Tow Truck Lights: What Colors Are Legal in Each State
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6 minute read
Tow truck lights are amber in almost every state: amber is the standard warning color for wreckers and roadside service trucks, and many states require it. Red and blue are the exceptions. In 17 states a tow truck may show red in some situation, and in about 10 it may show blue, almost always only at the scene, only facing the rear, or only with a permit.
Below are the rules in all 50 states, what to run on the truck, and when the lights may be on.
Amber is the tow truck color, and many states require it
Amber warns drivers of a hazard without claiming the right-of-way the way red and blue do, and state codes usually group tow trucks with road maintenance, utility and service vehicles. Several states go further and require the light:
- North Carolina requires an amber flashing light on every wrecker, on at any crash or recovery scene (G.S. §20-130.2).
- Florida requires wreckers to run amber while performing recoveries and loading on the roadside, day or night (Fla. Stat. §316.2397).
- Maine requires an amber light visible all the way around the truck, a full 360 degrees (29-A M.R.S. §2054).
Some states also say which lights they accept. Minnesota, Idaho and Virginia allow only lamp types approved by their state police or public safety department, so check that list before you buy.
Red and blue are exceptions with conditions
Where a state allows red or blue on a tow truck, it attaches a condition. The common ones:
Only at the scene
Michigan allows red only while the wrecker is removing or assisting a vehicle. Arkansas allows red only while stopped within 10 feet of the road during a recovery.
Only to the rear
New York and Washington allow blue facing backward during the work. Arizona allows red to the rear, never to the front.
Only with permission
Nebraska needs the county sheriff's written OK for red or blue. Georgia grants red only by state permit, on proven need.
A few states make red standard equipment. Minnesota, Washington and Wisconsin require a red light on tow trucks, and Oregon requires warning lights that may be amber or red.
Tow truck light laws in all 50 states
Each row sums up the state's statute or rule, linked in the last column. "Move Over" means the state's Move Over law protects a stopped tow truck with its lights on.
| State | What a tow truck may show | Permit | Move Over | Law |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Amber or yellow only on vehicles the state designates; no wrecker-specific rule | State designation; none found for wreckers | Yes | Ala. Code §32-5A-115 |
| Alaska | Yellow (amber), required; lit only while preparing a tow or towing slowly | None | Yes | 13 AAC 04.095 |
| Arizona | Amber to the front; amber or red to the rear | DPS tow-truck permit | Yes | Ariz. Admin. Code R13-3-1104 |
| Arkansas | Amber; red only while stopped within 10 feet of the road during a recovery | Towing and Recovery Board permit or license | Yes | Ark. Code §27-51-905 |
| California | Amber only, and required; on freeways only for an unusual hazard | None | Yes | Veh. Code §25253 |
| Colorado | Yellow (amber) only, lit only while the truck creates a hazard | Designation as an authorized service vehicle | Yes | C.R.S. §42-4-214 |
| Connecticut | Yellow or amber | None for DMV-registered wreckers | Yes | C.G.S. §14-96q |
| Delaware | Amber, used only in hazardous conditions | State authorization; process not published | Yes | 21 Del. C. §4353 |
| Florida | Amber, required during roadside recoveries and loading | None | Yes | Fla. Stat. §316.2397 |
| Georgia | Amber, required at crashes and breakdowns; red only with a state permit based on need | None for amber; DPS permit for red | Yes | O.C.G.A. §40-8-35 |
| Hawaii | No statewide color rule; Honolulu lets designated tow vehicles flash amber | Honolulu designation after inspection | Yes | Honolulu ROH §15-19.22 |
| Idaho | Amber; red while blocking a lane during a recovery | None; lamps must be an approved type | Yes | Idaho Code §49-910A |
| Illinois | Amber, required at crash and breakdown scenes; white or green only together with amber | None | Yes | 625 ILCS 5/12-215 |
| Indiana | Amber, by implication; red with white or blue is barred | BMV recovery-vehicle registration | Yes | IC 9-20-9-9 |
| Iowa | Amber; DOT-certified tow trucks may show emergency lights at a scene or when police allow | Iowa DOT certificate for emergency lights | Yes | Iowa Code §321.423 |
| Kansas | No amber beacon rule; certified wreckers may show red, or red with white or blue, while stopped at a crash | KCC certificate of public service | Partly | K.S.A. 8-2010c |
| Kentucky | Yellow (amber) only, and required | Not addressed | Yes | KRS 189.920 |
| Louisiana | Amber only, lit at a disabled vehicle or while towing | Towing license plate | Yes | La. Admin. Code tit. 55, §1919 |
| Maine | Amber, required; optional green while loading off the road | None | Yes | 29-A M.R.S. §2054 |
| Maryland | Yellow or amber only, during official duties | MVA tow-truck registration for hire | Yes | Transp. §22-218 |
| Massachusetts | Amber only | None for amber; towing services are listed | Yes | 540 CMR 22.06 |
| Michigan | Amber; red while removing or assisting a vehicle at a crash or breakdown | None | Yes | MCL 257.698 |
| Minnesota | Red and amber both required: red during emergency service, amber while moving a disabled vehicle | None; lamps must be an approved type | Yes | Minn. Stat. §168B.16 |
| Mississippi | Amber only | Not addressed | Yes | §63-7-19 |
| Missouri | Red, or red and blue, while performing emergency service; amber not addressed | Written permit needed for blue | Yes | RSMo §307.175 |
| Montana | Red or amber roof lamp, or both; more red or amber at the scene | No light permit; annual tow-equipment inspection | Yes | MCA §61-9-416 |
| Nebraska | Amber; red, or red and blue, at a crash or breakdown outside Omaha and Lincoln | County sheriff's written OK for red or blue | Yes | §60-6,233 |
| Nevada | Amber; steady rear-facing blue at the scene | Highway Patrol permit to mount amber permanently | Yes | NRS 484D.185, 484D.475 |
| New Hampshire | Amber only, while reaching or servicing a disabled vehicle | None | Yes | RSA 266:78-i |
| New Jersey | Amber only, at a crash or breakdown and while towing | MVC permit: $25, good for four years | Yes | N.J.A.C. 13:24-4.1 |
| New Mexico | Any color but red while stopped and removing a vehicle; a state rule sets blue and amber for non-consent tows | State operating authority for non-consent towers | Yes | NMSA §66-3-835 |
| New York | Amber; blue, or blue and amber, to the rear only during the work | None | Yes | VTL §375(41) |
| North Carolina | Amber only, and required; on at crash and recovery scenes | None | Yes | G.S. §20-130.2 |
| North Dakota | Amber and white; flashing blue while stopped on a highway | None; wreckers are Class B emergency vehicles | Yes | N.D.C.C. §39-10-03.1 |
| Ohio | Amber only, while servicing or towing | None | Yes | ORC §4513.17 |
| Oklahoma | Class AA wreckers: red, blue or both at an emergency scene; amber only when leaving a call | Class AA wrecker license from DPS | Yes | 47 O.S. §12-218.1 |
| Oregon | Amber or red, and required; on while hooking up and servicing | None | Yes | ORS 816.280 |
| Pennsylvania | Yellow (amber) only, while doing the work | None; tow trucks are named in the law | Partly | 75 Pa.C.S. §4572 |
| Rhode Island | Amber only, while assisting or transporting a disabled vehicle | DMV flashing-lights permit: $25, expires December 31 | Yes | R.I. Gen. Laws §31-24-31 |
| South Carolina | Red at accident scenes only (another section limits red); amber under state wrecker rules | No light permit; rotation-list inspection | Yes | S.C. Code §56-5-4710 |
| South Dakota | Amber while working a disabled vehicle; blue only while clearing debris | None | Yes | SDCL 32-17-10 |
| Tennessee | Amber, or amber and white, while towing | None | Yes | TCA §55-9-402 |
| Texas | Amber; alternating red only while police direct it at a collision, or while hooking up | No light permit; TDLR towing license | Yes | Transp. Code §547.305 |
| Utah | Amber, required for UDOT certification | UDOT certification | Yes | Rule R909-19 |
| Vermont | Amber, and required | None | Yes | 23 V.S.A. §1252 |
| Virginia | Amber of an approved type, only while towing or servicing | None; lamp type approved by State Police | Yes | §46.2-1025 |
| Washington | Red required; amber and white only at the hookup; rear-facing blue at an emergency or crash scene | None | Yes | RCW 46.37.196 |
| West Virginia | Amber or yellow only | County sheriff's designation | Yes | §17C-15-26 |
| Wisconsin | Red required, only while standing to tow or service; amber while moving a disabled vehicle | None | Yes | §347.26(6) |
| Wyoming | White and amber; red and blue at any emergency scene | None | Partly | W.S. §31-5-928 |
Researched October 23, 2026, from each state's statutes and rules; a few were read on Cornell's Legal Information Institute or FindLaw where the state's site blocked access. "Partly" means the Move Over law covers only some tow trucks or some situations. Laws change, so confirm with your state before you buy or install lights. This is general information, not legal advice.
Keep the lights for the work
Most states tie tow lights to the job. New Hampshire allows them only to reach a disabled vehicle through traffic, to provide roadside service, or to load and unload. Virginia says they may be lit "only when performing the functions" that qualify the truck for them. Florida bars them on the way to and from a scene without specific authorization.
On the highway, the Move Over law is the reason to have them on. Every state's version protects a tow truck working with its lights on, though in Kansas, Pennsylvania and Wyoming the protection covers only some trucks or situations.
What to run on a tow truck
A wrecker needs light in three places: on top, so traffic sees it over the load; at the hookup, so the operator can see the work; and at the rear, where traffic arrives fastest.
- A tow lightbar on the cab or headache rack. The Fusion-A Tow 60” and 49” combine amber warning, white work lights that flood the hookup, and red stop-turn-tail lights that run with the truck's brakes and turn signals. Mounts include a headache-rack option.
- A beacon for a 360-degree light. The AM600 Beacon comes in amber or four other colors, has 20 flash patterns, syncs up to six units and runs on 12 or 24 volts.
- An arrow to move traffic over. A traffic advisor like the Quantum® Arrow points approaching drivers away from the lane you are working in.
Running a plow in winter too? See our amber light guide for plow trucks.
