The Equipment Stop
Minn. Stat. 169.48 — sunset to sunrise, rain or snow, and 500 feet
When. Every vehicle on a highway displays lighted headlamps and tail lamps at any time from sunset to sunrise; at any time when it is raining, snowing, sleeting, or hailing; and at any other time when visibility is impaired, or there is not sufficient light to render clearly discernible persons and vehicles at a distance of 500 feet ahead.
Parking lamps are not headlamps. Parking lamps are not used in lieu of headlamps to satisfy the section. A violation of the rain, snow, sleet or hail clause is not negligence per se or prima facie evidence of negligence.
The rear lamps. Every motor vehicle has at least one tail lamp exhibiting a red light plainly visible from a distance of 500 feet to the rear, and one registered in the state and manufactured after January 1, 1960, other than a truck-tractor, has at least two.
The plate lamp. A rear lamp or separate lamp illuminates the rear registration plate with a white light and renders it legible from a distance of 50 feet to the rear, wired to be lighted whenever the headlamps or auxiliary driving lamps are lighted.
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 Minnesota attorney.
Sources for this section (2)
- Minn. Stat. 169.48 — When lights are to be displayed
- Minn. Stat. 169.50 — Rear lamps and 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 Minnesota attorney.