Headlight Use (Click here for Canada)

United States

Alabama

Headlights are required to be on when wipers are in use or visibility is less than 500 feet, as well as 30 minutes after sunset and 30 minutes before sunrise.

Alaska

Headlights are required to be on when speed exceeds 45 mph on designated highways or when visibility is less than 1000 feet.

Arizona

Headlights are required when visibility is less than 500 feet.

Arkansas

Headlights are required to be on when wipers are in use or visibility is less than 500 feet.

California

Headlights are required to be on when wipers are in continuous use or visibility is less than 1000 feet.

Colorado

Headlights are required to be on when visibility is less than 1000 feet.

Connecticut

Headlights are required to be on in conditions of insufficent light/adverse weather or when visibility is less than 1000 feet.

Delaware

Headlights are required to be use when wipers are in use or visibility is less than 1000 feet.

District of Columbia

Headlights are required to be on when visibility is less than 500 feet.

Florida

Headlights are required to be on when visibility is less than 1000 feet or in conditions of insufficient light/adverse weather

Georgia

Headlights are required to be on when visibility is less than 500 feet and in conditions of insufficient light/adverse weather.

Hawaii

Headlights are required to be use when visibility is less than 200 feet.

Idaho

Headlights are required to be on when visibility is less than 500 feet.

Illinois

Headlights are required to be on when wipers are in use or visibility is less than 1000 feet.

Indiana

Headlights are required to be on when visibility is less than 500 feet.

Iowa

Headlights must be on when visibility is less than 500 feet or in conditions of insufficient light/adverse weather.

Kansas

Headlights are required to be on due to insufficient light or unfavorable atmospheric conditions, including smoke or fog, if visibility is less than 1000 feet, or when windshield wipers are in continuous use as a result of rain, sleet, or snow.

Kentucky

Must use low beams at 100 feet and high beams at 350 feet or greater.

Louisiana

Headlights are required to be on when wipers are in use.

Maine

Headlights are required to be on when wipers are in use, visibility is less than 1000 feet, or in conditions of insufficient light/adverse weather.

Maryland

Headlights must be used when wipers are in use or when visibility is less than 1000 feet.

Massachusetts

Headlights are required to be on one half an hour after sunset to one half an hour before sunrise, and during any other period when visibility is reduced by atmospheric conditions, such as rain, snow, fog, or when wipers are in use.

Michigan

Headlights are required to be on when visibility is less than 500 feet.

Minnesota

Headlights must be on in conditions of insufficient light/adverse weather.

Mississippi

Headlights are required to be on when visibility is less than 500 feet.

Missouri

Headlights are required to be on when visibility is less than 500 feet, or any time the weather conditions require usage of the motor vehicle’s windshield wipers to operate the vehicle in a careful and prudent manner, including in fog.

Montana

Headlights are required to be on if visibility is less than 500 feet and in conditions of insufficient light/adverse weather.

Nebraska

Headlights are required to be used when visibility is less than 500 feet.

Nevada

Headlights are required to be on when visibility is less than 1000 feet.

New Hampshire

Headlights are required to be on when visibility is less than 1000 feet or in conditions of insufficient light/adverse weather.

New Jersey

Headlights are required to be on when wipers are in use, visibility is less than 500 feet, or in conditions of insufficient light/adverse weather.

New Mexico

Headlights are required to be on when visibility is less than 500 feet.

New York

Headlights are required to be used when windshield wipers are being used, when visibility is less than 1000 feet or when there is insufficient light or adverse weather.

North Carolina

Headlights must be used when windshield wipers are in use or when there is insufficient light of at least 400 feet.

North Dakota

Headlights must be used when visibility is less than 1000 feet or when there is insufficient light/adverse weather.

Ohio

Headlights must be used when wipers are in use, when visibility less than 1000 feet, or in conditions of insufficient light/adverse weather.

Oklahoma

Headlights must be used when visibility less than 1000 feet or in conditions of insufficient light/adverse weather.

Oregon

Headlights must be used when visibility less than 1000 feet.

Pennsylvania

Headlights must be used when wipers are in use, when visibility is less than 1000 feet and in conditions of insufficient light/adverse weather. Headlights must be turned on in construction zones. Snow and ice must be removed from a vehicle prior to operation.

Rhode Island

Headlights must be used in conditions of insufficient light/adverse weather, when wipers are in use, and when visibility is less than 500 feet.

South Carolina

Headlights must be used when wipers are in use.

South Dakota

Headlights must be used when visibility is less than 200 feet.

Tennessee

Headlights are required to be on in conditions of insufficient light/adverse weather and when visibility is less than 200 feet.

Texas

Headlights must be used when visibility is less than 1000 feet.

Utah

Headlights are required to be on when visibility is less than 1000 feet or in conditions of insufficient light/adverse weather.

Vermont

Headlights must be used in conditions of insufficient light/adverse weather, or when visibility is less than 150 feet, as well as 30 minutes after sunset and 30 minutes before sunrise.

Virginia

Headlights must be used when wipers are in use or when visibility is less than 500 feet.

Washington

Headlights are required to be on when visibility is less than 1000 feet.

West Virginia

Headlights must be used when visibility less than 500 feet and in conditions of insufficient light/adverse weather.

Wisconsin

Headlights must be used when visibility is less than 500 feet.

Wyoming

Headlights are required to be on when visibility is less than 1000 feet or in conditions of insufficient light/adverse weather.

Puerto Rico

Headlights are required when visibility is inadequate.


Canada

Alberta

Headlights are required to be used when visibility is 150m or less.

British Columbia

Headlights are required to be used when visibility is 150m or less.

Manitoba

Headlights are required to be used when visibility is 60m or less.

New Brunswick

Headlights are required to be used when visibility is 150m or less.

Newfoundland and Labrador

Headlights are to be used one-half hour before sunset to one-half hour after sunrise and when visibility is 150 m or less.

Northwest Territories

Headlights are required to be used at all times.

Nova Scotia

Headlights are required to be used at all times.

Nunavut

No person shall operate a motor vehicle on a highway during the period from 1/2 hour after sunset to 1/2 hour before sunrise or at any other time when conditions of poor visibility exist, unless the headlights and other prescribed lights are in use.

Ontario

Headlights are required to be used when conditions warrant.

Prince Edward Island

Headlights are required to be used when visibility is 500 feet or less.

Quebec

Headlights are required to be used when conditions warrant.

Saskatchewan

Headlight use is required for the period of one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise or at any other time when conditions of poor visibility exist.

Yukon

Headlights are required to be used at all times.