24003 cvc :This is a code that most officers use as a catch all code (read carefully as your ticket may be written incorrectly). This code is for interior lighting. We have asked some officers to read the code, not just go by what they have been told, and they were surprised... as you will be too.... http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d12/vc24003.htm
25400 cvc.: This code is where NEON lighting under your vehicle is LEGAL to drive with. Please keep in mind that you can not have the color red and your tubes must be hidden. You may only have the glow effect. We install every neon kit to conform to this code. http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d12/vc25400.htm
25950 cvc : This code allows you to have white or yellow (amber) to the front of your vehicle, so clear corners are legal. Also under 25950(c) you can have a bulb of any unlighted color, as long as it lights up amber or white. So if you have a colored unlighted bulb, but it lights up white or amber your legal. http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d12/vc25950.htm
Typical assumptions people make about vehicle lighting.
Assumption - I know you can't have red facing forward or blue facing front or back.
FACT - A lot of officers are told that blue is their color, but when researching the vehicle code book, they have not been able to give a code number nor have we found a vehicle code that states blue is a police color, so they may be misinformed. Keep in mind it has to be in the vehicle code book to be a law... They just use it and everyone thinks that it is a police color... The vehicle code does state that only emergency vehicles may have RED facing the front. There is no mention of the color blue.
Assumption - Green is questionable since it is a Traffic Control Device color.
FACT - Just because a color is used on a traffic light doesn't mean it can't be used... look at RED or AMBER. Those are traffic light colors and are on all vehicles. There is nothing stating that green cannot be on a vehicle. RED cannot be used in the front but is perfectly legal on the sides and back when mounted correctly.
Assumption - I was actually pulled over by CHP for blue neon on my buddies car, then they went over the entire thing saying the whole car is illegal.
FACT - If your buddy had his tubes showing then it would be illegal. If they were installed properly then they would be legal
Assumption - Officers can be quite annoying at times.
FACT - They are doing a job and they just do what they are told..... Neon is legal and like most people, even officers skim through the code book..... Details are the important thing.... If you read 25400 you will see what we are talking about.... Also we can almost bet that if the code you were written up on was 24003 and if you READ that code it's for interior lighting... Most officers think of it as a catch all code....
We've been working with automotive lighting for over 18 years and deal with this kind of stuff everyday..... It's education for both the public and the officers a like. Soon you we see that every one will know the truth and the law.
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