The Equipment Stop
Veh. Code 24400 — two lighted headlamps in darkness or inclement weather, including wipers in continuous use
Darkness. Darkness is any time from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise, and any other time when visibility is not sufficient to render clearly discernible any person or vehicle on the highway at a distance of 1,000 feet. During darkness, a vehicle is equipped with lighted lighting equipment as the chapter requires.
Rain counts. A motor vehicle other than a motorcycle is operated during darkness or inclement weather with at least two lighted headlamps. Inclement weather is a condition that prevents a driver from clearly discerning a person or another vehicle from a distance of 1,000 feet, or one requiring the windshield wipers to be in continuous use due to rain, mist, snow, fog, or other precipitation or atmospheric moisture.
The taillamps. Taillamps are red and plainly visible from all distances within 500 feet to the rear, and within 1,000 feet on vehicles manufactured after January 1, 1969. A vehicle other than a motorcycle manufactured and first registered on or after January 1, 1958, has not less than two.
The plate lamp. The taillamp or a separate lamp illuminates the rear license plate with a white light during darkness and renders it clearly legible from a distance of 50 feet to the rear.
Other equipment the code requires, from brakes to mirrors, is set out in other sections that are not on this page. Whether a lamp was out, or the conditions called for lights, is a question of fact, and whether a stop on that basis was lawful is a question for a licensed California attorney.
Sources for this section (5)
- Veh. Code 280 — Darkness defined
- Veh. Code 24250 — Lighted lighting equipment during darkness
- Veh. Code 24400 — Headlamps, and their use in darkness or inclement weather
- Veh. Code 24600 — Taillamps
- Veh. Code 24601 — The license plate lamp
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed California attorney.