California headlight law requires you to turn your headlights on from half an hour after sunset until half an hour before sunrise, any time visibility drops below 1,000 feet, and any time weather forces you to run your windshield wipers continuously. The rules sit in two overlapping Vehicle Code sections, and getting caught on the wrong side of either one is an infraction that usually costs around $230 once court fees are added and puts a point on your driving record.
When Your Headlights Must Be On
Two statutes do most of the work. Section 24250 is the general rule: every vehicle must have its lighting equipment turned on “during darkness.”1California Legislative Information. California Code VEH 24250 The reach of that short sentence comes from how California defines the word. Under Section 280, “darkness” means any period from a half hour after sunset to a half hour before sunrise, and any other time when you cannot clearly see a person or vehicle on the road from 1,000 feet away.2California Legislative Information. California Code VEH 280 Heavy fog, thick smoke, or a hard afternoon rain can all qualify, even at noon.
Section 24400 adds a second, overlapping rule aimed specifically at headlamps. Every motor vehicle other than a motorcycle must operate with at least two lighted headlamps during darkness or inclement weather. The statute defines inclement weather two ways: visibility under 1,000 feet, or any condition that requires continuous wiper use because of rain, snow, fog, or other moisture.3California Legislative Information. California Code VEH 24400
The shortcut most drivers can remember: wipers on, headlights on. Parking lights and daytime running lamps do not satisfy the statute. You need your actual headlamps, which also activates your tail lamps so drivers behind you can see you in the spray.
High Beams and Low Beams
California sets specific distances for switching between beams. Section 24409 requires you to dim your high beams within 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle, and within 300 feet when you are following another vehicle from behind.4California Legislative Information. California Code VEH 24409 The same section also requires that during darkness your headlights reveal people and vehicles at a safe distance ahead, so on an unlit rural highway with no traffic around, low beams alone may not be enough. Use the high beams when you need the reach, drop them when another driver is close enough to be blinded.
Lights That Have to Work Even in Daytime
Section 24252 requires all required lighting equipment to be maintained in good working order “at all times.”5California Legislative Information. California Code VEH 24252 A burned-out tail lamp or brake light is a violation at noon on a clear day, because the rule is not tied to when the light would be used. Bulbs must also match the correct voltage for the socket.
This is one of the most common reasons for a traffic stop and one of the easiest to prevent. Once a month, have someone sit in the driver’s seat and press the brakes, run through the turn signals, and shift into reverse while you watch from behind. Five minutes of checking spares you the ticket and the paperwork that comes after.
What Colors Are Legal
Section 25950 sets the basic color scheme. Lights visible from the front of the vehicle must be white or yellow, and lights visible from the rear must be red.6California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 25950 A few narrow exceptions exist: backup lamps must be white, rear turn signals can be yellow, and fog lamps may fall between white and yellow. The general rule holds otherwise.
Aftermarket modifications are where drivers get into trouble. Blue-tinted headlight bulbs, forward-facing colored accent lights, and underglow kits in non-permitted colors violate the scheme. Having the equipment installed can itself be the violation, even if you only switch it on at car meets. Red and blue flashing lights are reserved for authorized emergency vehicles and are off limits on a personal car entirely.
What a Lighting Ticket Actually Costs
A lighting violation is an infraction. The base fine is modest, often in the $25 to $35 range, but California stacks state and county penalty assessments, a DNA fund penalty, a court construction fee, a surcharge, and a court operations assessment on top. A $35 base fine typically grows to roughly $230 by the time you pay it.7California Courts. Uniform Bail and Penalty Schedules 2026 Totals vary by county, but the final figure usually runs five to seven times the base.
A conviction under Section 24250 also adds one point to your driving record.8Santa Clara County Superior Court. Vehicle Code Violations Used in Negligent Operator Counts The point stays on your record for three years, can raise your insurance, and counts toward the totals the DMV uses to designate drivers as negligent operators and suspend licenses.
Fix-It Tickets for Equipment Problems
Equipment-based violations such as a burned-out headlamp or broken tail light often qualify as correctable. Under Section 40522, an officer can write the citation as a fix-it ticket, which requires you to repair the problem and show proof of correction by your court date.9California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 40522 After the repair, take the vehicle to a law enforcement officer who signs the certificate of correction on the back of the ticket. Submit that proof to the court with a $25 dismissal fee and the charge goes away. Ignoring the deadline forfeits the option, so handle a fix-it ticket as soon as you get it.
A Note on Automatic Headlights
Most newer vehicles turn their headlights on automatically when a sensor detects low light. That convenience is not a legal defense. If the sensor fails to activate your lights during a rainstorm or at dusk, you are still responsible for the violation.
Know where your manual switch is and use it. Automatic systems are slow to react to tunnels, heavy tree cover, and sudden fog, and daytime running lights usually illuminate only the front of the car. Your tail lamps do not come on until you turn the headlamp switch yourself, which is exactly when a driver coming up behind you in the rain needs to see them.