Trooper Tips - Vehicle Modifications
Date released: 6/19/2006

Trooper Tips from the Montrose Troop Office and Regional Comm Center

Illegal vehicle modifications:

With some great interest rates lately for automobile purchases, newly owned vehicles are in a great abundance on the highways.

New vehicle owners are often excited about their recent purchase and rush out and buy after market equipment that really helps to personalize the vehicle and make it their own. There is nothing wrong with this at all, as long as the use of the equipment is legal.

One of the most common upgrades done to a vehicle is window tint. Window tint is measured in percentages by Colorado law. When a percentage is discussed, it means the percent of ambient light outside the vehicle, which is able to enter the vehicle. For instance, if a window’s tint is measured at 2%, that means that only 2 % of outside light is making it into the car. All original equipment side windows come from the factory tinted a little, most are tinted to somewhere between 70-80%, which looks fairly clear.

In Colorado, it’s legal to darken windows behind the driver’s seat as dark as you want them IF the front windows, driver’s side and passenger’s side, along with the windshield are at least 70% (clear automobile glass with NO tint).

Or, you can tint all of the windows in the car except the windshield to a maximum of 27%. Remember though that at no time, can your two, front side windows be darker than 27%.

Also in Colorado no mirrored or reflective tint is allowed on any window of the vehicle.

Another popular upgrade is vehicle lighting. There are lamps of various sizes, shapes and colors available for purchase. The laws that govern lighting and lamps are long and can be confusing. To keep this as simple as possible, here are a few of the basics: · Headlights and other white lamps must be limited to a total of four. · Accessory lights must be non-glaring and are limited to the colors of white and amber or any color in between white and amber. · At no time are, red, blue and green lights allowed if visible from the front of the vehicle.

Accessorizing a vehicle can be a fun way for people to express themselves when it’s done in a manner that complies with current state law. Remember, these laws were written with safety in mind.

Should you have any questions, please email or call us before you make equipment purchases. A little time spent now may save a lot of headache in the future.

Did you know??? To report an aggressive, reckless, intoxicated driver, you can dial *CSP on your cell phone and your call will be routed to the nearest Colorado State Patrol Communications Center.

Trooper Novotny: light well, be seen

This article will address two laws, first is Colorado’s existing law regarding lighting equipment on cars, which is routinely being violated throughout the state. The second is a new law addressing obstructive material on license plates.

The Colorado Department of Revenue (DOR) must approve all lighting equipment on cars. The DOR may approve or disapprove lighting standards, specifications of lighting devices and their installation, adjustment, and aiming and adjustment when in use on a motor vehicle. In other words, DOR has the final say about any lights that are on a car being driven in Colorado. Without formal approval from DOR, a lighting product may be illegal.

In recent years, manufacturers have introduced a wide array of after market vehicle lighting products. Neon undercarriage lights, uniquely-colored brake lights, signal lights, lighted valve stem caps and scrolling message boards affixed to rear license plate brackets have become popular attachments to almost any style of vehicle, many of which are illegal. Many of these after market lighting products can confuse other drivers and be a distraction.

With the exception of “Street Rods” equipped with “blue dot tail lights”, a vehicle’s rear lights are to be red or amber in color or any shade of color between red and amber. The exceptions to red or amber colored lights on the back of a car are back-up lights and license plate lights, which must be white in color. Vehicle lights on the front of a car shall be white or amber or any shade of color between white and amber. All lights are to be non- glare.

It is acceptable for a vehicle to have a neon light, mounted, one on each side of the undercarriage along the running board, displaying a non-glaring light with the color spectrum between white and amber. As long as the bulbs from these types of lights are not visible to other drivers these lights are permitted. The neon blue and green etc. colored lights that are commonly seen on cars around town are illegal. For example, a colored neon light on the back of the vehicle (other than red or amber), a colored neon light on the front of the vehicle (other than white or amber), any color electronic scrolling sign attached to a license plate frame or the bright colored pin lights (other than amber or white) that are often attached on the hood near the windshield wipers are all a violation of law.

Secondly, there is a new law in Colorado, effective from August 1, 2004, which makes it illegal to cover either the front or rear license plate of your vehicle with any material. Specifically the law requires your license plates to be free from any device or substance that causes all or part of the license plate to be unreadable. This is to allow citizens and law enforcement to readily identify cars in hit and run accidents, incidents of aggressive driving and any system used to automatically identify a car. This means that the colored, smoked and tinted plastic license plate covers are not legal. The license plates themselves are required to be in good condition, free from foreign materials and clearly legible. Simply put there shouldn’t be anything covering your license plate and the license plate should be legible and in good condition.

The penalty for the any type of lighting violations is not a moving violation and cost $18.60. It’s a small fine that is used to bring drivers into compliance with the laws and to eliminate the distraction to other drivers.

The penalty for having an obstructed license plate is much stiffer. At $116.60 and three points against your driver’s license, this is a significant violation. However, this penalty can be avoided by making sure your license plate is legible, uncovered and remains unobstructed. Having an obstructed license plate is a much more serious violation because the law is designed to prevent the concealing of information that may be necessary in an emergency.