GENESEE COUNTY/Sheriff’s Office advises what lighting is permitted on a passenger vehicle in NYS

Press release

The Genesee County Sheriff’s Office would like to remind everyone of what lighting is permitted on a
passenger vehicle in New York State. Many lighting products being sold now do not comply with the
Vehicle and Traffic Law.

In general, the following lighting is required and authorized:

Headlamps — Two of equal power and white in color (one lamp for a motorcycle); Other overhead
light bars are not permitted while operating on a public highway
Tail lamps — Two of equal power and red to amber in color (one lamp for a motorcycle)
Turn signals, front — Amber
Turn signals, rear — Red or amber
Hazard lights (4 way flashers) — Amber in front, red or amber in rear
License plate lamp — White
Back up lamp — White

Any other color lighting is prohibited while operating on a public highway, except the following:

Amber — For hazard vehicles only (i.e. plow trucks, tow vehicles) when actually a hazard. Any other
amber lighting, such as fog lamps or overhead light bars, is not permitted.
Blue — For authorized volunteer fire personnel only when responding to an emergency.
Green — For authorized volunteer ambulance personnel only when responding to an emergency.

Any violations are infractions of the Vehicle and Traffic Law and are subject to appropriate fines in a
local justice court.