Headlight & Wiper Laws by State
When you must run your headlights: night, low visibility, and — in about half the states — any time your wipers are on. Covers all 50 states and DC. Reference only, not legal advice.
25Wipers on = lights on
1,000Low-vis trigger (ft)
½hrAfter sunset (most)
51Jurisdictions
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Wipers on, lights on
The rule that catches drivers out
About half the states make it explicit: if your wipers are on, your headlights must be on. In the rest, there is no wiper-specific statute — but weather heavy enough to run your wipers almost always drops your visibility under the 1,000-foot line that triggers the headlight rule anyway. Either way, flip them to ON — not DRLs — so your tail lamps light for the traffic behind you.
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By state
Headlight & wiper rules for all 50 states and DC
Tap a state for the full picture: the wiper rule, the night and low-visibility trigger, any posted daytime-headlight corridor, and the fine.
| State | Wipers → lights | General rule |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama AL | Wipers on = lights on | Night: from a half-hour after sunset to a half-hour before sunrise |
| Alaska AK | Not tied to wipers | Night: half-hour after sunset to half-hour before sunrise |
| Arizona AZ | Not tied to wipers | Sunset to sunrise, and any time there isn't sufficient light to clearly see persons and vehicles 500 feet ahead — which covers heavy dust, rain, smoke, or fog |
| Arkansas AR | Wipers on = lights on | One-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise, plus any other time persons and vehicles aren't clearly discernible at 500 feet |
| California CA | Wipers on = lights on | Night: 'darkness,' defined as a half-hour after sunset to a half-hour before sunrise |
| Colorado CO | Not tied to wipers | Sunset to sunrise, and any time insufficient light or unfavorable atmospheric conditions keep persons and vehicles from being clearly discernible at 1,000 feet |
| Connecticut CT | Wipers on = lights on | Night window: from a half-hour after sunset to a half-hour before sunrise |
| Delaware DE | Wipers on = lights on | Night: sunset to sunrise |
| District of Columbia DC | Wipers on = lights on | Night: a half hour after sunset to a half hour before sunrise |
| Florida FL | Wipers on = lights on | Night: from sunset to sunrise, including twilight hours |
| Georgia GA | Wipers on = lights on | Night: from a half-hour after sunset to a half-hour before sunrise |
| Hawaii HI | Not tied to wipers | Night: 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise |
| Idaho ID | Not tied to wipers | Sunset to sunrise, and any time there isn't enough light to clearly see persons and vehicles 500 feet ahead |
| Illinois IL | Wipers on = lights on | Night is sunset to sunrise |
| Indiana IN | Not tied to wipers | Night is sunset to sunrise |
| Iowa IA | Not tied to wipers | NIGHT: sunset to sunrise |
| Kansas KS | Wipers on = lights on | NIGHT: sunset to sunrise |
| Kentucky KY | Not tied to wipers | Night: from a half-hour after sunset to a half-hour before sunrise |
| Louisiana LA | Wipers on = lights on | Sunset to sunrise, plus any time persons and vehicles aren't clearly discernible at 500 feet, and whenever precipitation or moisture forces continuous wiper use |
| Maine ME | Wipers on = lights on | Night window: from sunset to sunrise |
| Maryland MD | Wipers on = lights on | No fixed night clock |
| Massachusetts MA | Wipers on = lights on | Night window: from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise |
| Michigan MI | Not tied to wipers | Night runs a half-hour after sunset to a half-hour before sunrise |
| Minnesota MN | Wipers on = lights on | NIGHT: sunset to sunrise |
| Mississippi MS | Not tied to wipers | Sunset to sunrise, plus any other time a person on the highway isn't clearly discernible at 500 feet |
| Missouri MO | Wipers on = lights on | Night runs a half-hour after sunset to a half-hour before sunrise |
| Montana MT | Not tied to wipers | One-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise, and any time insufficient light or unfavorable atmospheric conditions keep persons and vehicles from being clearly discernible at 500 feet |
| Nebraska NE | Not tied to wipers | NIGHT: sunset to sunrise |
| Nevada NV | Not tied to wipers | Night: half-hour after sunset to half-hour before sunrise |
| New Hampshire NH | Not tied to wipers | Night window: from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise - and that's the whole statutory trigger |
| New Jersey NJ | Wipers on = lights on | Night window: from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise |
| New Mexico NM | Not tied to wipers | One-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise, and any time there isn't sufficient light to clearly see persons and vehicles 500 feet ahead |
| New York NY | Wipers on = lights on | Night window: from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise |
| North Carolina NC | Wipers on = lights on | Night: from sunset to sunrise |
| North Dakota ND | Not tied to wipers | NIGHT: sunset to sunrise |
| Ohio OH | Wipers on = lights on | Night is sunset to sunrise |
| Oklahoma OK | Not tied to wipers | One-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise, plus any other time persons and vehicles aren't clearly discernible at 1,000 feet |
| Oregon OR | Recommended with wipers | Night: sunset to sunrise |
| Pennsylvania PA | Wipers on = lights on | Night: between sunset and sunrise |
| Rhode Island RI | Wipers on = lights on | Night window: from sunset to sunrise |
| South Carolina SC | Wipers on = lights on | Night: from a half-hour after sunset to a half-hour before sunrise |
| South Dakota SD | Not tied to wipers | NIGHT: sunset to sunrise |
| Tennessee TN | Wipers on = lights on | Night: from a half-hour after sunset to a half-hour before sunrise |
| Texas TX | Not tied to wipers | Nighttime — 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise |
| Utah UT | Not tied to wipers | Sunset to sunrise, and any time persons and vehicles aren't clearly discernible at 1,000 feet due to insufficient light or unfavorable atmospheric conditions |
| Vermont VT | Not tied to wipers | Night window: from 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise |
| Virginia VA | Wipers on = lights on | Night: sunset to sunrise |
| Washington WA | Not tied to wipers | Night: half-hour after sunset to half-hour before sunrise |
| West Virginia WV | Not tied to wipers | Night: sunset to sunrise |
| Wisconsin WI | Not tied to wipers | Night runs a half-hour after sunset to a half-hour before sunrise |
| Wyoming WY | Not tied to wipers | One-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise, and any time insufficient light or unfavorable atmospheric conditions keep persons and vehicles from being clearly discernible at 1,000 feet |
Sources: the cited state statutes; state DOT/DMV; AAA Digest of Motor Laws. Last reviewed July 2026. Confirm before you rely on a specific figure.
Headlight & Wiper Law FAQ
Do you have to turn on headlights when using wipers?
In about half the states, yes — it is a "wipers on, lights on" law: if weather makes you run your wipers, your headlights must be on too. Even where there is no wiper-specific statute, rain or snow heavy enough for wipers usually drops visibility under the 1,000-foot threshold that triggers the headlight rule anyway. Turning them on is always the safe move.
When are headlights required by law?
Everywhere, headlights are required from around sunset to sunrise (many states use a half-hour after sunset to a half-hour before sunrise) and any time you cannot clearly see a person or vehicle ahead, usually at 1,000 feet. Fog, heavy rain, and snow all trigger it. Some work zones and mountain corridors post their own "headlights on" requirement.
Do daytime running lights satisfy the headlight law?
Usually not. DRLs light only the front, leaving your tail and marker lamps dark, so they do not meet a "display lighted lamps" requirement in rain, fog, or darkness. Switch to full headlamps (low beam) so the back of your truck is lit for the traffic behind you. A few posted daytime-headlight corridors accept DRLs.
Should I use high beams in fog or heavy rain?
No. High beams reflect off fog, rain, and snow and bounce the light back into your eyes, cutting your vision. Use low beams. Most states also require you to dim from high to low within about 500 feet of an oncoming vehicle and 300 feet when following another vehicle.
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