Christmas lights on vehicles are illegal, Pennsylvania police warn

A local police department in Pennsylvania is reminding drivers that while Christmas lights on vehicles may be festive, but they aren’t legal.

On December 5, the York County Regional Police Department issued an official notice about using Christmas lights as vehicle decorations:

There has been a recent trend across the country of people decorating their vehicles with Christmas Lights and driving on the roadway with the lights illuminated.

While it may seem like a festive idea to celebrate the holiday season, these lights are very distracting to other drivers and are illegal in Pennsylvania. Tital 67 Inspection Regulations addresses ornamental lighting on vehicles in section 175.66.

Ornamental lamps. A lamp not enumerated in this section and not located as described in Tables III, IV and V of this chapter, is prohibited unless it is available as original equipment. An illuminated sign is prohibited except on taxicabs, ambulances and trucks. Flashing or revolving lights are not ornamental lamps. Provisions relating to flashing or revolving lights are in Chapters 15 and 173 (relating to authorized vehicles and special operating privileges; and flashing or revolving lights on emergency and authorized vehicles).

So please save your lights for your home and don’t decorate your vehicle with them. We wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season.

This isn’t the only reminder that police have issued this holiday season about Christmas lighting on vehicles. In late November, a Kansas Highway Patrol officer ticketed a trucker for adding festive holiday lighting to their vehicle.