Missouri Headlight & Wiper Law
Missouri ties lights to your wipers: any time weather makes you run them to drive in a careful, prudent manner, headlights on (RSMo §307.020). Lights are also required a half-hour after sunset to a half-hour before sunrise and any time you can't see 500 feet ahead. The weather-related lights ticket is cheap -- $10 flat, no court costs (§307.040) -- but DRLs don't satisfy it. Flip to full low beams.
When you light up in Missouri
Missouri ties lights to your wipers: any time weather makes you run them to drive in a careful, prudent manner, headlights on (RSMo §307.020). Lights are also required a half-hour after sunset to a half-hour before sunrise and any time you can't see 500 feet ahead. The weather-related lights ticket is cheap -- $10 flat, no court costs (§307.040) -- but DRLs don't satisfy it. Flip to full low beams.
Night, low visibility, and daytime
- Night runs a half-hour after sunset to a half-hour before sunrise. Low-visibility trigger is 500 feet: lights on any other time there is not sufficient light to render persons and vehicles on the highway clearly discernible at 500 feet ahead (RSMo §307.020).
- No statewide work-zone daytime-headlight statute and no posted designated-stretch mandate written into the code. DRLs aren't required and don't satisfy the rule -- tail and marker lamps stay dark -- so use the full headlamp circuit, not AUTO or DRL.
Missouri Headlight Law FAQ
Do you need headlights when using wipers in Missouri?
When are headlights required in Missouri?
What is the headlight fine in Missouri?
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 Traffic laws change and this can be out of date, so always confirm the current statute and obey posted signs before you rely on it.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://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=307.040. See our Terms & Disclaimer.
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