Is it illegal to beep your car horn in Australia?

The rules around using your car’s horn are uniform Australia-wide, but the penalties in each state vary greatly. From small fines to potential jail time, here are the laws in every state and territory.

The question of when and where to use your horn on Australian roads is a vexed one. The fitment of a horn to a car is mandatory in Australia. However, the use of said horn is severely limited, and misusing the beep button could land you in trouble and facing hefty fines and, in one territory, potentially even prison time.

So, when is it legal to use your car horn in Australia?

All Australian states and Territories are unified when it comes to appropriate use of a car’s horn or ‘warning device’.

Fundamentally, a car horn can only be used in Australia to alert drivers, pedestrians or animals of imminent danger. The only other legal use of a car horn is if it forms part of the vehicle’s anti-theft device or an alcohol interlock device.

Any other uses of a vehicle’s horn are deemed illegal in Australia including, a short toot to say ‘hello’ or ‘goodbye’ to friends and family, an angry blast to the stationary car in front of you at traffic lights if you feel they haven’t moved off quickly enough, and any other act of anger and frustration aimed at other road users or pedestrians.

While these laws are uniform around Australia, they do attract different levels of fines and penalties depending on which state or territory you are in.

Here then, is our guide to what penalties you can expect in every state of Australia should you illegally blast your car’s horn.

What are the fines in NSW for illegally using your car’s horn

Under Regulation 224 of Road Rules 2014, using a “horn or warning device unnecessarily” attracts a fine of $349.

What are the fines in VIC for illegally using your car’s horn

Victoria’s Road Safety Rules 2017, Rule 224, states that the incorrect or unnecessary use of a horn or warning device is punishable with one penalty unit. The value of penalty unit is currently $184.92.

What are the fines in SA for illegally using your car’s horn

In South Australia, the fine for using your car’s horn unnecessarily will attract a fine of $193 plus a Victims of Crime Levy of $60, bringing the total penalty to $253.

What are the fines in QLD for illegally using your car’s horn

Drivers in Queensland face potentially a huge fine for using their car’s horn illegally, with 20 penalty units per offence. With one penalty unit worth $143.75, using your horn unnecessarily in Queensland could see you fined a whopping $2875. Ouch!

What are the fines in the ACT for illegally using your car’s horn

Our nation’s capital will fine drivers $208 for illegal horn use and may incur 20 penalty units. Each penalty unit is worth $160, making for a total fine of $3408. Eeek.

What are the fines in WA for illegally using your car’s horn

If you’re going to beep your horn illegally in Australia, Western Australia is the best place to do it with the offence attracting a single ‘modified penalty unit’, currently rated at $50.

What are the fines in TAS for illegally using your car’s horn

In Tasmania, the unnecessary “use of a horn (or similar warning device” will see you issued with a fine totalling $135.75.

What are the fines in the NT for illegally using your car’s horn

While Western Australia might be lenient to illegal honkers, the Northern Territory takes a hard-line approach with the offence falling under the “general penalties” section of the territory’s Traffic Regulations 2007. And that means a maximum of 20 penalty units (worth $3240) and/or up to six months in jail. Unlikely, yes, but theoretically possible, especially if you cop a local magistrate on a bad day.

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