Off road lights in Cali law?

In California, (last I read) roof mounted off lights require covers, but other lights (in front of the grille) do not.

 

I learned that covers keeps bugs off too. Yup, it's obvious, but lets say you are planning a wheeling trip, and you end up off road during dark hours, and you flick your lights on, and they are covered in bugs, it kinda annoyed me. Then, try cleaning them off! You'll get swarmed by moths. So the covers keep them nice and clean so when you do use them, they are in full effect. just my 2 cents

 

My headlights (and yours) get hit with just as many bugs. When I wash my windshield, I also wash my lights.

 

That's what I do...every time I put gas in the truck I clean the windows and all the lights.

 

I just have the covers behind the seat all the time. Got pulled over for "speeding" once, dude apparently lasered the camry next to me going 84 as I was going aobut 75, and insisted it was me. Ok whatever, then he tried to say my registration was out (sticker was out, registration was paid, waiting on new stickers), when I insisted he show my in his system where it said my registration was invalid he abruptly changed tactics and started saying my wheels were poking out to much, to which I replied "get a tape measure, its why I have larger fenders so they don't poke out as much" AND THEN he moved on to the lights, saying I had to many exposed lights on the front, I was tired of fighting at this point so I just said "I have the covers in the back, Officer, I just got back from an offroad trip and forgot to put them back on, if you'll allow me to exit my vehicle I'll install them now" and he was just like "No, its fine" and then just kept walking around the truck looking for infractions. So I got a speeding ticket I didn't deserve, had to work the day of the court date, so I just paid it and took the traffic school. Horseshit, but man that dude was pissing me off.

 

I got a ticket culver city for my lightbar being uncovered $298.

 

I'd heard that too about having them below the headlights but I just got a fixit ticket today in San Diego. I told the officer what I'd heard and he told me to look up CVC 24411 and it says nothing about it. Here's a pic of my setup. Just ordered the light covers... :/

 

Just so there is no ambiguity:

http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=VEH&sectionNum=24411.

 

Sorry to hear about the fix it ticket, particularly with your tasteful set up.

I've been thinking about putting a 30 inch led bar behind my front bumper, but looking at § 24411 it seems that a 30 inch led bar has the potential of violating the statute in two ways; 1.) a LED light bar has more than 8 individual headlamps unless they consider the bar as a whole to be just one headlamp 2.) with the LED bar behind the bumper there is no feasible way to install an opaque cover over the LED bar and it would then be a question of police discretion to enforce § 24411 if they so choose. Out of curiosity, and hopefully your still monitoring this thread, in the ticket was he specific about what the violation was? Namely, did he specify that it was because the number of headlamps exceeded 8 or just because it wasn't covered?

Regardless, makes me nervous about pulling the trigger on a led bumper bar because it can't be covered.

 

Hm. I'm not even sure what to do. On the one hand, I really really want side projecting pods. On the other hand, how will people I have side projecting pods if they're under covers but within the purview of the law?

 

I have the Auxbeam side shooters and obviously no covers made or available. Was going to swap them out for pods with covers but then had a really cheesy idea lol

I used some leftover privacy window cling/vinyl

$23 Gila Privacy Black Static Cling Residential DIY Window Film No Glue No Adhesive 3ft x 6.5ft (36in x 78in) - PB78

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000HE57JS

Have had it on for a couple of days now and hasn't come off even with freeway driving. Blacks out the lens so satisfies the legal aspect. For now, it works.

 

Does it come off easily and reapply no problems? I find after awhile, they tend to get covered in dust and never stick properly again.

 

So far so good. Haven't had time but I have enough material leftover to cut a few more for spares and just toss em in the truck somewhere.

At some point I'd like to find covers but whatever works.... looks like a huge ripple/bubble but it's just reflection of the fender

 

Ive been running around without a cover for a while now....The most ive gotten from a cop was a compliment..

 

Caliraised appears to make a kit to cover them. Glue some magnets on the lens and attach a cover.

https://caliraisedled.com/collectio.../magnetic-led-light-cover?variant=26172970128

 

Drive in Culver City all the time with out covers on my aux lights, never had a problem.. Was this a 'fix-it-ticket' at least? Seems like it should be.

 

I got in touch with Caliraised right after I purchased a set of ditch lights to ask them what their customers normally used for covers and they directed me to the covers by Rigid Industries.

 

It was a Culver City motorcycle cop, and I assume he does mostly vehicle code violations. It was a straight up citation. Should've definitely been a 'fix-it' ticket but I guess it's his discretion. I had a light bar above the windshield at the time. I think technically all auxiliary lighting needs to be covered. I vaguely remember the code mentioning lighting above the roof line being covered. Not sure tho

I have 2 pods and a small bar on my bumper now, and haven't had any issues.

 

Anything that falls under CVC 24411, which would be lighting in this rectangle:



You can have use on your vehicle up to eight auxiliary lamps as headlamps when driving or operating off the highway that are not less than 16" above the ground, more than 12" above the passenger compartment, To a point 40" behind the driver's seat to the front of the vehicle, as long as these lamps are wired separate circuit from your primary lamps. On the highway, they must be covered by an opaque shield or cover, and turned off.

 

Ill just rotate my roof top light bar pointing up/back. Fast and easy.