Anyone familiar with the Dukes of Hazzard TV show knows exactly what the "dixie horn" sounds like.

You've potentially seen or heard this horn from Dukes of Hazzard or if you've ever been near a clown car in a parade. If you haven't heard this horn before, it sounds like this.

While this might be something fun to add to your car that could get a laugh from your friends and neighbors, is this legal in the state of Iowa? According to Boss Horn, the Dixie Horn has been banned in California, New York, and New Jersey. Is Iowa the same?

Is It Legal?

Here is the perfect time to remind you that *Disclaimer I am not a lawyer and this is not legal advice. Please speak to your lawyer and local law enforcement regarding car horns.*

It appears that the legality of installing a dixie horn in your car is all up to interpretation. I spoke to a law enforcement officer in an eastern Iowa department, and he directed me to Iowa Code 321.432. It appears that this COULD be legal but has a lot of potential to be deemed illegal.

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Every car must be equipped with a horn that is in good working order. That part is very clear. Here is where a dixie horn might cause issues.

The horn in your car must be "capable of emitting sound audible under normal conditions from a distance of not less than two hundred feet, but no horn or other warning device shall emit an unreasonably loud or harsh sound or a whistle."

Will a dixie horn be loud enough to be heard from 200+ feet away? If it can't be heard from that distance, it would be an illegal horn.

There isn't any law or requirement regarding the "tone" of the horn, so if you can hear it at 200+ feet, you could potentially be 100% in compliance with having a working horn.

Is a dixie horn considered a "harsh sound?" It looks like that would be up to the officer who is potentially writing you a ticket or the judge who's residing over your case if you decide to fight the ticket. At the end of the day, it's probably not worth replacing your horn with a dixie-sounding horn.

It could confuse other drivers and put you or others in dangerous situations.

If You Really...Really Want One

If you're dead set on installing a dixie horn on your vehicle, there is a workaround you could use if you have any type of skillset working on cars. I am not a great car mechanic and would never be willing to try this but here would be an option.

From what I've seen on various internet threads regarding dixie horns, you can leave the original horn as is and install a toggle switch for the dixie horn. If you used some type of toggle or alternative switch for the dixie horn and left your factory horn as is, you would 100% be legal in installing a dixie horn to your car.

Different brands of cars could be slightly different but this video shows you how to install extra horns in your vehicle if you'd like.

Here were have another great example of just because you can, doesn't necessarily mean you should. At the very least, it's definitely going to be a lot safer for you and others if you keep your factory horn and install a second switch for a dixie horn, if you're dead set on installing one.

I have to admit that it would be a pretty cool party trick to show your friends and family if you had a dixie horn.