Wisconsin Headlight & Wiper Law

When you light up in Wisconsin

Wisconsin has no 'wipers on, lights on' statute, but you still need headlights in the rain. Weather that keeps your wipers running usually drops visibility below 500 feet, and that trips the period-of-limited-visibility rule (Wis. Stat. §347.06; §340.01(43e)). Lights are also required a half-hour after sunset to a half-hour before sunrise. Run low beams and the full lamp circuit; DRLs leave your tail lamps dark. A first offense is a $10-$20 forfeiture.

Night, low visibility, and daytime

• Night runs a half-hour after sunset to a half-hour before sunrise (Wis. Stat. §340.01(23)). Low-visibility trigger is 500 feet: lights on any time weather keeps objects on the highway from being clearly discernible at 500 feet from the front of your rig -- Wisconsin's 'period of limited visibility' (§340.01(43e)).
• No statewide work-zone daytime-headlight mandate and no posted 'Headlights On' designated stretch written into the statute. DRLs are not required and do not satisfy §347.06 -- they light only the front and leave your tail and clearance lamps dark, so flip the switch to full headlamps, not AUTO or DRL.

More for Wisconsin