Red Light for Rear License Plate?

psraff · 04-30-2008, 06:12 PM

Hey guys... I know some states are touchy on where you can have colored lights... (No blue lights, no red on the front,.. Things like that)

I was thinking of using red (upgrade to LED?) for my rear license plate but I wonder if it would work or not. If I did change to red, do you think it would shine through more like a washed out pink because of the lenses? I can't really tell if they are white, or just fogged from age.

I'm upgrading to red LEDs inside (starting with stereo, and any #74 bulbs so I would like to maybe carry the theme to the outside of the truck as well. Only thing I can think of achieving that is the lic. plate lights.

CJM · 04-30-2008, 06:26 PM

Dunno about your state, but in NJ you cannot have blue, red period. Amber or white is fine.

psraff · 04-30-2008, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CJM

Dunno about your state, but in NJ you cannot have blue, red period. Amber or white is fine.

But you have red taillights, right? And if you can add extra tail\brake lights, I don't see how they can write you up. But I have a feeling you're right...

Tomorrow I may have to call the State Patrol and ask. I just saw a truck today with 3 greenish LEDs over each headlight (Stupid looking, really.....) but I would think he would get nailed a lot faster then I would with Red on my rear end.

CJM · 04-30-2008, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by psraff

But you have red taillights, right? And if you can add extra tail\brake lights, I don't see how they can write you up. But I have a feeling you're right...

Tomorrow I may have to call the State Patrol and ask. I just saw a truck today with 3 greenish LEDs over each headlight (Stupid looking, really.....) but I would think he would get nailed a lot faster then I would with Red on my rear end.

Thats part of a vehicles general make up, brakes are red, back ups are white.

Generally so long as they dont flash they could be fine, but I wouldnt wanna take the chance.

I never got bothered b/c I am a FD and towtruck driver for accidents so they know me. I had a car with a blue light, and I had red leds and junk. Also my one car had a strobe kit installed into the lights.

psraff · 04-30-2008, 06:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CJM

Thats part of a vehicles general make up, brakes are red, back ups are white.

Generally so long as they dont flash they could be fine, but I wouldnt wanna take the chance.

I never got bothered b/c I am a FD and towtruck driver for accidents so they know me. I had a car with a blue light, and I had red leds and junk. Also my one car had a strobe kit installed into the lights.

Thanks for the info. I'll ask tomorrow. About two months ago I asked about removing bumpers to have them repaired. They said I couldn't and still drive the vehical. But Spring came around and everyone had them off to get their winter damage fixed so I didn't feel bad about taking mine off to Hurculine them. I like to have a nice and unique Runner, but I'm not going to invite a ticket just to try to look cool. I outgrew that 15 years ago! LOL

sleepy970 · 04-30-2008, 06:56 PM

I think generally if your LP can be seen 50ft at night with no other lights than the little one above your LP you will probably be fine. At least that is how it is in Texas. The laws are probably pretty close to the same in every state.

psraff · 04-30-2008, 07:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sleepy970

I think generally if your LP can be seen 50ft at night with no other lights than the little one above your LP you will probably be fine. At least that is how it is in Texas. The laws are probably pretty close to the same in every state.

You nailed it. I just got off the phone with them, and they said, white light only to be seen up to 50 feet.

As for the dork with the green LEDs on the front, he said he will get a ticket. Just for more info, only 4 lights can be lit up on the front of your auto (2 headlights and 2 fog\driving lights only). Lights on the inside, as long at they are not distracting to yourself or other drivers anything is legal no matter of the color. The only thing he didn't know about without looking it up was the lights under the cars. Driving with them on is a ticket. But if they were parked or on private property, he didn't know if there was a loophole or not. I told him don't worry about it, because that's something I would never do anyway.

Ritzy4Runner · 05-01-2008, 06:21 AM

I think you will find the issue with the color of the license plate light to be pretty much the same in all states as the purpose of the license plate light is to aid in identifing a vehicle at night. When I was a police officer having a license plate light out was always a free invite to pulling someone over for "probable cause". I remember our swing shift Sgt during roll call put the word out the night we had drunk driving awareness patrol, he had a bet going with another shift Sgt that his patrol officers could make more stops in during a shift then his. I personally had 15 stops in two hours, guess how many were were for lighting "infractions", 10 of them. Of those 15 I had one DWI and the guy was not driving in such a manner to draw attention due to erratic driving, it was for his license plate light being out. Two others were pretty easy, failure to come to a complete stop, the rest, failure to use proper signal, license plate light out or blinking, all really pretty much nothing. I ended up issuing citations to 2 of the 15. DWI no brainer, but the one I did issue for the light infraction was a guy who thought he knew more about the vehicle lighting law then I did along with an attitude. (I had the WA RCW for vehicles with me on my laptop) so his Billy Bad Ass attitude is what got him cited. Just remember, once they stop you legally for any probable cause infraction, they can pretty much look at and for anything else if you seem to be suspicious. Even if it is legal in your state, you will find that most police will pull you over for it. Once you are stopped they can look closer for other issues, trust me on that.

96redtoy · 05-01-2008, 06:45 AM

^ some good stuff to know right there
time to check my lights out back

a little off topic
are radar guns fun

dirtoyboy · 05-01-2008, 07:06 AM

I think a pink light would be hot!

psraff · 05-01-2008, 07:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 96redtoy

^ some good stuff to know right there
time to check my lights out back

a little off topic
are radar guns fun

I was an MP while in the Army (felt more like a damn rent-a-cop), but radar guns are fun for the first 5 minutes, then it wears off and you're pretty bored....

USAtruck6 · 05-01-2008, 08:20 AM

I got pulled over for blue neon on my plates and under carriage back in the day. it was old bridge NJ cops. said that he will give me 3 days to remove them. he is going to come back to my house and look. he said the reason is I cant have the same color lights as officials use. well i removed them and he did come back. nice enough not to give me a ticket but damn.

SC4Runner · 05-01-2008, 08:33 AM

I'm sure Alaska is much more lax on stuff like this, but, I knew a guy who had a blue bug deflector and got a ticket.

I really doubt having a red license plate light is legal... Who knows though!

USAtruck6 · 05-01-2008, 08:35 AM

everything is illegal. so we just do it and dont really care.
i had a colonia nj cop go after just cars with fog lights on when there was no fog. he gave a tkt everytime. you cant beat them.
yellow lights, lifts, oversize tires, tint, etc.
any add ons pratically

Texas_Ace · 05-01-2008, 08:49 AM

To awnser your question about red lights in the plate lights, i did a lot of looking around at light laws when i was changing over to LEDs and added my under car lighting (in texas it is leagle as long as you can't see the actual bulbs and they are not red, but i still don't use them on raods anyways).

1 Thing i found pretty much uinaveral was that plate lights MUST be white and bright enough to see from over 50 feet away. I would not do it if i was you. I put led's in mine, and they are REALLY bright, lights up the road behind me with them on.

dirtoyboy · 05-01-2008, 09:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Texas_Ace

To awnser your question about red lights in the plate lights, i did a lot of looking around at light laws when i was changing over to LEDs and added my under car lighting (in texas it is leagle as long as you can't see the actual bulbs and they are not red, but i still don't use them on raods anyways).

1 Thing i found pretty much uinaveral was that plate lights MUST be white and bright enough to see from over 50 feet away. I would not do it if i was you. I put led's in mine, and they are REALLY bright, lights up the road behind me with them on.

I know MY state requires TWO lights on the plate...they will give you a ticket if one is burned out.....

Texas_Ace · 05-01-2008, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dirtoyboy

I know MY state requires TWO lights on the plate...they will give you a ticket if one is burned out.....

Yep, same here, unless the car is so old it doesn't have 2.

ozziesironmanoffroad · 05-01-2008, 09:37 AM

same with cali i think... though i was drivin around cali for 2 years, and vegas for a year with burned out license plate bulbs, and was never bothered. i think it all depends on the bacon. (no offense to any police here... ill buy you guys donuts...

. jp. i dunno i think i just got lucky.

04-30-2008, 06:12 PM	#1 (permalink)
psraff Contributing Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Kenai, Alaska Posts: 289	Red Light for Rear License Plate? Hey guys... I know some states are touchy on where you can have colored lights... (No blue lights, no red on the front,.. Things like that) I was thinking of using red (upgrade to LED?) for my rear license plate but I wonder if it would work or not. If I did change to red, do you think it would shine through more like a washed out pink because of the lenses? I can't really tell if they are white, or just fogged from age. I'm upgrading to red LEDs inside (starting with stereo, and any #74 bulbs so I would like to maybe carry the theme to the outside of the truck as well. Only thing I can think of achieving that is the lic. plate lights. __________________ *Shannon Rafferty* '99 Runner SR5 Kenai, Alaska Profile & Details on my '99 4Runner

04-30-2008, 06:26 PM	#2 (permalink)
CJM Registered User Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Central NJ Posts: 4,580	Dunno about your state, but in NJ you cannot have blue, red period. Amber or white is fine. __________________ 96' T100 SR5 4x4, ISR mod, Custom ABS snorkel, KC 57's Hella optilux el cheapo backup lights. Cobra 19III CB, Firestick 4ft antenna, Bilstein shocks. Be polite. Be professional. But, have a plan to kill everyone you meet.

04-30-2008, 06:56 PM	#6 (permalink)
sleepy970 Registered User Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Fort Worth Posts: 64	I think generally if your LP can be seen 50ft at night with no other lights than the little one above your LP you will probably be fine. At least that is how it is in Texas. The laws are probably pretty close to the same in every state. __________________ 04 Taco Ext Cab 4x4 2.7l manual

05-01-2008, 06:21 AM	#8 (permalink)
Ritzy4Runner Registered User Join Date: May 2006 Location: Bremerton, WA Posts: 488	I think you will find the issue with the color of the license plate light to be pretty much the same in all states as the purpose of the license plate light is to aid in identifing a vehicle at night. When I was a police officer having a license plate light out was always a free invite to pulling someone over for "probable cause". I remember our swing shift Sgt during roll call put the word out the night we had drunk driving awareness patrol, he had a bet going with another shift Sgt that his patrol officers could make more stops in during a shift then his. I personally had 15 stops in two hours, guess how many were were for lighting "infractions", 10 of them. Of those 15 I had one DWI and the guy was not driving in such a manner to draw attention due to erratic driving, it was for his license plate light being out. Two others were pretty easy, failure to come to a complete stop, the rest, failure to use proper signal, license plate light out or blinking, all really pretty much nothing. I ended up issuing citations to 2 of the 15. DWI no brainer, but the one I did issue for the light infraction was a guy who thought he knew more about the vehicle lighting law then I did along with an attitude. (I had the WA RCW for vehicles with me on my laptop) so his Billy Bad Ass attitude is what got him cited. Just remember, once they stop you legally for any probable cause infraction, they can pretty much look at and for anything else if you seem to be suspicious. Even if it is legal in your state, you will find that most police will pull you over for it. Once you are stopped they can look closer for other issues, trust me on that. __________________ 98 4Runner SR5 "Limited" 3.4 V6, Automatic-Field Monitor Unit, Auto Dimming Mirror w/Compass & Temp, Reverse Silver gauges, JDM tail lights & signals, Corner Light turn signal mod, Center Console Cup holder Mod w/ LEDs, auxillary fuse panel, Hella 550's, Land Cruiser Hydraulic hood lifts, Engine Bay lites, Taurus Fan mod w/ indicators, 2000 headlight mod, '99 grill ...... 2000 Celica GT, 'SydJUce' "Life is a journey, don't forget to pack."

05-01-2008, 08:33 AM	#13 (permalink)
SC4Runner Contributing Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: 5th Gen San Diegan, California Posts: 5,179	I'm sure Alaska is much more lax on stuff like this, but, I knew a guy who had a blue bug deflector and got a ticket. I really doubt having a red license plate light is legal... Who knows though! __________________ 1996 4x4 3.4L 4Runner on 35's 1966 FJ40 - SOA with stock springs, stock 1F motor, and a smelly tailpipe.

05-01-2008, 08:20 AM	#12 (permalink)
USAtruck6 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: NY Stinkin' 5 Boroughs Posts: 128	I got pulled over for blue neon on my plates and under carriage back in the day. it was old bridge NJ cops. said that he will give me 3 days to remove them. he is going to come back to my house and look. he said the reason is I cant have the same color lights as officials use. well i removed them and he did come back. nice enough not to give me a ticket but damn.

05-01-2008, 08:35 AM	#14 (permalink)
USAtruck6 Registered User Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: NY Stinkin' 5 Boroughs Posts: 128	everything is illegal. so we just do it and dont really care. i had a colonia nj cop go after just cars with fog lights on when there was no fog. he gave a tkt everytime. you cant beat them. yellow lights, lifts, oversize tires, tint, etc. any add ons pratically