Section 165.
Cal. Vehicle Code - VEH § 165.
in effectAn authorized emergency vehicle is:
(a)
Any publicly owned and operated ambulance, lifeguard, or lifesaving equipment or any privately owned or operated ambulance licensed by the Commissioner of the California Highway Patrol to operate in response to emergency calls.
(b)
Any publicly owned vehicle operated by the following persons, agencies, or organizations:
(1)
Any federal, state, or local agency, department, or district employing peace officers as that term is defined in Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 830) of Part 2 of Title 3 of the Penal Code, for use by those officers in the performance of their duties.
(2)
Any forestry or fire department of any public agency or fire department organized as provided in the Health and Safety Code.
(c)
Any vehicle owned by the state, or any bridge and highway district, and equipped and used either for fighting fires, or towing or servicing other vehicles, caring for injured persons, or repairing damaged lighting or electrical equipment.
(d)
Any state-owned vehicle used in responding to emergency fire, rescue, or communications calls and operated either by the Office of Emergency Services or by any public agency or industrial fire department to which the Office of Emergency Services has assigned the vehicle.
(e)
(1)
Any vehicle owned or operated by a federally recognized Indian tribe used in responding to
emergency, fire, ambulance, or lifesaving calls. For the purposes of this section and the provisions of Sections 2501 and 2510, a vehicle used in responding to emergency, fire, ambulance, or lifesaving calls owned or operated by a federally recognized Indian tribe is considered an authorized emergency vehicle.
(2)
Any vehicle owned or operated by any department or agency of the United States government when the vehicle is used in responding to emergency fire, ambulance, or lifesaving calls or is actively engaged in law enforcement work.
(f)
Any vehicle for which an authorized emergency vehicle permit has been issued by the Commissioner of the California Highway Patrol.
References
referencesCal. Penal Code - PEN § 830.
referencesCal. Vehicle Code - VEH § 2501.
Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026