Twin Falls Sheriff Warns Of Illegal Lighting On Idaho Vehicles

I am guilty of loving LED lighting. When I got my new car a few months ago, the first thing I did was put in LED floor lights. I have LED light strips around the front of my house, they are currently lit green for St. Patrick's Day. I also installed LED lights in the glass tiles of my stove backsplash. So, don't get me wrong with this story thinking I don't love a cool accessory light feature. The Twin Falls Sheriff's Office is a bit less enthusiastic about certain types of lights on civilian vehicles. They specifically mention colored lights and the off-road LED light bars as being a growing issue in Twin Falls.

We have all probably been blinded by an oncoming vehicle with the lights of the sun shining off their vehicle or had a vehicle come up behind us with lights so bright your car thinks it's daytime and turns off your auto light feature. Not all add-on lights are bad or illegal and others are very much against the law. In the Facebook post, the Twin Falls Sheriff links to the Idaho legislation regarding vehicle lighting. This includes information on the proper height to mount extra lights, colors that are allowed, and how many extra lights are allowed when driving on Idaho roads.

Did you know your headlights can't be higher than 54 inches from the ground (sorry super-jacked-up trucks) or closer than 24 inches to the ground? Then there are rules about how far the light from the headlights and extra lights can shine, so even if your vehicle is within the height rules you still can't have a light bar or KC lights that will light up a neighborhood.

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It seems like the Sheriff isn't against the lights but more against the hazard they pose to other drivers as the extra bright lights compromise their vision. You can have them on your car as long as you don't turn them on while driving. For answers to your vehicle light questions, you can check the law or leave a comment on the Sheriff's Facebook post and I'm sure they'd love to make sure you are compliant and safe.