Ohio Emergency Vehicle Light Laws: Colors, Classes and the Public Safety Vehicle Decal

Key Takeaways

• Ohio prohibits flashing lights on motor vehicles by default under Ohio Revised Code § 4513.17(C)(1), with a defined list of exceptions covering emergency vehicles, road service and towing, waste collection, rural mail delivery, highway maintenance and farm machinery.
• A volunteer firefighter's personal vehicle in Ohio qualifies as a public safety vehicle under ORC § 4511.01(E)(3) only when properly identified as required by the director of public safety. Color compliance alone is not sufficient.
• The Ohio State Fire Marshal is the certifying agency for volunteer public safety vehicles. The process requires an Ohio State Highway Patrol safety inspection, a decal application submitted by the fire department, and annual renewal.
• Ohio public safety vehicle decals consist of a Maltese Cross and a date sticker placed in the lower right-hand corner of the windshield, and the vehicle function is designated VF for volunteer fire fighter, VR for volunteer rescue, or both.
• Ohio fire departments must be current on submittal of fire incident reports before public safety vehicle decals will be issued to their members.
• A 2022 amendment to ORC § 4513.17 added stationary waste collection vehicles actively collecting garbage, refuse, trash or recyclable materials on the roadside to the list of vehicles permitted to display flashing, oscillating or rotating amber lights.

Most guides to Ohio warning light law stop at Ohio Revised Code § 4513.17 and list colors by vehicle type. That is the easy half. The half that actually determines whether a volunteer's personal vehicle is legal in Ohio sits in ORC § 4511.01(E) and in a certification program run by the Division of State Fire Marshal.

Ohio does not simply say volunteers may use red lights. It says a private vehicle is a public safety vehicle when properly identified as required by the director of public safety, and it designates the State Fire Marshal as the certifying agency. No certification, no public safety vehicle, no lights.

The Default Rule Under ORC 4513.17

Division (C)(1) prohibits flashing lights on motor vehicles except as a turn signal or in the presence of a vehicular traffic hazard requiring unusual care in approaching, overtaking or passing. Division (C)(2) then lists what the prohibition does not apply to.

The current exception list covers emergency vehicles, road service vehicles servicing or towing a disabled vehicle, stationary waste collection vehicles actively collecting garbage, refuse, trash or recyclable materials on the roadside, rural mail delivery vehicles, vehicles under ORC § 4513.182, highway maintenance vehicles and similar equipment operated by the department or local authorities, all displaying a flashing, oscillating or rotating amber light when used for the special purpose necessitating it.

Two more categories follow: vehicles or machinery permitted by ORC § 4513.111 to have a flashing red light, and farm machinery and vehicles escorting farm machinery displaying amber. Animal-drawn vehicles under ORC § 4513.114 are separately excluded from the prohibition.

One correction worth making, because it circulates widely: ORC § 4513.182 is not a volunteer warning light provision. It governs vehicles operated by nursery schools, kindergartens and child care centers transporting preschool children, which must display two amber flashing lights on a roof bar together with a "caution, children" sign meeting standards adopted by the director of public safety.

The Public Safety Vehicle Decal Program

ORC § 4511.01(E)(3) defines a public safety vehicle to include any motor vehicle, when properly identified as required by the director of public safety, used in response to fire emergency calls or to provide emergency medical service, operated by a duly qualified member of a volunteer rescue service or volunteer fire department who is on duty pursuant to the rules or directives of that service. The section designates the State Fire Marshal as the certifying agency for those vehicles.

The Division of the State Fire Marshal publishes the process. In outline: the vehicle is inspected by the Ohio State Highway Patrol and must pass a safety inspection; the fire department retains a copy of that inspection; the department submits a decal application to the State Fire Marshal, and the authorization is renewed annually.

The decal itself is a Maltese Cross with a date sticker, placed in the lower right-hand corner of the windshield. Inspection stickers designate vehicle function as VF for volunteer firefighter, VR for volunteer rescue, or both, along with the member's unit of locality.

Two operational details catch departments out. Fire departments must be current on submittal of fire incident reports before decals are issued. And a chief may only request that a member's vehicle be designated for that chief's own department, so a member serving two agencies needs each department to inspect the vehicle and list the individual separately.

Color By Class in Ohio

Right of Way is a Separate Question

Being a public safety vehicle in Ohio does carry operational privileges under ORC § 4511.041 when responding to an emergency call, which is precisely why the certification requirement exists and why it is enforced through inspection rather than self-declaration.

That also means the consequences of running uncertified are not trivial. A volunteer displaying red lights on a vehicle that has not been certified is not an unlucky technicality case. It is an uncertified vehicle claiming a status the statute conditions on certification.

Equipment For an Ohio Build

Because Ohio certification includes an OSHP safety inspection of the whole vehicle, a clean, professional install matters more than in states where only the color is checked. Hide-away LEDs and dash and window-mount lights are the usual choices for a certified POV in red or red and white.

Departments running apparatus should look at full-size light bars and sirens and speakers. We stock Whelen, Federal Signal, and SoundOff Signal for municipal specifications.

Ohio's amber classes are broad. Tow operators should start with tow light bars, refuse and municipal fleets with amber lights and 360-degree beacons, and plow operators with snow plow and winter lighting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do Ohio volunteer firefighters need a permit for red lights?

Ohio requires certification rather than a simple permit. Under ORC § 4511.01(E)(3) a private vehicle is a public safety vehicle only when properly identified as required by the director of public safety, and the State Fire Marshal is the certifying agency. The process includes an Ohio State Highway Patrol safety inspection, a department-submitted decal application, and annual renewal.

What is the Ohio Public Safety Vehicle decal?

It is a Maltese Cross decal with a date sticker, placed in the lower right-hand corner of the windshield, issued by the Division of State Fire Marshal. Inspection stickers designate the vehicle function as VF for volunteer firefighter, VR for volunteer rescue, or both.

Can waste collection trucks use flashing lights in Ohio?

Yes. A 2022 amendment to ORC § 4513.17 added stationary waste collection vehicles actively collecting garbage, refuse, trash, or recyclable materials on the roadside to the list of vehicles that may display a flashing, oscillating, or rotating amber light.

What does Ohio Revised Code 4513.182 cover?

It governs vehicles owned, leased, or hired by nursery schools, kindergartens, and child care centers transporting preschool children, which must display two amber flashing lights mounted on a roof bar together with a sign reading "caution, children." It is not a volunteer warning light provision.

Last Updated & Disclaimer

Last reviewed: September 2026. This page summarizes Ohio Rev. Code §§ 4513.17, 4511.01(E), 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.