Maryland Headlight & Wiper Law

When you light up in Maryland

Maryland skips the clock and uses visibility: § 22-201.1 requires lights any time (day or night) you can't clearly see persons or vehicles at 1,000 feet, and darkness counts as insufficient light. Wipers running continuously for impaired visibility? Lights on (§ 22-201.2), capped at $25, not a moving violation, secondary enforcement only. A general no-lights ticket is a misdemeanor up to $500 (§ 27-101). DRLs leave tail lamps dark — use full headlamps.

Night, low visibility, and daytime

• No fixed night clock. § 22-201.1 is a pure visibility test: headlights any time — day or night — insufficient light or unfavorable atmospheric conditions keep persons and vehicles from being clearly discernible at 1,000 feet ahead. Nighttime is covered as 'insufficient light.'
• Posted signs and the Baltimore tunnels (Fort McHenry on I-95, Harbor on I-895) require lights. DRLs aren't mandated and don't satisfy the rule — tail lamps stay dark; use full headlamps. Dual lens: Maryland is unusual — there's no sunset-to-sunrise line to argue about; the whole standard is whether you can be seen at 1,000 feet, so an officer only needs poor visibility, not a clock. The wiper clause is a low-stakes $25, non-moving, secondary-enforcement backstop.

More for Maryland