ARTICLE 5. Fenders, Ornaments, and Television [27600 - 27607]
( Article 5 enacted by Stats. 1959, Ch. 3. )
No person shall operate any motor vehicle having three or more wheels, any trailer, or semitrailer unless equipped with fenders, covers, or devices, including flaps or splash aprons, or unless the body of the vehicle or attachments thereto afford adequate protection to effectively minimize the spray or splash of water or mud to the rear of the vehicle and all such equipment or such body or attachments thereto shall be at least as wide as the tire tread. This section does not apply to those vehicles exempt from registration, trailers and semitrailers having an unladen weight of under 1,500 pounds, or any vehicles manufactured and first registered prior to January 1, 1971,
having an unladen weight of under 1,500 pounds.
(Amended by Stats. 1970, Ch. 215.)
(a) A person shall not drive a motor vehicle if a television receiver, a video monitor, or a television or video screen, or any other similar means of visually displaying a television broadcast or video signal that produces entertainment or business applications, is operating and is located in the motor vehicle at a point forward of the back of the driver’s seat, or is operating and the monitor,
screen, or display is visible to the driver while driving the motor vehicle.
(b) Subdivision (a) does not apply to the following equipment when installed in a vehicle:
(1) A vehicle information display.
(2) A global positioning display.
(3) A mapping display.
(4) A visual display used to enhance or supplement the driver’s view forward, behind, or to the sides of a motor vehicle for the purpose of maneuvering the vehicle.
(5) A television receiver, video monitor, television or video screen, or any other similar means of visually displaying a television broadcast or video signal, if that equipment satisfies one of the following
requirements:
(A) The equipment has an interlock device that, when the motor vehicle is driven, disables the equipment for all uses except as a visual display as described in paragraphs (1) to (4), inclusive.
(B) The equipment is designed, operated, and configured in a manner that prevents the driver of the motor vehicle from viewing the television broadcast or video signal while operating the vehicle in a safe and reasonable manner.
(6) A mobile digital terminal that is fitted with an opaque covering that does not allow the driver to view any part of the display while driving, even though the terminal may be operating, installed in a vehicle that is owned or operated by any of the following:
(A) An electrical corporation, as defined in Section 218 of
the Public Utilities Code.
(B) A gas corporation, as defined in Section 222 of the Public Utilities Code.
(C) A sewer system corporation, as defined in Section 230.6 of the Public Utilities Code.
(D) A telephone corporation, as defined in Section 234 of the Public Utilities Code.
(E) A water corporation, as defined in Section 241 of the Public Utilities Code.
(F) A local publicly owned electric utility, as defined in Section 224.3 of the Public Utilities Code.
(G) A city, joint powers agency, or special district, if that local entity uses the vehicle solely in the provision of sewer service, gas service, water service, or
wastewater service.
(c) Subdivision (a) does not apply to a mobile digital terminal installed in an authorized emergency vehicle or to a motor vehicle providing emergency road service or roadside assistance.
(d) Subdivision (a) does not apply to a mobile digital terminal installed in a vehicle when the vehicle is deployed in an emergency to respond to an interruption or impending interruption of electrical, natural gas, telephone, sewer, water, or wastewater service, and the vehicle is owned or operated by any of the following:
(1) An electrical corporation, as defined in Section 218 of the Public Utilities Code.
(2) A gas corporation, as defined in Section 222 of the Public Utilities Code.
(3) A sewer system corporation, as defined in Section 230.6 of the Public Utilities Code.
(4) A telephone corporation, as defined in Section 234 of the Public Utilities Code.
(5) A water corporation, as defined in Section 241 of the Public Utilities Code.
(6) A local publicly owned electric utility, as defined in Section 224.3 of the Public Utilities Code.
(7) A city, joint powers agency, or special district, if that local entity uses the vehicle solely in the provision of sewer service, gas service, water service, or wastewater service.
(Amended by Stats. 2010, Ch. 328, Sec. 231. (SB 1330) Effective January 1, 2011.)
When a motor vehicle formerly used as a schoolbus is sold to any person and is used exclusively for purposes other than the transportation of pupils pursuant to Article 3 (commencing with Section 39830) of Chapter 5 of Part 23 of the Education Code, it shall be painted by the purchaser a color different than that prescribed by the Department of the California Highway Patrol for schoolbuses before it is operated on any street or highway other than to have the vehicle painted or moved to a place of storage.
The provisions of this section shall not apply where the ownership of a schoolbus is transferred to a
nonprofit organization under a contractual arrangement under which the ownership is required to be retransferred to the original owner within 90 days of the date of the original transfer.
(Amended by Stats. 1980, Ch. 676, Sec. 314.)
(a) When a motor vehicle, painted, as required by Section 40800, and formerly used in the enforcement of the provisions of Division 10 (commencing with Section 20000) or 11 (commencing with Section 21000), is sold to any person and is used for purposes other than law enforcement, the vehicle shall be painted or partially painted by the seller or agency formerly using such vehicle so that it will no longer resemble a vehicle complying with Section 40800 and any insignia or other marking of the vehicle identifying it as a traffic law enforcement vehicle shall be removed by the seller or agency formerly using such vehicle before it shall be operated on any street or highway, other than to have the vehicle moved to
be painted or to a place of storage.
(b) This section shall not apply to former law enforcement vehicles, without insignia, which are painted one solid color, or which are used exclusively for movie or television production and display signs stating “movie car” prominently on the doors, or which are motorcycles, as defined in Section 400, without insignia.
(c) This section shall not apply to a vehicle, if all of the following conditions are satisfied:
(1) The vehicle is possessed by a federal, state, or local historical
society or museum that is open to the public.
(2) The vehicle is secured from unauthorized operation.
(3) The vehicle is not operated on any public road or highway, unless one of the following applies:
(A) The vehicle is being operated within a temporary street closure for the purposes of celebrations, parades, local special events, and other purposes when the operation is approved by local authorities having jurisdiction over the street closure.
(B) The vehicle is of a model year of at least twenty-five years prior to the year of operation.
(Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 260, Sec. 1. (AB 309) Effective January 1, 2020.)
(a) No person shall own or operate a motor vehicle painted in the manner described in Section 40800 to resemble a motor vehicle used by a peace officer or traffic officer on duty for the primary purpose of enforcing the provisions of Division 10 (commencing with Section 20000) or Division 11 (commencing with Section 21000) pursuant to Section 40800.
(b) This section shall not apply to vehicles which are painted one solid color or to vehicles first registered on or before January 1, 1979. These provisions shall not apply to vehicles that are any of the following:
(1) Owned by vehicle
manufacturers or dealers.
(2) Used by law enforcement agencies in the enforcement of the provisions of Division 10 (commencing with Section 20000) or Division 11 (commencing with Section 21000).
(3) Owned by persons or companies who use the vehicles exclusively for movie or television production and display signs stating “movie car” prominently on the doors.
(4) Owned by persons or companies who use the vehicles exclusively for funeral escort purposes.
(5) Motorcycles, as defined in Section 400, without insignia.
(c) This section shall not apply to a vehicle, if all of the following conditions are
satisfied:
(1) The vehicle is possessed by a federal, state, or local historical society or museum that is open to the public.
(2) The vehicle is secured from unauthorized operation.
(3) The vehicle is not operated on any public road or highway, unless one of the following applies:
(A) The vehicle is being operated within a temporary street closure for the purposes of celebrations, parades, local special events, and other purposes when
the operation is approved by local authorities having jurisdiction over the street closure.
(B) The vehicle is of a model year of at least twenty-five years prior to the year of operation.
(Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 260, Sec. 2. (AB 309) Effective January 1, 2020.)
(a) No person shall own or operate a motor vehicle which is equipped with a light bar, or facsimile thereof, to resemble a motor vehicle used by a peace officer or traffic officer while on duty within that jurisdiction for the primary purpose of enforcing Division 10 (commencing with Section 20000) or Division 11 (commencing with Section 21000) pursuant to Section 40800.
(b) For purposes of this section the following definitions apply:
(1) A “light bar” means any light or device affixed to or mounted upon the roof of a vehicle and extending the width of the roof, or a substantial portion
thereof, which emits amber, red, or blue, or any combination of those lights.
(2) A “facsimile of a light bar” is any device designed or contrived to resemble a light bar regardless of the degree of light emission or lack thereof.
(c) This section shall not apply to a vehicle, if all of the following conditions are satisfied:
(1) The vehicle is possessed by a federal, state, or local historical society or museum that is open to the public.
(2) The vehicle is secured from unauthorized
operation.
(3) The vehicle is not operated on any public road or highway, unless one of the following applies:
(A) The vehicle is being operated within a temporary street closure for the purposes of celebrations, parades, local special events, and other purposes when the operation is approved by local authorities having jurisdiction over the street closure.
(B) The vehicle is of a model year of at least twenty-five years prior to the year of operation.
(Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 260, Sec. 3. (AB 309) Effective January 1, 2020.)
(a) Section 27606 does not apply to vehicles owned or used by persons licensed pursuant to Article 3.1 (commencing with Section 7540) or Article 3.2 (commencing with Section 7544) of Chapter 11.5 of, or Chapter 11.6 (commencing with Section 7590) of, Division 3 of the Business and Professions Code in the performance of their duties under those provisions.
(b) This section does not authorize those persons described in subdivision (a) to equip a vehicle with a light bar if prohibited by other provisions of existing law or regulation.
(Added by Stats. 1986, Ch. 759, Sec. 2.)