Are Purple Flashing Lights Legal in Ontario?

What “Unregulated” Actually Means for Ontario Tow Trucks

Purple warning lights have become one of the most debated topics in Ontario's towing and roadside-safety community. Some people insist that purple belongs exclusively to funeral vehicles. Others assume that because the Highway Traffic Act does not specifically reserve purple, there are no limits at all.

Neither position tells the full story.

The most useful starting point is the written response Strobe My Ride received from Ontario's Ministry of Transportation on February 17, 2026. That response directly addressed flashing-light colours for tow-truck drivers and explained how the Ministry interprets purple, white and amber under the Highway Traffic Act.

What Ontario's Ministry of Transportation said

The Ministry response was titled “Response: Colour Flashing Lights for Tow Truck Drivers,” reference 107-2026-329. It was signed by Jessica M., Team Leader, Special Projects, Road Safety Program Development Office, Ministry of Transportation.

“Such restrictions do not apply to flashing purple, white and amber lights as these lights are not regulated under the Highway Traffic Act (HTA) and any driver may place them on their vehicle.”

The Ministry also wrote that purple lights have generally been used for funeral processions, while amber lights are generally used as cautionary lighting on construction equipment, tow trucks, municipal service vehicles, utility vehicles and road-maintenance vehicles.

It then added an essential limitation: “No special privileges are associated with purple, white, amber or green lights.”

That means a purple light does not make a vehicle an emergency vehicle. It does not grant the right-of-way. It does not allow a driver to disregard traffic signals, speed limits or any other rule of the road.

What does “unregulated” actually mean?

In this context, unregulated means that purple is not specifically reserved by colour under the Highway Traffic Act in the way that certain flashing red, red-and-blue, blue and green lights are restricted to identified vehicles or users.

It does not mean every possible lamp, installation or operating practice is automatically lawful. A vehicle must still comply with its required lighting and equipment rules. Auxiliary lighting should not obscure required lamps, interfere with the licence plate, create dangerous glare or be configured to imitate restricted emergency lighting.

The Ministry response is meaningful written guidance from the provincial ministry responsible for Ontario's vehicle and road-safety framework. It is not, however, a court decision and it does not prevent enforcement where a different equipment or operating provision may apply.

What section 62 of the Highway Traffic Act restricts

Ontario does not use one blanket rule that prohibits every auxiliary flashing colour except amber. Section 62 identifies required vehicle lamps and specifically restricts certain colours and combinations.

For example, subsection 62(14) states:

“No person shall use a lamp, other than turning signal lamps or the vehicular hazard warning signal lamps commonly known as four-way flashers, that produces intermittent flashes of red light.”

That subsection addresses intermittent red light. It does not say purple. Separate provisions govern red-and-blue combinations, flashing green and blue lights used on snow-removal equipment. Ontario Regulation 484/07 identifies additional authorized uses for certain flashing red, red-and-blue and green lights.

If an officer or inspector believes a particular purple-light installation violates the law, the specific section and the actual light output matter. A device sold as purple could create a different issue if it visibly produces red, blue or a red-and-blue combination rather than true purple output.

Purple and funeral processions

Purple has a long-standing association with hearses, funeral escorts and funeral processions. The MTO acknowledged that customary use in its response.

Customary use is not the same as an exclusive legal entitlement. The word “generally” describes how purple has commonly been used. It does not reserve the colour for funeral homes, hearses, cemetery vehicles or funeral escorts.

Funeral vehicles also receive no emergency-vehicle authority merely because they display purple lights. Other drivers may recognize the procession and extend courtesy, but the light itself does not create a statutory right-of-way.

What lighting is required on an Ontario tow truck?

Purple does not replace amber.

Section 21 of Ontario Regulation 587 requires a tow truck to be equipped with a lamp capable of producing intermittent flashes of amber light. The amber lamp must be used while the tow truck is stopped on a highway for towing, transporting or providing roadside-assistance services to a motor vehicle.

Amber is therefore not simply a towing tradition. It is the required warning colour for this roadside operating condition.

Ontario's slow-down and move-over protection for stopped tow trucks is also associated with flashing amber lights. Approaching drivers must slow down, proceed cautiously and, on a highway with multiple lanes in the same direction, move over when it can be done safely.

An amber-and-purple system should be designed so that:

Amber remains clearly visible and available as the primary cautionary output.

Purple is used as an auxiliary recognition colour, not as a substitute for amber.

The system does not display or imitate a restricted red-and-blue configuration.

Required vehicle lamps, reflectors and the licence plate remain unobstructed.

Flash patterns are clear, synchronized and appropriate for roadside warning.

Nighttime intensity is managed to reduce glare for approaching motorists and roadside workers.

Why Ontario tow operators are considering amber and purple

Amber is widely recognized as a caution signal, but it is also used on construction vehicles, snow plows, garbage trucks, utility vehicles, maintenance equipment, tractors, pilot vehicles and many other work vehicles.

That familiarity is useful, but it can also make one amber-equipped vehicle blend into a busy roadside environment. A distinct secondary colour may help approaching drivers identify the vehicle earlier and recognize that a tow operator may be working only metres from live traffic.

Purple should not be presented as an emergency signal. The intended message is straightforward: tow truck ahead, roadside worker present, slow down and move over.

What about amber, white and purple systems?

White output can improve daytime contrast and can serve as useful scene or work lighting. At night, high-output rear-facing white warning lights can also create glare and make it harder for approaching drivers to judge distance or see a worker beside the truck.

A well-designed amber, white and purple system gives the operator options. Amber remains the required cautionary output. Purple can add recognition. White can provide daytime punch or scene illumination when it is properly aimed, controlled and dimmed for nighttime conditions.

More light is not always more safety. Placement, intensity, aiming and flash-pattern selection matter as much as colour.

Frequently asked questions

Can anyone install purple flashing lights in Ontario?

The February 17, 2026 MTO response says flashing purple is not regulated under the HTA like red, blue and green, and that any driver may place it on a vehicle. Other equipment and operating rules still apply.

Are purple lights reserved for funeral vehicles?

No Ontario HTA provision identified by the MTO reserves purple exclusively for funeral vehicles. Funeral use is a recognized tradition, not an exclusive statutory right.

Can an Ontario tow truck use amber and purple together?

The MTO's written position says purple is not specifically restricted by colour under the HTA, but the tow truck must still carry and use the required amber warning lamp during the roadside operations specified by Ontario Regulation 587.

Does purple activate Ontario's slow-down and move-over law?

Tow-truck protection is tied to the stopped tow truck and its flashing amber warning lights. Purple should be treated as auxiliary recognition, not the legal trigger.

Does purple grant a right-of-way?

No. Purple does not create emergency-vehicle status, traffic-law exemptions or special privileges.

Can I make purple by combining red and blue warning lights?

That is a different and much riskier configuration. Use true purple emitters. Red, blue and red-and-blue warning-light configurations remain specifically regulated.

The bottom line

Ontario's Ministry of Transportation has confirmed in writing that flashing purple, white and amber lights are not regulated under the Highway Traffic Act in the same way as flashing red, blue and green lights. The Ministry also stated that any driver may place them on a vehicle.

That does not make purple unrestricted in every conceivable installation, and it does not create emergency authority. Required vehicle equipment and general safety rules still apply.

For Ontario tow trucks, amber remains the required roadside warning colour. Purple may be used as an additional recognition tool, provided amber remains visible and the overall system is installed and operated responsibly.

Amber remains the warning. Purple strengthens the recognition.

Be Seen. Be Safe.

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General-information disclaimer: This article summarizes legislation and written Ministry guidance available as of August 8, 2026. It is not individualized legal advice. Vehicle owners and operators remain responsible for complying with current provincial legislation, regulations, municipal requirements, operating standards and any conditions applicable to their vehicles or work.

Official references

Ontario Ministry of Transportation correspondence: Response: Colour Flashing Lights for Tow Truck Drivers, reference 107-2026-329, dated February 17, 2026.

Ontario Highway Traffic Act: https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90h08

Ontario Regulation 484/07: Lamps, Use of Flashing Red, Green or Blue Lights: https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/070484

R.R.O. 1990, Regulation 587: Equipment, section 21: https://www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/900587

Ontario Ministry of Transportation: Driving near emergency vehicles: https://www.ontario.ca/page/driving-near-emergency-vehicles