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Colo. Rev. Stat. § 42-4-238

Blue and red lights - illegal use or possession

Colorado · Colorado Revised Statutes Title 42 — Vehicles and Traffic · Status: effective

Public Safety & Emergency
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Colo. Rev. Stat. § 42-4-238, Blue and red lights - illegal use or possession, Colorado, version 1 as recorded 2026-10-03, yourstate.us, https://yourstate.us/provision/2320592
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(1) A person shall not be in actual physical control of a vehicle, except an authorized emergency vehicle as defined in section 42-1-102 (6), that the person knows contains a lamp or device that is designed to display, or that is capable of displaying if affixed or attached to the vehicle, a red or blue light visible directly in front of the center of the vehicle. (2) It shall be an affirmative defense that the defendant was: (a) A peace officer as described in section 16-2.5-101, C.R.S.; or (b) In actual physical control of a vehicle expressly authorized by a chief of police or sheriff to contain a lamp or device that is designed to display, or that is capable of displaying if affixed or attached to the vehicle, a red or blue light visible from directly in front of the center of the vehicle; or (c) A member of a volunteer fire department or a volunteer ambulance service who possesses a permit from the fire chief of the fire department or chief executive officer of the ambulance service through which the volunteer serves to operate a vehicle pursuant to section 42-4-222 (1)(b); or (d) A vendor who exhibits, sells, or offers for sale a lamp or device designed to display, or that is capable of displaying, if affixed or attached to the vehicle, a red or blue light; or (e) A collector of fire engines, fire suppression vehicles, or ambulances and the vehicle to which the red or blue lamps were affixed is valued for the vehicle's historical interest or as a collector's item. (3) A violation of this section is a class 2 misdemeanor.