowance beyond the call, and no discretionary use.

Section 39:3-54.10 governs placement. Historically, the rule allowed no more than two emergency warning lights, with a single light installed in the center of the roof, on the left windshield column where a spotlight is normally located, or on the front of the vehicle no higher than the top of the headlights. Two lights could be placed on the windshield columns on each side, or on either side of the roof. Mixing one roof position with one windshield column position was not permitted.

Because the specification section has been amended to accommodate light bars, confirm the current placement text and any chief administrator specifications directly against Reference Booklet 5 before finalizing a mounting plan.

No Right of Way

New Jersey states it plainly: a member displaying emergency warning lights shall drive with due regard for the safety of all persons and shall obey all the traffic laws of this State. The blue light asks other drivers for courtesy. It does not grant privilege, and it does not exempt the driver from anything.

What to Buy For a New Jersey POV

With the specification amended, New Jersey volunteers have far more equipment available than the old guidance suggests. Blue mini lightbars and interior and undercover lightbars are now clearly in scope, alongside traditional dash and window mount units.

For a cleaner install on a personal daily driver, hide-away LEDs and grille mount lightheads remain popular. Volunteer chiefs running red should look at the same form factors in red.

Because the chief administrator sets specifications, keep documentation of the equipment you install. If you would rather have it done to spec, our installation and service team can handle it, and dealer pricing is available to departments and squads.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can New Jersey volunteer firefighters use a light bar?

The current text of N.J.S.A. 39:3-54.9 provides that emergency warning lights shall be removable or permanently attached, of the flashing or revolving type with a blue lens, or shall be blue of the light bar type in accordance with specifications prescribed by the chief administrator. Older guidance describing a 7.5-inch and 51 candlepower limit on temporarily attached lights reflects a prior version.

What color light do New Jersey volunteer firefighters use?

Blue. Active members in good standing of a volunteer fire company, volunteer first aid or rescue squad, or county or municipal volunteer OEM may mount blue emergency warning lights under N.J.S.A. 39:3-54.7. Volunteer fire chiefs and first assistant chiefs use red.

When can New Jersey blue lights be used?

N.J.S.A. 39:3-54.8 limits operation to while the vehicle is being used in answering a fire or emergency call, and no other time.

Does a New Jersey blue light give right of way?

No. A member displaying emergency warning lights must drive with due regard for the safety of all persons and obey all traffic laws of the State.

Last Updated & Disclaimer

Last reviewed: August 2026. This page summarizes N.J.S.A. 39:3-54.7 et seq. and related provisions for general informational purposes. It is not legal advice. Statutes are amended and agency requirements change. Confirm current requirements with the official sources linked above, your department or agency, and the relevant state motor vehicle authority before purchasing or installing warning equipment.