The Cop Column
June, 2002
Cpl. Rick Hord
Public Information Officer
Is Your Car Street-Legal?
When your car was new, it had everything necessary to legally drive on public roads, without any "illegal" gadgets. Many of us like to personalize our car by adding items not provided by the factory. Than can be risky.
Auto parts stores will gladly accept your money for accessories, and they're under no obligation to tell you those popular little lights for windshield wipers can get you a $54.50 ticket. In fact, the store clerk may or may not know any more about the law than does the customer. Here's a review of some of the more popular aftermarket add-ons that are no-no's on the street:
*License tag frames. Any tinted covering over the tag is off-limits on public roads. Even crystal-clear covers and not allowed under the statute. Lights around tag frames are a separate problem: if the light is any color other than red, it's illegal on the street. If the light causes glare that makes the tag more difficult to read, it's illegal on the street. The tag must be illuminated by a white light.
*Flashing lights. The only flashing lights of any kind legal on the streets are turn signals and appropriate emergency flashers. "Chasers" and other blinking or flashing lights are not street legal anywhere on a vehicle, inside or out.
*Headlight & taillight covers. If these change the color of the headlight or taillight, don't use them on the street. Taillights are required to be clearly visible from a distance of 1,000 feet to the rear. For headlights, any cover that "alters the headlamp's visibility" is street-illegal. High beams must clearly illuminate persons or other objects at least 450 away low beams must do that for a minimum of 150 feet.
*Color of lights. For obvious reasons, it's important for everybody to know immediately if they're looking at the front or the back of a vehicle. Therefore, red is required for the rear... and it must not be visible from any other direction. Rear marker lights must be red; front marker lights and turn signals must be amber. The only non-red that may ever be seen from the rear are turn signals, which may be amber or red, and white backup lights and the white light (no other color) to illuminate the license tag. Only law enforcement vehicles may use blue lights of any kind.
*Under-the-car lights. The same rules apply, meaning they can't be blue and they can't blink or flash. They also can't be red or amber, unless they're visible only from behind, and any other color must not be visible from behind.
We're frequently asked, "How can these things be illegal? They sell them at the reputable stores." The answer is, they're not illegal in the sense that crack cocaine is illegal... they're just not legal to use on the public roads. The lesson is: read the small print for statements such as "may not be legal for street use," "for show and off-road use only," or "check local laws before using on public roads."
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