California Headlight & Wiper Law

When you light up in California

California is the strict one. Run two lighted headlamps during darkness OR inclement weather (CVC 24400). 'Inclement weather' is defined to include any time your wipers must run continuously for rain, mist, snow, or fog — so wipers on means lights on, by statute. It also covers visibility under 1,000 feet. Darkness runs a half-hour after sunset to a half-hour before sunrise (CVC 280). DRLs don't satisfy it. Use full low beams. Infraction, about $230 with assessments.

Night, low visibility, and daytime

• Night: 'darkness,' defined as a half-hour after sunset to a half-hour before sunrise (CVC 280). Low visibility: 1,000 feet — appears both in the darkness definition and in the CVC 24400 'inclement weather' definition (continuous wiper use OR the 1,000-foot discernibility test).
• No statewide work-zone daytime headlight statute; some posted fog and mountain 'headlights on' stretches carry the duty by sign. DRLs (permitted, not mandated) do not satisfy CVC 24400 — the tail lamps stay dark, so use full headlamps. Low beams; dim high beams within 500 ft of oncoming and 300 ft when following (CVC 24409); keep high beams off in fog and heavy rain, where they reflect back and blind you.

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