Kentucky Headlight & Wiper Law

When you light up in Kentucky

Kentucky has no 'wipers on, lights on' statute and names no foot-distance, but don't skip your lights in the wet. The law requires headlights from a half-hour after sunset to a half-hour before sunrise and any time weather drops visibility to what it's normally like at night (Ky. Rev. Stat. § 189.030). Rain hard enough for steady wipers clears that bar, so run low beams. A ticket is $20 to $100. DRLs don't count.

Night, low visibility, and daytime

• Night: from a half-hour after sunset to a half-hour before sunrise. Low visibility: any time atmospheric conditions cut visibility to as low as, or lower than, it ordinarily is at night. Kentucky sets no fixed foot-distance (Ky. Rev. Stat. § 189.030).
• No work-zone daytime headlight statute; heed posted 'Headlights On' signs on parkways and mountain grades. DRLs are not mandated and don't satisfy the rule, tail and marker lamps stay dark, so switch to full headlamps, not AUTO. Dual lens: Kentucky lacks an explicit wiper law, but rain heavy enough to run your wipers drops visibility to the night-equivalent standard KRS 189.030 keys on, so lights are effectively required anyway, and that's how it plays out roadside.

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