Rigid LED bars on the truck

[MarkT]

The problem is that when you are running HID or LED lights on an offroad vehicle, like the Raptor, in California you'll be hard pressed to get the cop to believe they are not offroad lights. I was cited (2 times) for CVC.24411 and there isn't much arguing that my lights were't meant for offroad. I have decided that I will cover my "offroad" lights because the law says they need to be covered.

Not many cops in this area pull people over for lights they just use it as probable cause to stop someone. If you are frequenting bars and driving intoxicated or doing something illegal...cover your lights. You could also have a quick disconnect on the lights and leave them unplugged. When the cops pulls you over show the lights have no power and you should be ok.

OK... but if your lights meet the standards of CVC 24402 (and 24405) you are legal. Period. No officer has the legal right to "arbitrarily" decide your lights are "off road lights" and not "driving" or "passing" lights.

You say there's not much arguing... But what legal definition are they using that says your lights are "off road" lights? there isn't one in California So if you follow the law as defined in 24402 you don't need to cover them.

And if you read the law, no place does it say that disconnecting power removes the requirement for covers. So unfortunately that won't work if the officer really wants to give you a ticket.

I'll have to find the California court case...

 

[MarkT]

Found it!

Here is the link to the case. There are even instructions on how to get a copy of the transcript should you decide to contest a inappropriate ticket in court.

http://www.sidekickoffroad.com/offroadlites.htm

P.S. I was wrong about one thing in my original post... the officer was looking for an "SAE" stamp and not a "DOT" stamp... scroll down and read what the court had to say...

 

[bstoner59]

Pretty sure HID lights have "for offroad use only" clearly written on the box. If I took the box to court to prove they are not "off-road" lights I would lose. It come down to what you can prove. CA doesn't state what are or are not "off-road" lights because the manufacturer takes care of that. To protect their own ass.

 

[bstoner59]

Here is the link to the case. There are even instructions on how to get a copy of the transcript should you decide to contest a inappropriate ticket in court.

http://www.sidekickoffroad.com/offroadlites.htm

P.S. I was wrong about one thing in my original post... the officer was looking for an "SAE" stamp and not a "DOT" stamp... scroll down and read what the court had to say...

I may have missed it but from what I read and he date of the case these are halogen lighs? You can get away with calling halogen lights auxiliary or passing lights...I'm not arguing that. I don't think you will find any cop that will believe 4 HID or 2 40" LED are anything but off-road lights. If you can all the power to you. If I argue they're not off-road lights and he officer asks me to turn them on during his investigation I'm definitely gettin a ticket!! I'm not saying that guys need to of should cover their lights....just that I am so I don't have to deal with the law.

 

[MarkT]

I may have missed it but from what I read and he date of the case these are halogen lighs? You can get away with calling halogen lights auxiliary or passing lights...I'm not arguing that. I don't think you will find any cop that will believe 4 HID or 2 40" LED are anything but off-road lights. If you can all the power to you. If I argue they're not off-road lights and he officer asks me to turn them on during his investigation I'm definitely gettin a ticket!! I'm not saying that guys need to of should cover their lights....just that I am so I don't have to deal with the law.

Totally understandable! Nobody needs the hassle. Staying out of trouble is the best defense!

But the law is still the law! HID or LED or Halogen lights are all the same in this case. In fact, he did have halogen lights with 110 watt bulbs! (It was noted in the article that these bulbs are illegal for the primary lights but these are auxiliary lamps.)

I have to correct myself on one thing... after reading through the court case it does say that fog lights and passing lights have to have an SAE stamp in California... Driving lights (in California) do not have to meet this standard.

That means under California law you could have two lights, without any SAE stamps, wired so that they can only come on with the high beams and still be legal. HID's, LED's, whatever you want.

But again, as you've said, the best course of action is to cover the lights and not even go there.