ROH §15-19.22
Rules for lights on vehicles and what colors are allowed
Read the official text at honolulu.gov ↗This section sets rules for lights on vehicles. Bright lights must not shine too far down the road. Red, green, or blue lights visible from the front are banned, except for emergency vehicles. Flashing lights are also banned, with specific exceptions for things like turn signals, tow trucks, and police cars.
everyone
The ordinance, as written (Honolulu County) — Special restrictions on lamps
A copy, taken August 22, 2026. The version published by Honolulu is the one that governs, and it may have changed since. Check it before relying on anything here.
(a) Any lighted lamp or illuminating device upon a motor vehicle that projects a beam of light of an intensity greater than 300 candlepower, other than head lamps, spot lamps, auxiliary lamps or flashing front direction signals, shall be so directed that no part of the beam will strike the level of the roadway on which the vehicle stands at a distance of more than 75 feet from the vehicle.
(b) No person shall drive or move any vehicle or equipment upon any highway with any lamp, reflector, or other device thereon or therein displaying a red or green or blue light visible to any driver or pedestrian upon the highway ahead of such vehicle or equipment. The foregoing provisions shall not apply to authorized emergency vehicles.
(c) Flashing lights are prohibited on or within any motor vehicle, except on an authorized emergency vehicle, a mechanical street sweeper as described in § 15-4.8 , an escort or other vehicle mentioned in § 15-21.13 , an authorized maintenance vehicle, an authorized tow vehicle, a vehicle using such light as a means for indicating a right or left turn, vehicles participating in a funeral procession required by § 15-24.4 (c) to display flashing amber lights, and a stopped or disabled vehicle indicating the presence of a vehicular traffic hazard as provided in § 15-19.13 (a)(3).
(d) No person shall drive or move any vehicle or equipment upon any highway with any lamp or other device therein or thereon emitting a flashing or revolving light. The foregoing prohibition, however, shall not apply to:
(1) An authorized emergency vehicle;
(2) A mechanical street sweeper as described in § 15-4.8 ;
(3) A vehicle using such light as a means for indicating a right or left turn;
(4) A vehicle using an amber flashing light when escorting, carrying, transporting, or drawing equipment or loads of excessive weight, width or height as mentioned in § 15-21.13 ;
(5) Authorized maintenance vehicles, authorized tow vehicles, and those vehicles participating in a funeral procession required by § 15-24.4 (c) to display flashing amber lights shall be permitted the use of flashing amber lights when answering emergency calls or when actually engaged in construction or maintenance work or in towing vehicles or when participating in a funeral procession. Such authorized vehicles shall be subject at all times to all traffic laws, and rules; and
(6) A taxicab using a flashing dome light sign to signal when a robbery is in progress.
(e) No person shall drive or move any vehicle or equipment upon any highway with any lamp, reflector, or other device thereon displaying a blue light visible to any driver or pedestrian upon the highway. The foregoing provisions, however, shall not apply to officers and employees of the Honolulu police department operating vehicles of the police department or vehicles privately owned, but used in the performance of duties with the approval of the chief of police.
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Published by the City and County of Honolulu through American Legal Publishing.
LawTrove is not legal advice. The summary above is a computer-generated restatement — the authoritative text is the official version linked above.