neons

[mzracer360]

Does anyone know the laws about under/in car neons? I know that the neon itself it not supposed to be seen, but there have to be more laws than that. They probably differ between states too, but I am wanting to put some atleast inside my car if not outside.

 

[getsum111]

Just a warning, many will flame you for even mentioning the "n" word, he, he. I don't mind seeing them, esp. at a cruise or car show. But anyway, I've been told that in PA, at least, you can be charged with "impersonating an emergency vehicle" for having neons on while driving.:shrug: I have my footwells hooked up to a switch with green neons, and I do drive with them on, but it just lights up the footwells, prob. can't be seen outside the car.

 

[IRingTwyce]

Probably the only way you can be charged with impersonating an emergency vehicle is if the neons are red or blue. Most states will not allow you to drive with those colors turned on. Green or yellow: in most cases you'll be OK to drive with them on. Blue and red though will be relegated to off-road display only.

 

[ArT2Oo0]

I recently got ticketed in NYC. I orriginaly got pulled over cause my friend wasent wearing his seat belt. He didint get a ticket but i got no license on me ticket and neon lights around my license plate. The cop said their illigeal i thought to myself then how come i bought it in an auto parts store.

Cops will ticket you for pretty much anything these days.

 

[hotdimmes]

Some items in an auto parts store aren't illegal by themselves, but your use of them could be illegal i.e. underbody neons. You might notice that alot of bling items in an autoparts store have a disclaimer that say "For off road use only"

 

[Jared]

In PA you're aloud ot have them on while your vehicle is parked.
If you're driving it with them on you'll get a citation, I'm not specific what the citation is but I know there is one for it!

-Jared

 

[posthuman63t]

I recently got ticketed in NYC. I orriginaly got pulled over cause my friend wasent wearing his seat belt. He didint get a ticket but i got no license on me ticket and neon lights around my license plate. The cop said their illigeal i thought to myself then how come i bought it in an auto parts store.

Cops will ticket you for pretty much anything these days.

Basically your comment is...stupid? Just cause you can buy it at an auto store doesn't mean it isn't illegal, as long as the intention of the product is meant for something thats legal. This doesn't mean misuse doesn't occur.

Personally, neons aren't my thing. But if I were to get them, I would never have them on during driving. Just to be safe. If your worried about it, call up your local PD and ask them the laws regarding exterior lighting.

 

[Matt R]

I recently got ticketed in NYC. I orriginaly got pulled over cause my friend wasent wearing his seat belt. He didint get a ticket but i got no license on me ticket and neon lights around my license plate. The cop said their illigeal i thought to myself then how come i bought it in an auto parts store.

Cops will ticket you for pretty much anything these days.

First off, it is your responsibility to make sure he is wearing a seat belt, as the driver. If he is really against wearing one, have him sit in the back seat. As far as the license plate lights- check out section 375/2(a)4 of the NYS V&T Laws. Specifically says they need to be white. And I bet you the package of the lights you bought says "For off-road use only". Be glad you only got 2 tickets instead of 3.

 

[Big Daddy Kane]

First off, it is your responsibility to make sure he is wearing a seat belt, as the driver. If he is really against wearing one, have him sit in the back seat. As far as the license plate lights- check out section 375/2(a)4 of the NYS V&T Laws. Specifically says they need to be white. And I bet you the package of the lights you bought says "For off-road use only". Be glad you only got 2 tickets instead of 3.

Yes, I went over this a few times with the cops back home.

I decided one day that it would be a good idea to put high intensity blue LED license plate fasteners on my car... got pulled over twice in one day, the next day (while parked) a lady cop forced me to cut the wires, or she was going to ticket me for them (since I had been warned twice about them).

So I swapped them for some low intensity red LEDs... you know, figured red to the rear is ok... Nope! The dick cop pulled me over and told me they were illegal also (since they were "on" the license plate). Asked about switching them to white, and he said they would be legal... Of course, I would have chosen high intensity white!

Now IIRC, in Iowa, the law says that yellow neon is allowed all around the car (similar to parking/tail light laws, which is that rear lights can be either red or amber), red can only shine to the rear, and white can only shine to the front. Any other color/combination is illegal.

And just for a note, a friend of mine from Illinois (quite a bit stricter on stuff like this) has white neons on his Lumina shrug. Has yet to even get pulled over for them in the 2-3 years he's had them.

Isn't green the color for ambulance emergency lights in Canada?

 

[B.Brattina]

Pretty sure you can't drive with them on anywhere (underbody)-- As for inside the car, your not supposed to at all as well, but, I have them in the footwells also (Blue) and unless you look very, very hard, you can't see the light it gives on the ceiling -- I put the switch by my foot next to the dead-pedal anyways so I can click them off easily--

 

[Trademark]

Yep Definately can't drive with them neons on here in Washington State, saw a group of ricers get a good talkin to by the local Sheriffs dept while they were parked that if they took off with the lights on they would be fined.. and possibly jailtime.. I think the jailtime was to scare them though..

 

[B.Brattina]

I forgot to mention that actually-- I am almost 100% sure that in Michigan if you are parked and have underbody lights on, it is NOT illegal... It is only a driving infraction -- Now-a-days they make them with flashing patterns and all that garbage so I do not know about that but, as far as solid lights go...

 

[mzracer360]

While searching for a topic on the State website for my Business and Technical writing class, I found this:

Chapter 8.--AUTOMOBILES AND OTHER VEHICLES Article 17.--UNIFORM ACT REGULATING TRAFFIC; EQUIPMENT OF VEHICLES
8-1723. Additional lighting equipment permitted; neon ground effect lighting; lead vehicle of funeral procession. (a) Any motor vehicle may be equipped with not more than two side cowl or fender lamps which shall emit an amber or white light without glare.
(b) Any motor vehicle may be equipped with not more than one running-board courtesy lamp on each side which shall emit a white or amber light without glare.
(c) Any motor vehicle may be equipped with one or more back-up lamps either separately or in combination with other lamps, but any such back-up lamp or lamps shall not be lighted when the motor vehicle is in forward motion.
(d) Any vehicle 80 inches or more in overall width, if not otherwise required by K.S.A. 8-1710, and amendments thereto, may be equipped with not more than three identification lamps showing to the front which shall emit an amber light without glare and not more than three identification lamps showing to the rear which shall emit a red light without glare. Such lamps shall be mounted as specified in subsection (g) of K.S.A. 8-1710, and amendments thereto.
(e) Any vehicle may be equipped with one or more side marker lamps and any such lamp may be flashed in conjunction with turn or vehicular hazard warning signals. Side marker lamps located toward the front of a vehicle shall be amber and side marker lamps located toward the rear shall be red.
(f) Any motor vehicle may be equipped with neon ground effect lighting, except that such lighting shall not flash, be any shade of red nor shall any portion of the neon tubes be visible. "Neon ground effect lighting" means neon tubes placed underneath the motor vehicle for the purpose of illuminating the ground below the motor vehicle creating a halo light effect. (g) Any motor vehicle may be equipped with head lamps which alternately flash or simultaneously flash when such motor vehicle is being used as the lead motor vehicle of a funeral procession. A funeral hearse may serve as a funeral lead vehicle.


It doesn't mention driving with neons turned on!

Edit: I have also emailed my area community officer asking about any further restrictions.

 

[ZeroHour]

I have two blue lights under my dash, and one blue light under each front seat. You really need to be standing next to the car to see them.

I have them on an accessbile switch that doesn't require body movement just incase I would ever get pulled over when they are on. Also my head unit has a big blue LCD display. So I could be like dude its my radio! lol

But I have never had a problem with my in cabin lights.

Outside, like mentioned, You can't do blue(police), Red (emergency, and brake lights), Orange/yellow (blinkers). And they sure as hell can't pulse, because pulse is an emergency light deal. You're left with possibly green, purple, and white. Not sure what other colors you could get.

 

[mzracer360]

The community officer emailed me back; the only restrictions Kansas has on neons are, for exterior, they can't be red, pulse or have the neon tube visible. For interior, the lights cannot be red or blue, or seen from other vehicles.