What color headlights are legal in California? (2024)

FAQs

What color headlights are legal in California? ›

"The California Vehicle Code specifically requires headlights to be clear and exhibit white light or amber, in the case of turn signals." "Any other color of headlight is illegal in California. Sometimes people will modify their vehicles with high-intensity lights, oftentimes that are blue in color and illegal.

Since high-intensity HID bulb light is blue, these lights are not permitted on vehicles in the state. Cars sold with HID lights installed are permitted because the manufacturers make sure the lights are low intensity, but aftermarket HID kits usually provide high intensity blue light and are illegal.

The only color headlight that is legal to use in any state is white. This means that you cannot use any other color headlight.

General service lamps (GSLs) that do not meet a minimum efficacy of 45 lumens per watt (LPW) are no longer for sale in California. In May 2022, the federal government adopted regulations on GSLs that mirror California's, so most GSLs will no longer be for sale in the United States.

Light Emission – To comply with the standards set forth by the California Department of Motor Vehicles, LED lights can only emit 0.05 candela per square inch of diffused non-glaring light.

LED lights and High-Intensity Lights are legal in California as long as they come as an OEM feature on your vehicle. If you place any aftermarket lights on your vehicle they can only be white.

The state of California is in a very serious and devastating drought so naturally it is illegal to tint any OEM headlight / brake light.

LED headlights are not only legal, most new cars have them now. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has done the research and determined it is impossible to produce HID conversion kits that meet federal regulations. Federal guidelines set standards for how bright headlights can be.

All vehicles fitted with halogen headlight bulbs from the factory are suitable for LED conversion. The main advantage is a massive increase in road illumination and therefore improved safety when driving at night. The kit I used features CREE LED bulbs that have an output of 3,200 lumens.

Those bright bluish-looking headlights in your rearview mirror may be from a high-end luxury car that came equipped with such lights. But they may also be a sign of an aftermarket modification that's technically illegal, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says.

What are California compliant light bulbs? ›

The California standards cover the common light bulbs we use in our homes and require bulbs manufactured on or after January 1, 2018, and offered for sale in the state to achieve a minimum efficiency level of 45 lumens per watt, which is three times more efficient than the old incandescent.

The brightest halogen headlight bulbs are those with a color temperature of 4000K or 5000K. If you're planning to install LED or xenon HID headlight bulbs in your vehicle, opt for bulbs rated at 6000K.

Midday readings might be 6000K, or very bright bluish-white, while at sunset temperatures may dip below 3000K to a very warm amber light. Typically, Kelvin temperatures for residential lighting applications fall somewhere between 2500K and 5000K.

California Headlight Law. In California, the use of headlights is regulated by C.V.C. 24400. This section states that headlights must be used in darkness and/or inclement weather such as fog.

"The California Vehicle Code specifically requires headlights to be clear and exhibit white light or amber, in the case of turn signals." "Any other color of headlight is illegal in California. Sometimes people will modify their vehicles with high-intensity lights, oftentimes that are blue in color and illegal.

In California neon underglow is legal, as long as you follow these restrictions: Red color may not be visible from the front of the car. No flashing lights are permitted. Underglow must not emit more than 0.05 candela per square inch.

Xenon headlights are probably the brightest bulbs you can get for your car that are actually street legal and can, in fact, often be confused for high-beam lights. However, here is a set of super bright and low-power lights that can be used for parking lights, reverse lights, turn signal lights, or tail lights.

LED upgrade bulbs can't be classed as road legal because they cannot be E marked or have the British Standard mark. The reason that LED upgrade bulbs can't be E marked is simply because no legislation exists for the use of LED technology in a headlight unit built for halogens.

Brightness: LED lights can have a brightness of 9,000-10,000 lumens while HID might have 8,000 lumens. Both, however, are brighter than traditional halogen lights. Technology: LED lights use electricity while HID uses gas (typically xenon).

There are no legal darkened tail lights. Darkening headlights would also be illegal. You can be pulled over for everything you mentioned at any time after you install them.

Are smoked headlights legal? ›

Anything that completely blocks out your lights is a major safety hazard, not to mention illegal. No matter how cool your smoked headlights look, they won't look good if you crash your car. Headlights need to be bright enough to illuminate the road ahead. Stick with a grey or a slightly smoked tint.

Yes, it is illegal.

LED lights are not illegal, except where the headlight is concerned. You may use LEDs in unregulated auxiliary lights.

Replacing your existing incandescent or halogen bulbs with durable LED bulbs offers numerous benefits. You enjoy an even better light performance and benefit from very low energy consumption. Furthermore, LEDs can handle all hues of white light, so the warm yellowish light of halogen bulbs is perfectly within reach!

A big reason why you should switch to LED headlights is for the light quality it produces. The color of LED headlights are more of a white, or blue-ish hue when compared to Halogens and High Intensity Discharge (HID) bulbs. This means objects in the dark are better defined with the use of HID headlights on your car.

The light output from each of the lamps shall not exceed 2513 lumens. Any motor vehicle may also be equipped with a pulsing system to indicate deceleration in which an amber light is center mounted on the rear of a vehicle.

LED headlights emit some heat near the back end of their fixtures. Some models include fans or braided heat sinks to dissipate the heat. However, the bulbs themselves create very little heat when running. They aren't designed to melt snow off your vehicle's headlight lenses.

Here's Why You NEVER INSTALL LEDs IN YOUR CAR OR TRUCK!!

Any lights that are visible from the front of your car must be white or amber. All lights that are visible from the back of your car will have to be red. Your license plate lights need to always be white. Flashing lights are strictly prohibited.

While it might seem a bit odd, the 6000K LED headlights are brighter than the 8000K headlights – and there's science to back this distinction. Light intensity is measured in Kelvin units, which are abbreviated to K.

Are purple fog lights illegal in California? ›

Second, reader Taline Khandamian asked if pink or purple fog lights are legal in California. A: We will address Pena's questions first. The answer here is no and yes. Green headlights — or lights of any color other than white or yellowish white and, in some cases red — are not legal.

Incandescent and halogen light bulb ban

The end of the incandescent bulb started when former President George W. Bush signed EISA (Energy Independence and Security Act) in 2007. The first tier of standards took effect between 2012 and 2014 and officially phased out 60-watt incandescent bulbs.

Basics of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, as it pertains to lighting and light bulbs: It does not ban the use or purchase of incandescent bulbs. It does not ban the sale or manufacture of ALL incandescent bulbs, just those common household incandescent (and other) bulbs that are not energy-efficient.

Title 24 was published by the California Building Standards Commission and applies to all buildings in California, not just state-owned buildings.

They have an average lifespan of more than 20,000 hours, which means they need to be replaced far less often than HID headlights, which have an average lifespan of up to 5,000 hours. LED headlights are also more durable. If you're looking for long-lasting, high-quality headlights, we suggest ALLA Lighting LED bulbs.

Upgrade your headlight bulbs to LED

They are 500% brighter than halogen bulbs, consume half the amount of energy and last five to ten times longer. Unlike halogens which emit a dim yellowish light, LED bulbs emit a pure white light, which dramatically improves nighttime visibility.

Replace your worn headlights or capsules with new ones: Headlights grow dim over time, so replacing old capsules will usually result in a brighter beam. Some headlights, like long-lasting HID bulbs, can actually lose as much as 70 percent of their intensity by the time they finally burn out.

Any light above 6000K will start to look very blue. You can purchase headlight bulbs that go all the way up to 12,000K, which produces a light that's almost purple. However, not all of these bulbs are road legal.

White light is preferred for many reasons. A whiter light mimics the appearance of sunlight and improves visibility. Additionally, the filters used to create selective yellow light dim the brightness of headlights. White light is unfiltered, making it brighter.

6000K = COOL WHITE

As seen on the graph, 6000 Kelvin lighting falls between the white and BLUE side of the graph. People who choose this color are usually trying to get an exotic, more luxurious look.

Are pop up headlights illegal in California? ›

Are pop-up headlights illegal? Oddly enough, despite the safety regulations, it's not actually illegal for a car to have pop-up headlights. You can actually still make a new-build car with pop-ups as long as it complied with the standards set.

24400. (a) A motor vehicle, other than a motorcycle, shall be equipped with at least two headlamps, with at least one on each side of the front of the vehicle, and, except as to vehicles registered prior to January 1, 1930, they shall be located directly above or in advance of the front axle of the vehicle.

A good rule of thumb is to make sure your HID headlight bulbs aren't above 6000K. At that point, in most places, bulbs are no longer street legal.

Any incidental visible light projecting to the front of the vehicle shall be predominantly yellow to white.” Simple answer for CA specifically they are Illegal (and everywhere else).

How about interior color led lights? Per California Vehicle Code Section 25102 VC, LED lights mounted in the wheel well are illegal.

(a) Any motor vehicle may be equipped with not to exceed two auxiliary driving lamps mounted on the front at a height of not less than 16 inches nor more than 42 inches.

Color Limitations

Under under Division 12, Chapter 2, Article 10 Section 25400(b) of the California Vehicle Code, aftermarket exterior lights, including underglow lights, attached to the front of a vehicle cannot be red in color, but all other colors are permitted.

"The California Vehicle Code specifically requires headlights to be clear and exhibit white light or amber, in the case of turn signals." "Any other color of headlight is illegal in California. Sometimes people will modify their vehicles with high-intensity lights, oftentimes that are blue in color and illegal.

Those cars with blue-tinted headlights have xenon gas bulbs, which give a much brighter, more natural light, thus giving more visibility. The blue tinge tends to come when the light is not shined directly onto the viewer.

Blue headlights refer to xenon gas or high-intensity discharge (HID) headlights. Both are usually considered an enormous upgrade over halogen bulbs and LEDs.

Are ice blue LED headlights legal? ›

Those bright bluish-looking headlights in your rearview mirror may be from a high-end luxury car that came equipped with such lights. But they may also be a sign of an aftermarket modification that's technically illegal, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says.

In California neon underglow is legal, as long as you follow these restrictions: Red color may not be visible from the front of the car. No flashing lights are permitted. Underglow must not emit more than 0.05 candela per square inch.

Headlights can be yellow or white, with some bluer xenon HID bulbs allowed, too. Drivers should be careful that their headlights are not too blue, as this law is more strictly enforced in some localities. Headlights for off-road use are available in a wide variety of colours.

Any lights that are visible from the front of your car must be white or amber. All lights that are visible from the back of your car will have to be red. Your license plate lights need to always be white. Flashing lights are strictly prohibited.

Xenon headlights are probably the brightest bulbs you can get for your car that are actually street legal and can, in fact, often be confused for high-beam lights. However, here is a set of super bright and low-power lights that can be used for parking lights, reverse lights, turn signal lights, or tail lights.

These bulbs are bright blue which is illegal to use unless you are a police officer.

The Code of Federal Regulations says that the luminous intensity of headlights must be between 500 and 3,000 candelas. What does all that scientific jargon mean? Drivers who want to install special headlights or taillights shouldn't choose lights that measure more than 3,000 lumens.

Headlights for off-road use are available in a wide variety of colours. Drivers can purchase coloured bulbs or headlight tints in just about any colour. However, these are not road legal.

Brightness: LED lights can have a brightness of 9,000-10,000 lumens while HID might have 8,000 lumens. Both, however, are brighter than traditional halogen lights. Technology: LED lights use electricity while HID uses gas (typically xenon).

As headlight technology improves, some bulbs skew towards the blue end of the spectrum (rather than yellow). Xenon HIDs, which are brighter than the old halogen bulbs, often have a blue tint. This is fine, up to a certain point, but headlights that are too blue are less effective.

Can you replace factory headlight bulbs with LED? ›

All vehicles fitted with halogen headlight bulbs from the factory are suitable for LED conversion. The main advantage is a massive increase in road illumination and therefore improved safety when driving at night. The kit I used features CREE LED bulbs that have an output of 3,200 lumens.

The light output from each of the lamps shall not exceed 2513 lumens. Any motor vehicle may also be equipped with a pulsing system to indicate deceleration in which an amber light is center mounted on the rear of a vehicle.

LED lights are not illegal, except where the headlight is concerned. You may use LEDs in unregulated auxiliary lights. Side markers are A-OK.