Today, I’d like to talk about the rules about proper lights on motorcycles and other vehicles.

In July of 2018, Indiana changed the law to try to clarify their rules. This has created some confusion, especially among the motorcycling community where LED lights for decorative purposes are very common.

The New Rules

The Indiana statutes say — and there are several of them that are in play — that from the front of the motorcycle, the only colors that are permitted to be visible are white and amber for the headlights and turn signal marker lights.

From the rear of the vehicle, the only lights that are permitted to be visible are red for the tail and brake lights and white or amber for the turn signal marker lights and for license plate illumination.

Additionally, Indiana law states that a running board or fender light can only be white or amber. Provisions for colored lights such as blue, red, or other colors as well as flashing or strobe effects are reserved for emergency vehicles.

This includes police cars, fire trucks, ambulances, or tow trucks, as well as funeral escort vehicles. There is also a special provision for volunteer fire trucks to use a blue light when they’re in the line of duty.

What Is Being Enforced?

There’s been a lot of anecdotal discussion about what police officers are enforcing and what they’re not enforcing. The discussion also includes what individuals have encountered if they’ve gone to court on tickets for these issues as individual judges are sorting out these new statutes.

What You Should Do

It’s important that you understand what the statutes say so you can make the decision as to whether you want to display decorative lighting on your motorcycle while you’re in motion or while you’re parked, or whether you want to do it at all. If you have any questions, you’re welcome to reach out to me and we can talk things through. And as always, stay safe and enjoy the ride.