It’s time to settle the facts and rumors aside! As we gear up for a whole new wild ride into 2020, the passion for motorcycles are bigger than ever. Maybe it’s all those recent series we’ve been bingeing on Netflix… But all joking aside, I would like to tell you about what color lights are allowed on motorcycles.
Now, for those who are already savvy on motorcycle lights- then you know that the newest vanity LED’s show off your hog better than ever! It’s like your bike is being lit for some wild action film. The perfect accent to show off what machine parts define the bike itself. But according to some countries, these lights are still a question.
Let’s delve into the law just a bit here. When you consider that the addition of any vanity light for your bike is still under debate. Here is the latest breakdown of countries that have made specific allowances for vanity LED’s.
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USA: Motorcycle LED Laws in the US
Home of the Easy Rider’ for sure, but also the birthplace for outlaw bikers, custom builds, and no shortage of motor runs’. So you need to be aware of what is legal and what is not. States to absolutely avoid all include: California, Arizona, Alabama, Connecticut, New Jersey. For whatever reason, they don’t want you to put any kind of after market gear, especially LED vanity lights.
There are some states that have restrictions which limit the use of Red or Blue LED colors, which makes sense since most police vehicles use those two colors exclusively to enforce the law. These include: Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah, Wisconsin. There are also specific instructions that keep the red or blue color limited to only illuminate the engine, drive train and underneath the chassis, so no combination or either red or blue on the front of the bike.
No Flashing pulsing or rotating lights are a hot topic in these states that include: Alaska, Arkansas, Delaware, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Obviously these are places where LED lighting may be allowed, but don’t let you get your bling-on with blinky lights, so be warned.
Some states just don’t have a law or don’t mind Vanity LED’s, so these are the safe havens for your hog. Now you can ride freely in: Kentucky, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont and Washington. Be sure to check local city laws for new info.
Florida: It is expressly prohibited to show or display any red or blue light visible from the front. As of the side cowls only white or amber lights without glare.
Hawaii: No motorcycle may possess any lamp, or illumination device which appear to be the color blue except for law enforcement vehicles. There you have it folks and violation shall be punished by up to $1,000.
Motorcycle LED Lights UK Law
Across the great pond where tea time is proper and the Sex Pistols are still a global icon, the UK does have very selective restrictions that might leave you raising an eyebrow. Aside from standard factory lighting, the key to pimping your ride in the UK is simple if you follow these rules.
Starting with the front of the motorcycle, the only light that is allowed is the headlight, no other exception. While looking at the back of the bike, you should only be able to see the red color of the brake light only. Are you shocked yet, wait there’s more! You can use LED’s but the color Green’ is absolutely not allowed.
It gets worse too- because the LED light itself cannot be seen except for the glow that the light itself is emitting. There should be an independent on and off switch for those vanity lights also. The lights cannot be distracting to other drivers as any kind of pulsing or motion of the light can be seen. Other than that, vanity LED’s in the UK are allowed.
Motorcycle LED Lights Law in Australia
For those of you who are wondering what the law allows down under in Oz, it’s time to tell you what those would-be Mad Max bike enthusiasts are able to legally do. According to their law, any kind of neon or LED lights attached to the bottom of the vehicle are allowed if they do not flash.
They especially don’t like flashing lights anywhere over the vehicle except for the turning signals. Beware that any bike or vehicle fitted with LED lighting in Australia also needs to have a compliance notice (a nice yellow sticker) posted on the vehicle issued by the Department of Transport. How about that?
Motorcycle LED Lights Law in Canada
Right about now you might be thinking that Canada has great social medical program and their own brand of Canadian Football too. And though the Highway Traffic Act will not bat an eye at your motorbike having LED lighting under the chassis but there are little hicks that you should know about. The lights cannot have flashing red or blue of any sort.
Places to avoid include British Columbia where underglow is illegal and limited to off-road allowances only. In the province of Alberta lighting and underglow is also illegal upon the idea that the light would be distracting to other motorists. It seems that Ontario has similar laws however there is one color that seems to be debated.
If you do use LED lights on your motorcycle, the color Green is one of the few colors that is potentially allowed. In general is is still a debated issue and the Ontario law says any color is illegal, so adventurers be warned.
With that being said, no you know more on the issues of LED lighting on your motorcycle. If you are planning to visit any of these countries or are going to decorate your ride, these places will let you know what is legal and what is not.
Then again it’s always a good idea to do an internet search on local traffic laws or from the department of motor vehicles website. Everything else is common sense since vanity LED’s are nice on a showroom floor but still are a bit sticky for a police to determine if it’s a distraction to other drivers.
