not sure if this is the right section to post it up, but i think it might be.
anyways, i was looking at doing a few exterior mods for cheap and really liked the tailight and headlight overlays by blue batmobile, the ones with the cutouts. now i was wondering, are they legal? i live in nj, not sure if that has a say. i liked the ones that have the cut outs for the tail lights and have the tint on just where the lights arent and have the reverse light cutout. are they legal since they arent really getting in the way of the light? i know smoking/tinting taillights fully are illegal but wasnt to sure on this grey spot :/
thanks for your insight!

 

Sounds like the exact same overlays I have. I don't know about the law in NJ, but in California, anything that distorts view of your front and rear lights (talking about the actual bulbs, like the blinker) is technically illegal I believe. I have cutouts on the actual lights, so I'm not sure if that constitutes being legal, but I haven't gotten pulled over for it so far. I think you're more likely to get pulled over if you get the darkest shade and wrap your entire light.

Even if you do, it's just a simple fix it ticket. Not the end of the world

 

I've got viynals over my tail lights that do not cover the bulbs or reflector and haven't been pulled over yet. I'm also in CA.

 

they may be illegal but then so is tinting too dark.. never heard of anyone getting pulled over for it. If you do, just peel off the overlay and call it a day

 

Someone posted this before, in CA I beleive it stated ANY modifications to lights is illegal. Here's the statues for NJ.

New Jersey Drunk Driving Lawyer NJSA 39:3-46 through NJSA 39:3-54.21 Somerset County Traffic Ticket Attorney

 

If you look up the vehicle code of California, it states that "(e) Taillamps shall be red in color and shall be plainly visible from all distances within 500 feet to the rear except that taillamps on vehicles manufactured after January 1, 1969, shall be plainly visible from all distances within 1,000 feet to the rear. "

Needless to say, Im sure that if you have full smoked tints, you will be pulled over & given a fix it ticket by the CHP & then it would cost you more $$ and time to replace the tail lights. GTR-style cutouts would seem to fit into a loophole, in that they maintain their red status in front of the LEDs and can visible from 1,000 feet, perfectly legal in my eyes. But your local LE may not see in the same way. Even then, I've heard of cops writing tickets for GTR-style tints, and other cops signing off on the legality of the fix-it ticket without any changes to the GTR-style overlay. Section 24600

The second vehicle code on lighting states that you MAY NOT alter any vehicle light equipment unless it is D.O.T. approved equipment, and which tinted tail lights are not. And, this is NOT just a fix-it ticket -- there is a fine and you cannot just remove the overlays and pay a $10 administrative fee. Needless to say, I was not happy to discover this more wide sweeping general vehicle code which says "no changes" at all to lights. I would also assume this to apply to clear coating of headlights, but that one would or should be invisible to the cops. Section 26101

I'm getting my GTR-style tints in a week or so. You decide what's best for you and your level of risk assumption.

 

yeah i guess the overlays with the cutouts fall into a loop hole. i guess its just the cop's discretion.. i think i might just get them done, anyone know what the fine in NJ might be for having them on and getting a citation for it? they look too good on a black g to not take the risk IMO

 

Even though technically the law in california says any alterations is illegal, the police will not likely pull you over for the overlays unless you go extremely dark. I've been pulled over multiple times with overlays on both cars and i have never been asked anything about them.

 

well I doubt anyone will come after you and sue you for selling illegal products if you're a legit business (or not). Look at all the headlight modifications going around which is illegal to take off the reflectors out of the car. We as a dealership can't even pass inspection if you're missing the front reflector in the headlight.

 

I'm in NJ and every car I have, except my F355, has tinted tail lights..
I've never once been stopped because of them. I've had my G37 not even 2 weeks and already have the tail lights tinted..

Just do it and stop worrying....

 

haha i really want to, any idea what the ticket if i were to get pulled over would be like? if its relatively cheap (like under $50) im just going to go ahead with it. got the car a month ago and not worried about inspection for the next 4 years!

 

I wouldnt know how much the ticket is....
because I have never gotten a ticket for tinted lights in NJ and I have had them on every car I own/ have owned over the last 12 years except for one... don't worry about it.

 

Depends on the cops. If you are in the wrong place at the wrong time, you can get tickets for any little thing in NJ as they are trying to increase revenues. The best place to find out if it is legal or not is one of the traffic courts anywhere in NJ. When you enter the court, go to the payment window and they have a huge billboard there with every possible violation and its fine amount. I found out about that when I got a bogus speeding ticket. The list is much more comprehensive than anything that you can find online. I hope that helps.

 

As the owner of a stock '08 I don't understand this desire to mod the lights. I understand owners want their cars to stand out, or not look run-of-the-mill. What puzzles me is reducing the visibility of the brake and taillights. Aren't folks concerned about increasing their risk of collisions? Headlight mods are equally mysterious to me. What's with all the illegal lights? Aren't many of them creating difficulties for oncoming drivers? If so, why would one want a night-blinded driver headed in his direction?

 

placing tint on the lights in NJ is illegal. Just keep in mind diminishing the light output in anyway will give the cop a reason to give you a ticket. I have overlays on mine and havent had a problem with cops. My lights look like a dark burgundy though.
This link might help you out.
Are Smoked Head/Tail lights Illegal in New jersey? - Yahoo! Answers