§ 20-129. Required lighting equipment of vehicles. - North Carolina Statutes

§ 20‑129.  Requiredlighting equipment of vehicles.

(a)        When Vehicles MustBe Equipped. – Every vehicle upon a highway within this State shall be equippedwith lighted headlamps and rear lamps as required for different classes ofvehicles, and subject to exemption with reference to lights on parked vehiclesas declared in G.S. 20‑134:

(1)        During the periodfrom sunset to sunrise,

(2)        When there is notsufficient light to render clearly discernible any person on the highway at adistance of 400 feet ahead, or

(3)        Repealed by SessionLaws 1989 (Reg. Sess., 1990), c. 822, s. 1.

(4)        At any other timewhen windshield wipers are in use as a result of smoke, fog, rain, sleet, orsnow, or when inclement weather or environmental factors severely reduce theability to clearly discern persons and vehicles on the street and highway at adistance of 500 feet ahead, provided, however, the provisions of thissubdivision shall not apply to instances when windshield wipers are usedintermittently in misting rain, sleet, or snow. Any person violating thissubdivision during the period from October 1, 1990, through December 31, 1991,shall be given a warning of the violation only. Thereafter, any personviolating this subdivision shall have committed an infraction and shall pay afine of five dollars ($5.00) and shall not be assessed court costs. No driverslicense points, insurance points or premium surcharge shall be assessed onaccount of violation of this subdivision and no negligence or liability shallbe assessed on or imputed to any party on account of a violation of thissubdivision. The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles and the Superintendent ofPublic Instruction shall incorporate into driver education programs and driverlicensing programs instruction designed to encourage compliance with thissubdivision as an important means of reducing accidents by making vehicles morediscernible during periods of limited visibility.

(b)        Headlamps on MotorVehicles. – Every self‑propelled motor vehicle other than motorcycles,road machinery, and farm tractors shall be equipped with at least twoheadlamps, all in good operating condition with at least one on each side ofthe front of the motor vehicle. Headlamps shall comply with the requirementsand limitations set forth in G.S. 20‑131 or 20‑132.

(c)        Headlamps onMotorcycles. – Every motorcycle shall be equipped with at least one and notmore than two headlamps which shall comply with the requirements andlimitations set forth in G.S. 20‑131 or 20‑132. The headlamps on amotorcycle shall be lighted at all times while the motorcycle is in operationon highways or public vehicular areas.

(d)        Rear Lamps. – Everymotor vehicle, and every trailer or semitrailer attached to a motor vehicle andevery vehicle which is being drawn at the end of a combination of vehicles,shall have all originally equipped rear lamps or the equivalent in good workingorder, which lamps shall exhibit a red light plainly visible under normalatmospheric conditions from a distance of 500 feet to the rear of such vehicle.One rear lamp or a separate lamp shall be so constructed and placed that thenumber plate carried on the rear of such vehicle shall under like conditions beilluminated by a white light as to be read from a distance of 50 feet to therear of such vehicle. Every trailer or semitrailer shall carry at the rear, inaddition to the originally equipped lamps, a red reflector of the type whichhas been approved by the Commissioner and which is so located as to height andis so maintained as to be visible for at least 500 feet when opposed by a motorvehicle displaying lawful undimmed lights at night on an unlighted highway.

Notwithstanding the provisionsof the first paragraph of this subsection, it shall not be necessary for atrailer weighing less than 4,000 pounds, or a trailer described in G.S. 20‑51(6)weighing less than 6,500 pounds, to carry or be equipped with a rear lamp,provided such vehicle is equipped with and carries at the rear two redreflectors of a diameter of not less than three inches, such reflectors to beapproved by the Commissioner, and which are so designed and located as toheight and are maintained so that each reflector is visible for at least 500feet when approached by a motor vehicle displaying lawful undimmed headlightsat night on an unlighted highway.

The rear lamps of a motorcycleshall be lighted at all times while the motorcycle is in operation on highwaysor public vehicular areas.

(e)        Lamps on Bicycles.– Every bicycle shall be equipped with a lighted lamp on the front thereof,visible under normal atmospheric conditions from a distance of at least 300feet in front of such bicycle, and shall also be equipped with a reflex mirroror lamp on the rear, exhibiting a red light visible under like conditions froma distance of at least 200 feet to the rear of such bicycle, when used atnight.

(f)         Lights on OtherVehicles. – All vehicles not heretofore in this section required to be equippedwith specified lighted lamps shall carry on the left side one or more lightedlamps or lanterns projecting a white light, visible under normal atmosphericconditions from a distance of not less than 500 feet to the front of suchvehicle and visible under like conditions from a distance of not less than 500feet to the rear of such vehicle, or in lieu of said lights shall be equippedwith reflectors of a type which is approved by the Commissioner. Farm tractorsoperated on a highway at night must be equipped with at least one white lampvisible at a distance of 500 feet from the front of the tractor and with atleast one red lamp visible at a distance of 500 feet to the rear of thetractor. Two red reflectors each having a diameter of at least four inches maybe used on the rear of the tractor in lieu of the red lamp.

(g)        No person shallsell or operate on the highways of the State any motor vehicle, motorcycle ormotor‑driven cycle, manufactured after December 31, 1955, unless it shallbe equipped with a stop lamp on the rear of the vehicle. The stop lamp shalldisplay a red or amber light visible from a distance of not less than 100 feetto the rear in normal sunlight, and shall be actuated upon application of theservice (foot) brake. The stop lamp may be incorporated into a unit with one ormore other rear lamps. (1937, c. 407, s. 92; 1939, c. 275; 1947, c. 526;1955, c. 1157, ss. 3‑5, 8; 1957, c. 1038, s. 1; 1967, cc. 1076, 1213;1969, c. 389; 1973, c. 531, ss. 1, 2; 1979, c. 175; 1981, c. 549, s. 1; 1985,c. 66; 1987, c. 611; 1989 (Reg. Sess., 1990), c. 822, s. 1; 1991, c. 18, s. 1;1999‑281, s. 1.)