Mississippi Headlight & Wiper Law

Headlights on from sunset to sunrise and any time you can't make out a person 500 feet ahead (Miss. Code §63-7-11). No separate wiper law, but rain heavy enough for wipers drops you under 500 feet, so lights are effectively required, and the statute demands lighted front AND rear lamps (per §63-7-13), so DRLs leave your tail dark and don't cut it. Flip the switch to full low beams. A violation is a misdemeanor under §63-9-11: a first offense runs up to $100 or 10 days, and only a third strike within a year reaches $500 or six months.

Wipers → lightsNot tied to wipers

Night triggerSunset to sunrise, plus any other time a person on the highway isn't clearly discernible at 500 feet

FineA violation is a misdemeanor under the general traffic penalty

StatuteMiss. Code §63-7-11 (requirements as to use of lights); §63-7-31 / §63-7-33 (multiple-beam road-lighting equipment and control-by-operator dimming); §63-9-11 (general traffic penalty). No wiper-specific statute — the wiper/parking-lamp bills (e.g., HB1289) keep getting introduced but haven't been enacted.

01 The rule

When you light up in Mississippi

02 The details

Night, low visibility, and daytime

Sunset to sunrise, plus any other time a person on the highway isn't clearly discernible at 500 feet (Miss. Code §63-7-11).
No daytime work-zone headlight statute and no DRL mandate. Section 63-7-11 requires lighted front and rear lamps (per §63-7-13) whenever lights are required, so DRL-only or parking-light-only rigs — tail lamps dark — don't satisfy it; use full headlamps. Dim your high beams for oncoming and closely followed traffic (§63-7-33); high beams in fog is separately illegal.

Mississippi Headlight Law FAQ

Do you need headlights when using wipers in Mississippi?

Mississippi has no wiper-specific statute, but rain or snow heavy enough for wipers usually drops you under the low-visibility trigger, so run your lights. Headlights on from sunset to sunrise and any time you can't make out a person 500 feet ahead.

When are headlights required in Mississippi?

Sunset to sunrise, plus any other time a person on the highway isn't clearly discernible at 500 feet (Miss. Code §63-7-11).

What is the headlight fine in Mississippi?

A violation is a misdemeanor under the general traffic penalty (Miss. Code §63-9-11), not a figure set in the lighting statute itself: a first offense is a fine of up to $100 or up to 10 days in jail, rising to up to $200 (or 20 days) for a second conviction within a year and up to $500 (or six months) for a third within a year. The base penalty is modest — the $500-and-six-months ceiling is repeat-offender territory.

Reference information for planning, not legal advice. Traffic laws change and this can be out of date, so always confirm the current statute and obey posted signs before you rely on it. Last reviewed July 2026. Source: https://law.justia.com/codes/mississippi/title-63/chapter-7/general-provisions/section-63-7-11/. See our Terms & Disclaimer.

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Mississippi Headlight & Wiper Law

When you light up in Mississippi

Night, low visibility, and daytime

Mississippi Headlight Law FAQ

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