The Equipment Stop
Wis. Stat. 347.13 — a tail lamp visible at 500 feet, both if two came with the car, and no decorative covering
The tail lamps. No person operates a motor vehicle on a highway during hours of darkness or a period of limited visibility unless it has at least one tail lamp emitting a red light plainly visible from a distance of 500 feet to the rear. A vehicle originally equipped with 2 tail lamps is not operated then unless both are in good working order.
Coverings. No tail lamp may have a decorative covering that restricts the light emitted, unless the covering was original equipment. Every tail lamp is located at a height of not more than 72 inches nor less than 20 inches.
The plate lamp. During hours of darkness, a lamp illuminates the rear registration plate with a white light and renders it clearly legible from a distance of 50 feet to the rear, wired with the tail lamps to be lighted whenever the headlamps or auxiliary driving lamps are lighted.
Dimming. During darkness or limited visibility, an operator approaching an oncoming vehicle within 500 feet, or approaching or following another vehicle within 500 feet to the rear, dims, depresses or tilts the headlights so the glaring rays are not directed into the other operator's eyes. Intermittently flashing high beams at an oncoming vehicle whose high beams are lit is not prohibited.
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 Wisconsin attorney.
Sources for this section (2)
- Wis. Stat. 347.12 — Dimming multiple beam headlamps
- Wis. Stat. 347.13 — Tail lamps and registration plate lamps
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Wisconsin attorney.