Engine Lights
Club Member
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 145,895
Likes: 821
From: 40 miles Northeast of Indy..
Tourer
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 430
Likes: 2
From: Dirty City
I can't find anything in California's statutes which states that you may not have a blue light. One section states that you cannot have a light bar (27606 of the vehicle code), and another says you cannot have blue warning lights on a bicycle or motorized bicycle (21201.3 of the vehicle code), and finally one mentions off-highway vehicles (38346) but nothing about small blue illumination lights on motorcycles.
There may be a statute which states that you can have no colors other than white, red, and amber without mentioning blue specifically, however.
Edit: Here we go...25950...
25950. This section applies to the color of lamps and to any
reflector exhibiting or reflecting perceptible light of 0.05 candela
or more per foot-candle of incident illumination. Unless provided
otherwise, the color of lamps and reflectors upon a vehicle shall be
as follows:
(a) The emitted light from all lamps and the reflected light from
all reflectors, visible from in front of a vehicle, shall be white or
yellow, except as follows:
(1) Rear side marker lamps required by Section 25100 may show red
to the front.
(2) The color of foglamps described in Section 24403 may be in the
color spectrum from white to yellow.
(3) An illuminating device, as permitted under Section 24255,
shall emit radiation predominantly in the infrared region of the
electromagnetic spectrum. Any incidental visible light projecting to
the front of the vehicle shall be predominantly yellow to white. Any
incidental visible light projecting to the rear of the vehicle shall
be predominantly red. Any incidental visible light from an
illuminating device, as permitted under Section 24255, shall not
resemble any other required or permitted lighting device or official
traffic control device.
(b) The emitted light from all lamps and the reflected light from
all reflectors, visible from the rear of a vehicle, shall be red
except as follows:
(1) Stoplamps on vehicles manufactured before January 1, 1979, may
show yellow to the rear.
(2) Turn signal lamps may show yellow to the rear.
(3) Front side marker lamps required by Section 25100 may show
yellow to the rear.
(4) Backup lamps shall show white to the rear.
(5) The rearward facing portion of a front-mounted double-faced
turn signal lamp may show amber to the rear while the headlamps or
parking lamps are lighted, if the intensity of the light emitted is
not greater than the parking lamps and the turn signal function is
not impaired.
(6) A reflector meeting the requirements of, and installed in
accordance with, Section 24611 shall be red or white, or both.
(c) All lamps and reflectors visible from the front, sides, or
rear of a vehicle, except headlamps, may have any unlighted color,
provided the emitted light from all lamps or reflected light from all
reflectors complies with the required color. Except for backup
lamps, the entire effective projected luminous area of lamps visible
from the rear or mounted on the sides near the rear of a vehicle
shall be covered by an inner lens of the required color when the
unlighted color differs from the required emitted light color.
Taillamps, stoplamps, and turn signal lamps that are visible to the
rear may be white when unlighted on vehicles manufactured before
January 1, 1974.
There may be a statute which states that you can have no colors other than white, red, and amber without mentioning blue specifically, however.
Edit: Here we go...25950...
25950. This section applies to the color of lamps and to any
reflector exhibiting or reflecting perceptible light of 0.05 candela
or more per foot-candle of incident illumination. Unless provided
otherwise, the color of lamps and reflectors upon a vehicle shall be
as follows:
(a) The emitted light from all lamps and the reflected light from
all reflectors, visible from in front of a vehicle, shall be white or
yellow, except as follows:
(1) Rear side marker lamps required by Section 25100 may show red
to the front.
(2) The color of foglamps described in Section 24403 may be in the
color spectrum from white to yellow.
(3) An illuminating device, as permitted under Section 24255,
shall emit radiation predominantly in the infrared region of the
electromagnetic spectrum. Any incidental visible light projecting to
the front of the vehicle shall be predominantly yellow to white. Any
incidental visible light projecting to the rear of the vehicle shall
be predominantly red. Any incidental visible light from an
illuminating device, as permitted under Section 24255, shall not
resemble any other required or permitted lighting device or official
traffic control device.
(b) The emitted light from all lamps and the reflected light from
all reflectors, visible from the rear of a vehicle, shall be red
except as follows:
(1) Stoplamps on vehicles manufactured before January 1, 1979, may
show yellow to the rear.
(2) Turn signal lamps may show yellow to the rear.
(3) Front side marker lamps required by Section 25100 may show
yellow to the rear.
(4) Backup lamps shall show white to the rear.
(5) The rearward facing portion of a front-mounted double-faced
turn signal lamp may show amber to the rear while the headlamps or
parking lamps are lighted, if the intensity of the light emitted is
not greater than the parking lamps and the turn signal function is
not impaired.
(6) A reflector meeting the requirements of, and installed in
accordance with, Section 24611 shall be red or white, or both.
(c) All lamps and reflectors visible from the front, sides, or
rear of a vehicle, except headlamps, may have any unlighted color,
provided the emitted light from all lamps or reflected light from all
reflectors complies with the required color. Except for backup
lamps, the entire effective projected luminous area of lamps visible
from the rear or mounted on the sides near the rear of a vehicle
shall be covered by an inner lens of the required color when the
unlighted color differs from the required emitted light color.
Taillamps, stoplamps, and turn signal lamps that are visible to the
rear may be white when unlighted on vehicles manufactured before
January 1, 1974.
Last edited by Ovaltine Jenkins; Feb 11, 2011 at 11:21 AM.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 2,908
Likes: 2
From: Southeast Wisconsin
I know some states will be kind enough to impound your vehicle with underglow lights, etc and be kind enough to un-install and dispose of them for you.
In Wisconsin you can have them, they just can't be on unless you are parked.
In Wisconsin you can have them, they just can't be on unless you are parked.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 9,206
Likes: 372
From: Central Illinois, Between I-80 and I-74
I can't find anything in California's statutes which states that you may not have a blue light. One section states that you cannot have a light bar (27606 of the vehicle code), and another says you cannot have blue warning lights on a bicycle or motorized bicycle (21201.3 of the vehicle code), and finally one mentions off-highway vehicles (38346) but nothing about small blue illumination lights on motorcycles.
There may be a statute which states that you can have no colors other than white, red, and amber without mentioning blue specifically, however.
Edit: Here we go...25950...
25950. This section applies to the color of lamps and to any
reflector exhibiting or reflecting perceptible light of 0.05 candela
or more per foot-candle of incident illumination. Unless provided
otherwise, the color of lamps and reflectors upon a vehicle shall be
as follows:
(a) The emitted light from all lamps and the reflected light from
all reflectors, visible from in front of a vehicle, shall be white or
yellow, except as follows:
(1) Rear side marker lamps required by Section 25100 may show red
to the front.
(2) The color of foglamps described in Section 24403 may be in the
color spectrum from white to yellow.
(3) An illuminating device, as permitted under Section 24255,
shall emit radiation predominantly in the infrared region of the
electromagnetic spectrum. Any incidental visible light projecting to
the front of the vehicle shall be predominantly yellow to white. Any
incidental visible light projecting to the rear of the vehicle shall
be predominantly red. Any incidental visible light from an
illuminating device, as permitted under Section 24255, shall not
resemble any other required or permitted lighting device or official
traffic control device.
(b) The emitted light from all lamps and the reflected light from
all reflectors, visible from the rear of a vehicle, shall be red
except as follows:
(1) Stoplamps on vehicles manufactured before January 1, 1979, may
show yellow to the rear.
(2) Turn signal lamps may show yellow to the rear.
(3) Front side marker lamps required by Section 25100 may show
yellow to the rear.
(4) Backup lamps shall show white to the rear.
(5) The rearward facing portion of a front-mounted double-faced
turn signal lamp may show amber to the rear while the headlamps or
parking lamps are lighted, if the intensity of the light emitted is
not greater than the parking lamps and the turn signal function is
not impaired.
(6) A reflector meeting the requirements of, and installed in
accordance with, Section 24611 shall be red or white, or both.
(c) All lamps and reflectors visible from the front, sides, or
rear of a vehicle, except headlamps, may have any unlighted color,
provided the emitted light from all lamps or reflected light from all
reflectors complies with the required color. Except for backup
lamps, the entire effective projected luminous area of lamps visible
from the rear or mounted on the sides near the rear of a vehicle
shall be covered by an inner lens of the required color when the
unlighted color differs from the required emitted light color.
Taillamps, stoplamps, and turn signal lamps that are visible to the
rear may be white when unlighted on vehicles manufactured before
January 1, 1974.
There may be a statute which states that you can have no colors other than white, red, and amber without mentioning blue specifically, however.
Edit: Here we go...25950...
25950. This section applies to the color of lamps and to any
reflector exhibiting or reflecting perceptible light of 0.05 candela
or more per foot-candle of incident illumination. Unless provided
otherwise, the color of lamps and reflectors upon a vehicle shall be
as follows:
(a) The emitted light from all lamps and the reflected light from
all reflectors, visible from in front of a vehicle, shall be white or
yellow, except as follows:
(1) Rear side marker lamps required by Section 25100 may show red
to the front.
(2) The color of foglamps described in Section 24403 may be in the
color spectrum from white to yellow.
(3) An illuminating device, as permitted under Section 24255,
shall emit radiation predominantly in the infrared region of the
electromagnetic spectrum. Any incidental visible light projecting to
the front of the vehicle shall be predominantly yellow to white. Any
incidental visible light projecting to the rear of the vehicle shall
be predominantly red. Any incidental visible light from an
illuminating device, as permitted under Section 24255, shall not
resemble any other required or permitted lighting device or official
traffic control device.
(b) The emitted light from all lamps and the reflected light from
all reflectors, visible from the rear of a vehicle, shall be red
except as follows:
(1) Stoplamps on vehicles manufactured before January 1, 1979, may
show yellow to the rear.
(2) Turn signal lamps may show yellow to the rear.
(3) Front side marker lamps required by Section 25100 may show
yellow to the rear.
(4) Backup lamps shall show white to the rear.
(5) The rearward facing portion of a front-mounted double-faced
turn signal lamp may show amber to the rear while the headlamps or
parking lamps are lighted, if the intensity of the light emitted is
not greater than the parking lamps and the turn signal function is
not impaired.
(6) A reflector meeting the requirements of, and installed in
accordance with, Section 24611 shall be red or white, or both.
(c) All lamps and reflectors visible from the front, sides, or
rear of a vehicle, except headlamps, may have any unlighted color,
provided the emitted light from all lamps or reflected light from all
reflectors complies with the required color. Except for backup
lamps, the entire effective projected luminous area of lamps visible
from the rear or mounted on the sides near the rear of a vehicle
shall be covered by an inner lens of the required color when the
unlighted color differs from the required emitted light color.
Taillamps, stoplamps, and turn signal lamps that are visible to the
rear may be white when unlighted on vehicles manufactured before
January 1, 1974.
Tourer
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 471
Likes: 19
From: Grapeland Texas
A friend of mine got stopped coming home from Sturgis this year because he could see the actual light and not just the reflection of it. I think it might have been Kansas.
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