Do you hear a Priority siren tone? It sounds like it to me. I know that they're illegal in California.

Edited November 1, 201510 yr by starcraftguy1

The laws in California sort of contradict each other on this actually. The noises of a "priority tone" are indeed recognizable as that of an emergency vehicle, and is therefore a siren. But the fact that some priority tones may be too fast for California law means that they are also not a siren. Here's the literature for you:

It seems as thoug the 


13 CCR § 1021

Cal. Admin. Code tit. 13, § 1021

Barclays Official California Code of Regulations Currentness

Title 13. Motor Vehicles (Refs & Annos)

Division 2. Department of the California Highway Patrol

Chapter 4. Special Equipment

Article 8. Sirens

§ 1021. Definitions.


(a) A "siren" is an audible warning device that produces the readily recognizable warning sound identified with emergency vehicles. An audible device, such as a vehicle theft alarm, that produces a sound with one or more of the following characteristics is not a siren:


(1) an unvarying sound.


(2) a varying sound that cycles at a rate faster than 400 cycles per minute.


(3) a discontinuous sound that repeats at rates lower than 90 cycles per minute or higher than 400 cycles per minute.


(4) a sound frequency (and any second harmonics) lower than 100 Hz or higher than 5,000 Hz.

(b) An "authorized emergency vehicle siren" is a device that meets the requirements of this article.

(c) An "electromechanical siren" consists of a stator and rotor driven by an electric motor.

(d) An "electronic siren" consists of an oscillator, amplifier, and speaker.

(e) A "mechanical siren" consists of a stator and rotor driven by a mechanical connection to a moving part of the vehicle or engine.

(f) "Manual" means a siren control that allows the operator to produce a wailing sound by alternately applying and releasing a momentary contact switch.

(g) "Wail" is a siren sound producing a slow, continuous automatic cycling of increasing and decreasing frequencies and sound levels.

(h) "Yelp" is a siren sound producing a rapid, continuous automatic cycling of increasing and decreasing frequencies and sound levels.

(i) "Hi-Lo" means a nonsiren sound alternating between a fixed high and a fixed low frequency.

(j) "ANS" means a standard adopted by the American National Standards Institute, Inc., 1430 Broadway, New York, NY 10018.

(k) "SAE" means a standard or recommended practice of the Society of Automotive Engineers, 400 Commonwealth Drive, Warrendale, PA 15096.

Note: Authority cited: Section 26103, Vehicle Code. Reference: Sections 26103, 26104 and 27002, Vehicle Code.

13 CCR § 1021, 13 CA ADC § 1021
This database is current through 5/28/10 Register 2010, No. 22 
13 CA ADC § 1021

 

TLDR; there are more important things in the state of California to worry about.