New York Headlight & Wiper Law

When you light up in New York

Wipers on, lights on - New York spells it out. Turn on your headlamps whenever your wipers run for rain, sleet, snow, or hail, from a half-hour after sunset to a half-hour before sunrise, and any time you can't see 1,000 feet ahead (VTL 375(2)(a)(1)). It's a 2-point ticket, up to $150 plus surcharge. DRLs don't count - your tail lamps stay dark. Full switch, low beam.

Night, low visibility, and daytime

• Night window: from one-half hour after sunset to one-half hour before sunrise. Low-visibility trigger: any time you can't clearly see persons or vehicles 1,000 feet ahead. Wipers running because of rain, sleet, snow, or hail is a separate, standalone trigger written into the statute.
• No statute mandates daytime headlights in work zones - obey any posted 'Headlights On' signs (bridges, tunnels). Daytime running lights are not required and do NOT satisfy the rule: they light only the front and leave your tail and marker lamps dark. Turn the switch to full headlamps (not AUTO or DRL), low beam - high beams are illegal in fog and heavy precip.

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