New Jersey S 4968: Authorizes certain emergency coordinators to operate emergency lights on vehicles.

Bill Text

SENATE, No. 4968
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE

INTRODUCED DECEMBER 8, 2025

Sponsored by:
Senator CARMEN F. AMATO, JR.
District 9 (Ocean)

SYNOPSIS
Authorizes certain emergency coordinators to operate emergency lights on
vehicles.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.

S4968 AMATO
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EXPLANATION – Matter enclosed in bold-faced brackets [thus] in the above bill is
not enacted and is intended to be omitted in the law.

Matter underlined thus is new matter.

AN ACT concerning the display of emergency warning lights on 1
certain vehicles and amending P.L.1977, c.223 and P.L.1985, 2
c.171. 3
4
BE IT ENACTED by the Senate and General Assembly of the State 5
of New Jersey: 6
7
1. Section 1 of P.L.1977, c.223 (C.39:3-54.7) is amended to 8
read as follows: 9
1. a. An active member in good standing of any of the 10
following organizations may mount and operate, on a motor vehicle 11
operated by that member, an emergency warning light or lights as 12
provided in P.L.1977, c.223 (C.39:3-54.7 et seq.): 13
(1) a volunteer fire company or a volunteer first aid or rescue 14
squad recognized by and rendering service in any municipality; 15
[or] 16
(2) any county or municipal volunteer Office of Emergency 17
Management recognized by and rendering service in any county or 18
municipality, provided the member's official duties include 19
responding to a fire or emergency call ; 20
(3) a county fire coordinator or deputy county fire coordinator, 21
as defined in section 3 of P.L.2003, c.28 (C.52:14E-13); or 22
(4) a county emergency medical services coordinator or deputy 23
county emergency medical services coordinator. 24
b. The Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle 25
Commission shall not require the member to specify on which 26
motor vehicles the emergency warning light or lights may be 27
mounted. 28
(cf: P.L.2005, c.218, s.1) 29
30
2. Section 5 of P.L.1977, c.223, (C.39:3-54.11) is amended to 31
read as follows: 32
5. a. (1) The Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor 33
Vehicle Commission shall prepare suitable identification cards in a 34
form and manner prescribed by and bearing the signature of the 35
chief administrator which, upon the request of the mayor or chief 36
executive officer of any municipality recognizing and being served 37
by a volunteer fire company or a volunteer first aid or rescue squad 38
[on a form and in a manner prescribed by the chief administrator], 39
shall be forwarded to the mayor or chief executive officer, to be 40
countersigned and issued by the mayor or chief executive officer to 41
the members in good standing of the volunteer fire company or first 42
aid or rescue squad. 43
(2) The chief administrator shall prepare suitable identification 44
cards in a form and manner prescribed by and bearing the signature 45

S4968 AMATO
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of the chief administrator which, upon the request of a county 1
executive or director of a board of county commissioners 2
recognizing and being served by a county fire coordinator, deputy 3
county fire coordinator, county emergency medical services 4
coordinator or deputy county emergency medical services 5
coordinator, shall be forwarded to the county executive or director 6
to be countersigned and issued by the county executive or director 7
to the county fire coordinator, deputy county fire coordinator, 8
county emergency medical services coordinator, or deputy county 9
emergency medical services coordinator. 10
b. Identification cards issued pursuant to subsection a. of this 11
section and sections 5 and 6 of P.L.2005, c.34 (C.39:3-54.22 and 12
C.39:3-54.23) shall be considered permits to mount and operate 13
emergency warning lights as provided for in P.L.1977, c.223 14
(C.39:3-54.7 et seq.) and shall apply to any motor vehicle driven by 15
the [member of a volunteer fire company, a volunteer first aid or 16
rescue squad or a volunteer Office of Emergency Management] the 17
individual issued the identification card. Emergency warning lights 18
shall not be mounted prior to the issuance of the identification 19
cards. Each [member of a volunteer fire company, a volunteer first 20
aid or rescue squad or a volunteer Office of Emergency 21
Management must] individual issued an identification card shall 22
carry the identification card while an emergency warning light or 23
lights are operated on the vehicle. 24
(cf: P.L.2005, c.218, s.4) 25
26
3. Section 6 of P.L.1977, c.223 (C.39:3-54.12) is amended to 27
read as follows: 28
6. Nothing contained herein is intended to grant to any 29
[member of a volunteer fire company, a volunteer first aid or rescue 30
squad or a volunteer Office of Emergency Management] individual 31
authorized to operate emergency warning lights any privileges or 32
exemptions denied to the drivers of other vehicles [, and such 33
members] . An authorized individual operating emergency warning 34
lights shall drive with due regard for the safety of all persons and 35
shall obey all the traffic laws of this Stat