CHAPTER 2. Lighting Equipment [24250. - 26106.]
Chapter 2 enacted by Stats. 1959, Ch. 3.
§§ 24250–26106 · 135 sections
ARTICLE 1. General Provisions §§ 24250–24255 · 6 sections
- § 24250 During darkness, a vehicle shall be equipped with lighted lighting equipment as required for the vehicle by this chapter.
- § 24251 Any requirement in this chapter as to the distance from which any lighting equipment shall render a person or vehicle visible or within which any lighting…
- § 24252 (a) (1) All lighting equipment of a required type installed on a vehicle shall at all times be maintained in good working order. Lamps shall be equipped with…
- § 24253 (a) All motor vehicles manufactured and first registered after January 1, 1970, shall be equipped so all taillamps are capable of remaining lighted for a…
- § 24254 Whenever a requirement is declared as to the mounted height of lamps or reflectors, the height shall be measured from the center of the lamp or reflector to…
- § 24255 (a) A vehicle may be equipped with a system to supplement the driver’s visibility of the roadway to the front or rear of the vehicle during darkness. This…
ARTICLE 2. Headlamps and Auxiliary Lamps §§ 24400–24411 · 12 sections
- § 24400 (a) A motor vehicle, other than a motorcycle, shall be equipped with at least two headlamps, with at least one on each side of the front of the vehicle, and,…
- § 24401 Whenever any motor vehicle is parked or standing upon a highway any headlamp that is lighted shall be dimmed or on the lower beam.
- § 24402 (a) Any motor vehicle may be equipped with not to exceed two auxiliary driving lamps mounted on the front at a height of not less than 16 inches nor more than…
- § 24403 (a) A motor vehicle may be equipped with not more than two foglamps that may be used with, but may not be used in substitution of, headlamps. (b) On a motor…
- § 24404 (a) A motor vehicle may be equipped with not to exceed two white spotlamps, which shall not be used in substitution of headlamps. (b) No spotlamp shall be…
- § 24405 (a) Not more than four lamps of the following types showing to the front of a vehicle may be lighted at any one time: (1) Headlamps. (2) Auxiliary driving or…
- § 24406 Except as otherwise provided, the headlamps, or other auxiliary driving lamps, or a combination thereof, on a motor vehicle during darkness shall be so…
- § 24407 Multiple-beam road lighting equipment shall be designed and aimed as follows: (a) There shall be an uppermost distribution of light, or composite beam, so…
- § 24408 (a) Every new motor vehicle registered in this state after January 1, 1940, which has multiple-beam road lighting equipment shall be equipped with a beam…
- § 24409 Whenever a motor vehicle is being operated during darkness, the driver shall use a distribution of light, or composite beam, directed high enough and of…
- § 24410 Headlamps arranged to provide a single distribution of light not supplemented by auxiliary driving lamps are permitted on motor vehicles manufactured and sold…
- § 24411 Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a vehicle may be equipped with not more than eight lamps for use as headlamps while the vehicle is operated or…
ARTICLE 3. Rear Lighting Equipment §§ 24600–24617 · 16 sections
- § 24600 During darkness every motor vehicle which is not in combination with any other vehicle and every vehicle at the end of a combination of vehicles shall be…
- § 24601 Either the taillamp or a separate lamp shall be so constructed and placed as to illuminate with a white light the rear license plate during darkness and render…
- § 24602 (a) A vehicle may be equipped with not more than two red fog taillamps mounted on the rear which may be lighted, in addition to the required taillamps, only…
- § 24603 Every motor vehicle that is not in combination with any other vehicle and every vehicle at the end of a combination of vehicles shall at all times be equipped…
- § 24604 (a) Whenever the load upon any vehicle extends, or whenever any integral part of any vehicle projects, to the rear four feet or more beyond the rear of the…
- § 24605 (a) A tow truck or an automobile dismantler’s tow vehicle used to tow a vehicle shall be equipped with and carry a taillamp, a stoplamp, and turn signal lamps…
- § 24606 (a) Every motor vehicle, other than a motorcycle, of a type subject to registration and manufactured on and after January 1, 1969, shall be equipped with one…
- § 24607 Every vehicle subject to registration under this code shall at all times be equipped with red reflectors mounted on the rear as follows: (a) Every vehicle…
- § 24608 (a) Motortrucks, trailers, semitrailers, and buses 80 or more inches in width manufactured on or after January 1, 1968, shall be equipped with an amber…
- § 24609 (a) A vehicle may be equipped with white or amber reflectors that are mounted on the front of the vehicle at a height of 15 inches or more, but not more than…
- § 24610 A reflector placed on vehicles under Section 24609 which is of the button or other multiple-unit type shall contain not less than seven units with a total of…
- § 24611 Trailers that are equipped with red and white reflective sheeting or reflectors on both the sides and rear and displayed in accordance with federal Motor…
- § 24612 (a) All trailers and semitrailers having an overall width of 80 inches or more and a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 10,000 pounds, and manufactured…
- § 24615 It is unlawful to operate upon a public highway any vehicle or combination of vehicles, which is designed to be and is operated at a speed of 25 miles per hour…
- § 24616 (a) A motor vehicle may be equipped with one or two rear-facing auxiliary lamps. For the purposes of this section, a rear-facing auxiliary lamp is a lamp that…
- § 24617 (a) A transit bus may be authorized to be equipped with a yield right-of-way sign on the left rear of the bus. The yield right-of-way sign may flash…
ARTICLE 4. Parking Lamps §§ 24800–24802 · 3 sections
- § 24800 No vehicle shall be driven at any time with the parking lamps lighted except when the lamps are being used as turn signal lamps or when the headlamps are also…
- § 24801 Parking lamps are those lamps permitted by Section 25106, or any lamps mounted on the front of a vehicle, designed to be displayed primarily when the vehicle…
- § 24802 No lights need be displayed upon a vehicle which is: (a) Parked off the roadway and not in a hazardous position on the highway; or (b) Parked with a wheel…
ARTICLE 5. Signal Lamps and Devices §§ 24950–24953 · 4 sections
- § 24950 Whenever any motor vehicle is towing a trailer coach or a camp trailer the combination of vehicles shall be equipped with a lamp-type turn signal system.
- § 24951 (a) Any vehicle may be equipped with a lamp-type turn signal system capable of clearly indicating any intention to turn either to the right or to the left. (b)…
- § 24952 A lamp-type turn signal shall be plainly visible and understandable in normal sunlight and at nighttime from a distance of at least 300 feet to the front and…
- § 24953 (a) Any turn signal system used to give a signal of intention to turn right or left shall project a flashing white or amber light visible to the front and a…
ARTICLE 6. Side and Fender Lighting Equipment §§ 25100–25110 · 12 sections
- § 25100 (a) Except as provided in subdivisions (b) and (d), every vehicle 80 inches or more in overall width shall be equipped during darkness as follows: (1) At least…
- § 25100.1 Notwithstanding any other provisions of this code, an ambulance may be equipped with clearance and side-marker lamps.
- § 25102 In addition to the lamps otherwise permitted by this chapter, any motor vehicle may be equipped with lamps on the sides thereof, visible from the side of the…
- § 25102.5 (a) A schoolbus may be equipped with lamps mounted so as to be visible from the sides of the bus which may be lighted, in addition to other required lights,…
- § 25103 Whenever the load upon any vehicle extends from the left side of the vehicle one foot or more, there shall be displayed at the extreme left side of the load…
- § 25104 (a) Any vehicle or equipment that requires a permit issued pursuant to Article 6 (commencing with Section 35780) of Chapter 5 of Division 15 because it is…
- § 25105 (a) Any motor vehicle may be equipped with running board or door-mounted courtesy lamps. The bulbs in the lamps shall not exceed six standard candlepower and…
- § 25106 (a) Any motor vehicle may be equipped with lighted white or amber cowl or fender lamps on the front. Any vehicle may be equipped with not more than one amber…
- § 25107 Any motor vehicle may be equipped with not more than two cornering lamps designed and of sufficient intensity for the purpose of revealing objects only in the…
- § 25108 (a) Any motor vehicle may be equipped with not more than two amber turn-signal pilot indicators mounted on the exterior. The light output from any indicator…
- § 25109 Any motor vehicle may be equipped with two white or amber running lamps mounted on the front, one at each side, which shall not be lighted during darkness…
- § 25110 (a) The following vehicles may be equipped with utility flood or loading lamps mounted on the rear, and sides, that project a white light illuminating an area…
ARTICLE 7. Flashing and Colored Lights §§ 25250–25282 · 49 sections
- § 25250 Flashing lights are prohibited on vehicles except as otherwise permitted.
- § 25251 (a) Flashing lights are permitted on vehicles as follows: (1) To indicate an intention to turn or move to the right or left upon a roadway, turn signal lamps…
- § 25251.1 Any implement of husbandry displaying a slow moving vehicle emblem, as defined in Section 24615, and being operated at a speed of 25 miles per hour or less,…
- § 25251.2 Any motorcycle may be equipped with a means of modulating the upper beam of the headlamp between a high and a lower brightness at a rate of 200 to 280 flashes…
- § 25251.3 No civil liability shall attach to any person for the use or nonuse of turn signal lamps in the manner permitted by paragraph (3) or (5) of subdivision (a) of…
- § 25251.4 Any motor vehicle may also be equipped with a theft alarm system which flashes any of the lights required or permitted on the motor vehicle and which operates…
- § 25251.5 (a) Any motor vehicle may also be equipped with a system in which an amber light is center mounted on the rear of a vehicle to communicate a component of…
- § 25252 Every authorized emergency vehicle shall be equipped with at least one steady burning red warning lamp visible from at least 1,000 feet to the front of the…
- § 25252.5 (a) Every authorized emergency vehicle may be equipped with a system which flashes the upper-beam headlamps of the vehicle with the flashes occurring…
- § 25253 (a) Tow trucks used to tow disabled vehicles shall be equipped with flashing amber warning lamps. This subdivision does not apply to a tractor-trailer…
- § 25253.1 An automobile dismantler’s tow vehicle used to tow a disabled vehicle may be equipped with flashing amber warning lamps. A flashing amber warning lamp upon an…
- § 25256 Vehicles used by highway authorities or bridge and highway districts, and vehicles of duly authorized representatives thereof, used in highway maintenance,…
- § 25257 (a) Every schoolbus, when operated for the transportation of schoolchildren, shall be equipped with a flashing red light signal system. (b) (1) Every schoolbus…
- § 25257.2 If a schoolbus is used for the transportation of persons of any age who are developmentally disabled, as defined by the Lanterman Developmental Disabilities…
- § 25257.5 To warn other motorists or pedestrians on a roadway during a backing maneuver, the operator of a schoolbus may flash turn signal lamps if the front turn signal…
- § 25257.7 (a) A schoolbus may be equipped with a white strobe light mounted so as to be visible from the front, sides, or rear of the bus. The strobe light may only be…
- § 25258 (a) An authorized emergency vehicle operating under the conditions specified in Section 21055 may display a flashing white light from a gaseous discharge lamp…
- § 25259 (a) Any authorized emergency vehicle may display flashing amber warning lights to the front, sides, or rear. (b) A vehicle operated by a police or traffic…
- § 25259.1 (a) Any vehicle operated by a disaster service worker who has received training in accordance with subdivision (b) and used by that worker in the performance…
- § 25259.5 An emergency response or disaster service vehicle owned or leased and operated by the American National Red Cross, or any chapter or branch thereof, and…
- § 25260 (a) Public utility vehicles, and vehicles of duly authorized representatives of a public utility, actually engaged in the construction, removal, maintenance,…
- § 25260.1 Vehicles actually engaged in the construction, removal, maintenance, or inspection of any oil or gas pipeline may display flashing amber warning lights to the…
- § 25260.3 Any vehicle having personnel aerial lift equipment, actually engaged in the construction, removal, maintenance or inspection of any building, structure, or…
- § 25260.4 Any hazardous substance spill response vehicle, under contract to the Department of Transportation for the cleanup of hazardous substance spills, may display…
- § 25261 Vehicles used by a county or county department of agriculture and vehicles of duly authorized representatives thereof, actually engaged in weed control or pest…
- § 25262 An armored car may be equipped with red lights which may be used while resisting armed robbery. At all other times the red lights shall not be lighted. The…
- § 25263 Trucks actually engaged in the towing of houses or buildings upon any highway may display flashing amber warning lights to the front, sides or rear on the…
- § 25264 Any motor vehicle operated by a coroner, or by a deputy coroner, and which is at the scene of any violent highway death, may display flashing amber warning…
- § 25265 Repair vehicles of sanitary districts or county sanitation districts necessarily parked other than adjacent to the curb in a highway for purposes of repairing…
- § 25266 Vehicles owned by the state and operated by officers or employees of the state who are actually engaged in aqueduct or levee construction, maintenance, patrol,…
- § 25267 Vehicles used by mosquito abatement districts or pest abatement districts when dispersing insecticides may display flashing amber warning lights to the front…
- § 25268 No person shall display a flashing amber warning light on a vehicle as permitted by this code except when an unusual traffic hazard exists.
- § 25269 No person shall display a flashing or steady burning red warning light on a vehicle except as permitted by Section 21055 or when an extreme hazard exists.
- § 25270 Any pilot car required by the permit referred to in Section 35780 or 35790, or any vehicle or combination of vehicles subject to the permit if specified in the…
- § 25270.5 Any motor vehicle engaged in, or aiding in, the herding of livestock along or across a public roadway may display flashing amber warning lights to the front,…
- § 25271 Any publicly owned vehicle or any vehicle operated by a corporation incorporated under Part 4 (commencing with Section 10400) of Division 2 of Title 1 of the…
- § 25271.5 Any publicly owned vehicle used for the enforcement of animal control laws contained in a statute, local ordinance, or regulation may display flashing or…
- § 25272 A motor vehicle used by a rural mail carrier may display flashing amber warning lights to the front and rear of the vehicle while the vehicle is necessarily…
- § 25273 Any motor vehicle owned and operated by a school district with an average daily attendance in excess of 400,000 while being used to measure the distance from…
- § 25274 Any vehicle owned by a cable television company and operated by employees, or duly authorized representatives, of a cable television company, when actually…
- § 25275 Any truck or truck tractor which is primarily used in the transportation of loads specified in subdivision (a) of Section 35414, may be equipped with a…
- § 25275.5 Any bus operated either by a public agency or under the authority of a certificate of public convenience and necessity issued by the Public Utilities…
- § 25276 (a) A motor vehicle designed for carrying more than eight persons, including the driver, owned by a private, nonprofit organization that provides training or…
- § 25277 Any vehicle used by any police department, sheriff’s office, or other governmental agency for the purpose of enforcing parking laws contained in the Vehicle…
- § 25278 Any vehicle owned or operated by a land surveyor or civil engineer licensed to practice in this state may display flashing amber warning lights to the front,…
- § 25279 (a) Vehicles owned and operated by private security agencies and utilized exclusively on privately owned and maintained roads to which this code is made…
- § 25280 Vehicles operated by a local public entity, or pursuant to a permit, license, contract, or franchise with a local public entity, and used to collect and…
- § 25281 A privately owned or operated water tender vehicle, when used exclusively for contract emergency services provided to any public agency, may display flashing…
- § 25282 Any vehicle owned or operated by a contractor or a construction company licensed to operate in this state pursuant to the Business and Professions Code may…
ARTICLE 8. Warning Lights and Devices §§ 25300–25305 · 3 sections
- § 25300 (a) Every vehicle which, if operated during darkness, would be subject to the requirements of Section 25100, and every truck tractor, irrespective of width,…
- § 25301 When utility or public utility vehicles are parked, stopped or standing at the site of work as described in Section 22512, warning devices shall be displayed…
- § 25305 (a) No person shall place, deposit, or display upon or adjacent to any highway any lighted fusee, except as a warning to approaching vehicular traffic or…
ARTICLE 9. Commercial and Common Carrier Vehicles §§ 25350–25353 · 4 sections
- § 25350 Any passenger common carrier motor vehicle manufactured prior to January 1, 1968, may be equipped with green identification lamps. Any bus may be equipped with…
- § 25351 (a) A commercial vehicle and any other vehicle 80 or more inches in width may be equipped with identification lamps mounted on the front or rear. (b)…
- § 25352 Any bus operated by a publicly owned transit system on regularly scheduled service may be equipped with a device capable of sending a signal that interrupts or…
- § 25353 (a) Notwithstanding Sections 25400 and 25950, a bus operated by a publicly owned transit system on regularly scheduled service may be equipped with illuminated…
ARTICLE 10. Diffused Lights §§ 25400–25401 · 2 sections
ARTICLE 11. Acetylene Lamps §§ 25450–25452 · 3 sections
- § 25450 Any motor vehicle, other than a motorcycle, equipped with lighted acetylene headlamps complies with the provisions of this code concerning lighted headlamps…
- § 25451 Any motorcycle equipped with one lighted acetylene headlamp complies with the provisions of this code concerning lighted headlamps on motorcycles when the…
- § 25452 No acetylene lamp shall emit any glaring light.
ARTICLE 12. Reflectorizing Material § 25500 · 1 section
- § 25500 (a) Area reflectorizing material may be displayed on any vehicle, provided: the color red is not displayed on the front; designs do not tend to distort the…
ARTICLE 13. Headlamps on Motorcycles and Motor-Driven Cycles §§ 25650–25651 · 3 sections
- § 25650 Every motorcycle during darkness shall be equipped with at least one and not more than two lighted headlamps which shall conform to the requirements and…
- § 25650.5 Every motorcycle manufactured and first registered on and after January 1, 1978, shall be equipped with at least one and not more than two headlamps which…
- § 25651 The headlamp upon a motor-driven cycle may be of the single-beam or multiple-beam type, but in either event, when the vehicle is operated during darkness, the…
ARTICLE 14. Vehicles Exempted §§ 25800–25806 · 7 sections
- § 25800 The provisions of Sections 24012, 24250, 24251, 24400 to 24404, inclusive, and Articles 3 (commencing with Section 24600), 4 (commencing with Section 24800), 5…
- § 25801 The provisions of Sections 24012, 24250, 24251, 24254, 24400 to 24404, inclusive, 24600 to 24604, inclusive, 24606 to 24610, inclusive, Section 25950, and…
- § 25802 Sections 24002, 24005, 24012, 24250, 24251, 24400 to 24404, inclusive, 24600 to 24604, inclusive, 24606 to 24610, inclusive, Article 4 (commencing with Section…
- § 25803 (a) All vehicles not otherwise required to be equipped with headlamps, rear lights, or reflectors by this chapter shall, if operated on a highway during…
- § 25804 Notwithstanding any other provision of this code, original lighting equipment installed on a vehicle manufactured prior to January 1, 1946, need not meet the…
- § 25805 Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, a forklift truck which is towed upon the highway at the end of a combination of vehicles shall at all…
- § 25806 Sections 24003 and 27002 shall not apply to the installation of warning lamps and sirens on ambulances or firetrucks which are used solely for demonstration…
ARTICLE 15. Light Restrictions and Mounting §§ 25950–25952 · 3 sections
- § 25950 This section applies to the color of lamps and to any reflector exhibiting or reflecting perceptible light of 0.05 candela or more per foot-candle of incident…
- § 25951 Any lighted lamp or device upon a motor vehicle other than headlamps, spotlamps, signal lamps, or auxiliary driving lamps, warning lamps which projects a beam…
- § 25952 (a) Lamps, reflectors, and area reflectorizing material of a type required or permitted on a vehicle may be mounted on a load carried by the vehicle in lieu…
ARTICLE 16. Equipment Testing §§ 26100–26106 · 7 sections
- § 26100 (a) A person shall not sell or offer for sale for use upon or as part of the equipment of a vehicle any lighting equipment, safety glazing material, or other…
- § 26101 (a) A person shall not sell or offer for sale for use upon or as part of the equipment of a vehicle any device that is intended to modify the original design…
- § 26102 In the event any equipment in actual use meets the requirements of this code or a department regulation adopted pursuant to this code, a subsequent regulation…
- § 26103 (a) The department may adopt and enforce regulations establishing standards and specifications for safety belts, safety glazing material, safety helmets,…
- § 26104 (a) Every manufacturer who sells, offers for sale, or manufactures for use upon a vehicle devices subject to requirements established by the department shall,…
- § 26105 The department may purchase any equipment sold for use on vehicles and test or retest the same as to conformance with the requirements of this code and…
- § 26106 The department may issue a permit for the use of equipment for experimental purposes. The use of such equipment under the permit is not a violation of this…