Despite all the color choices available to car buyers, your headlights remain painfully plain. White and yellow. Yes, that’s it. Can’t use the colors of the rainbow, except yellow. Every glowing beam on an American road has the same two shades, and that’s no coincidence. According to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 108, regulated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administrationheadlights must emit white or “selective yellow” light for safety and standardization.
The idea is as old as the car: consistency saves lives. Motorists used the very first headlights in the early 1880s, before the light bulb was invented. They were acetylene lamps (carbide) that glowed yellow and were not safe: they could leak and explode. In 1898, the first electric headlamp was used in Columbia from the Electric Vehicle Company, a pioneering battery-powered vehicle.
Then came the evolution to halogen lamps, xenon or high-intensity discharge lamps and the modern Light Emitting Diode (LED) lamps. Amber lights became standardized for signals and hazard markings because their warm tone stands out from white, improving reaction time in poor conditions.
So even though modern cars can practically drive themselves, the light for you is still bound by the logic of brightness and tradition. Because when you’re moving fast, the last thing you need is a light show.
The problem with color: modding, enforcement and what’s not allowed
Penalties vary, but most states can issue fix-it tickets, failed inspections, or fines for illegal headlight tints. For example, in Tennessee, it is a Class C misdemeanor to violate the white-or-yellow color requirement. And in 2018, a $50 fine was imposed there for not keeping the headlights in a standard color.
Of course, there’s always someone who thinks “rules” are just mild suggestions, especially in the world of car modification. Enter the enthusiasts fitting RGB halos, demon eyes and tinted daytime running lights. These are the same people who think underglow lights are illuminated and legit (often they are not). As long as they have white or yellow headlights according to FMVSS 108, there is no problem at all.
Colors like blue, red and green are explicitly banned because they mimic police and emergency lights, which can lead to confusion or a quote that hurts worse than a blown ballast. Even white LEDs that provide a hint of the blue spectrum have come under scrutiny. Well, they’re not really blue; it’s the color temperature (which is about 5,000 to 6,500 Kelvin, or 8,540 to 11,240 Fahrenheit) that gives them a blue appearance.
When it comes to headlights, even the wildest mud has to bow to the law. White or yellow to see. Amber for signaling. Everything else? Save it for the car show. Because on public roads, light is not just about looking cool. It’s about making sure everyone survives.
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