Supreme Court Declines to Hear Car Horn Free Speech Case

The court's decision leaves state laws limiting car horn use for safety reasons intact, despite First Amendment arguments.

The Supreme Court declined to hear a case challenging a California law that restricts car horn use to traffic safety situations, brought by Susan Porter who was ticketed for honking in support of a protest.
Porter argued that honking a car horn is a form of protected speech under the First Amendment, citing its use in political rallies and protests.
At least 41 states have similar laws limiting the use of car horns, which are often justified on the basis of traffic safety.
A three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court upheld the California law, with a 2-1 ruling, stating that while honking can be expressive, the law is justified by traffic safety concerns.
The Supreme Court's refusal to review the case leaves the current state laws on horn use unchanged, despite arguments that they infringe on free speech.