California Vehicle Code §24500

(a) Any vehicle may be equipped with a lamp or device on the exterior of the vehicle that emits a diffused nonglaring light of not more than 0.05 candela per square inch of area.

(b) Any diffused nonglaring light shall not display red to the front, but may display other colors. A diffused nonglaring light shall not resemble nor be installed within 12 inches or in such position as to interfere with the visibility or effectiveness of any required lamp, reflector, or other device upon the vehicle.

And in case you’re wondering, YES, the Humboldt County Superior Court has already weighed in on this issue and ruled that LED lighting is in fact legal, so long as it conforms to the requirements set forth above.

Let’s break this down, shall we? First, the Vehicle Code is divided into multiple sections. One of these sections pertains to nondiffused lights, i.e., headlamps, while another pertains to diffused lights, but what is a diffused light? “A diffused light is a soft light with neither the intensity nor the glare of direct light. It is scattered and comes from all directions. Thus, it seems to wrap around objects. It is softer and does not cast harsh shadows.“ Compare, for instance, LED fog lamps to LED light strips used for glow. Fog lamps are extremely bright, often exceeding 5,000 lumens. LED light strips used for glow, on the other hand, are far dimmer. Unlike a fog light, you can look directly at an LED light strip without damaging your eyes. One reason for this is because LED light strips are designed to scatter the light as far as possible in as short a distance as possible, creating the “glow” effect so many of us strive for, while fog lamps, much like head lamps, are designed to project as much light as possible at a predetermined distance in an attempt to safely illuminate as much of the road as possible, a process which is accomplished with reflectors and shutters. Neither of these are used in LED light strips because, as stated earlier, the point of LED light strips is to scatter the light as widely as possible in as short a distance as possible.

Some officers in law enforcement, such as CHP’s Sgt. Walker (Arcata, CA), incorrectly state that if you can see the individual bulbs on the LED light strip, they are not diffused and are therefore illegal. Such a statement, however, ignores the fact that this is not what the law says. The pertinent section says that “[a]ny vehicle may be equipped with a lamp or device on the exterior of the vehicle that emits a diffused nonglaring light of not more than 0.05 candela per square inch of area[.]” As you can see for yourself, the law makes no claim that the LED light strips are not to be visible. Were it the Legislature’s intent to make it so that visible strips were illegal, they would worded the law differently. Specifically, they would have actually stated that the strips were not to be visible, or in the alternative, they would have said that the strips were to be installed under the vehicle, as opposed to the “exterior” of the vehicle. As such, any such claims made by law enforcement that the LED light strips are not permitted to be visible are simple false.

Another claim commonly made by law enforcement is that, if you can differentiate one bulb from another on the strip, it’s not a diffused light. Again, the law makes no such assertion. So long as the LED light strips are diffused nonglaring light emitting less than 0.05 candela per square inch, not mounted within 12 inches of a required lamp or reflector or in such a way that obstructs said lamps’ and/or reflectors’ visibility, and so long as you are not “display[ing] red to the front,” your lights are legal, even if you can “differentiate” the individual bulbs. Furthermore, such a claim fails to account for the fact that the LEDs themselves are spaced far enough away so as to permit them to be seen in an attempt to avoid violating the law by being too bright.

Another claim commonly made by law enforcement is that you are not permitted to have a light strip that alternates colors. They claim that this constitutes “flashing lights.” Again, this claim contradicts the law. For starters, the law defines a flashing light as “a cycle of activation and deactivation of a lamp by automatic means continuing until stopped either automatically or manually.“ Under this interpretation, so long as the light does not turn off and then on, it is not flashing. Furthermore, the wording of the applicable section states, in pertinent part, that your strips ” may display other colors.” Again, this assumes that the lights themselves are diffused nonglaring lights with an output of less than 0.05 candela per square inch, not installed within 12 inches of a required lamp or reflector, and not displaying the color red to the front.

Finally, there’s a common misconception that the colors red and blue are illegal. Again, this simply isn’t true. The color red is legal, so long as you are not displaying it to the front. This is not because this color is used by first responders, but because if someone approaching you sees red bulbs on the front of your vehicle, they immediately associate it with taillights and react accordingly.

As far as the color blue is concerned, the Humboldt County Superior Court recently ruled that the color blue is legal. Remember, section 24500 of the California Vehicle Code specifically authorizes any color, with the exception of red to the front. While the decision was never officially published, California’s Fourth Appellate District Court of Appeals recently weighed in on this very issue. In the case of People v. Placinto 2004 Cal. App. Unpub. LEXIS 6058 *; 2004 WL 1426982, the court stated that:
“Any vehicle may be equipped with a lamp or device on the exterior of the vehicle that emits a diffused nonglaring light of not more than 0.05 candela per square inch of area.” (Italics added.) And, subdivision (b) provides, “Any diffused nonglaring light shall not display red to the front, but may display other colors.” Blue falls under the category of other colors permissible for display to the front. “Indeed, ‘a lamp or device on the exterior of the vehicle that emits diffused nonglaring light or not more than 0.05 candela per square inch of area … shall not display red to the front, but may display other colors,’ provided it does ‘not resemble nor be installed within 12 inches or in such position as to interfere with the
visibility or effectiveness or any required lamp, reflector, or other device upon the vehicle.’ ( § 25400, italics added.)” (People v. Hernandez (2003) 110 Cal.App.4th Supp. 1, 4.)” As you can see, the law allows you to display the color blue on your vehicle, provided, of course, that the lights themselves meet the requirements set forth in section 24500 of the California Vehicle Code.

Keep in mind that there are, literally, thousands of laws on the books. Judges, whose sole function in life is understanding the law, are frequently overturned on appeal. If a judge can misinterpret the law, then certainly a member of law enforcement is more than capable of making this mistake. Knowing this, it’s your responsibility to know and comprehend the law, to have the appropriate code sections on hand in the event that you are pulled over, and the ability to intellectually discuss the law with the officer in a stressful situation. Equally as important is going to court and fighting your ticket so the judge can weigh in and spread the word.

So why are we having so many issues in Humboldt County if our own judge has already ruled that the LED lights are legal? It may have something to do with the attitude of some of the officers who work for the CHP. For example, Sgt. Walker told the owner of Lost Coast LEDs that the local judge in question wasn’t even a “real judge” and that, as such, her opinion “didn’t really matter.” At the same time, Officer Parks has repeatedly issued tickets for underglow, with one being issued to the owner of Lost Coast LEDs. This was subsequently dismissed, only to see Officer Parks immediately pull multiple individuals over for colored underglow. Each of these officers, and those like them, demonstrate an inability of the officers in question to stand by their oath to defend the US Constitution and the laws of the State of California. In short, behavior such as this is not only highly unprofessional, it’s also highly illegal and constitutes harassment.

This page will be updated with various legal precedents that you can use to support your position. Keep in mind, however, that Lost Coast LEDs is not permitted to provide legal advice. The information here is simply provided for information and educational purposes, but that makes it no less correct in a court of law.