Are LED Lights Legal?

We have all been driving down the road only to be temporarily blinded by the high beams of oncoming traffic. A new recent trend with automotive lighting may be causing the same issues even without turning on your high beams.

LED lights provide many benefits. The biggest benefit is their lifespan. A single LED light can last for 30,000 hours. That is over 15 times longer than a traditional incandescent bulb. Even with the extra cost, the investment works out long term due to the length of life of LED lights. Being a longer lasting product also means less waste. With all of us trying to make the world a better place, this is often a big factor in why people chose LEDs. LEDs also produce a ‘white light’ which is different than the yellow glow an incandescent light bulb produces.

LEDs are also significantly brighter and with that in mind, are they legal to use in your headlights?

The short answer is yes. Non-colored LED headlights are perfectly legal. They may be bright and annoying if you have a person driving behind you with LED’s, but there is no doubt they are brighter and more efficient when it comes to helping people see the road at night.

Are any types of LED lights not legal?

Yes, colored LED lights are not legal. If any type of hue is transmitted when the lights are on, they fall under the category of illegal. It has become quite popular to use colored LED lights for aesthetic purposes such as lighting under the wheel wells and parts of the interior. This type of use is completely legal. But should they be used in place of traditional headlights or break lights, that is when it becomes illegal.

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