Light Bars & LED Lighting in Illinois
Illinois prohibits driving with any lighting that has a smoked or tinted lens or cover — so covering a light bar is itself a violation here. Up to three auxiliary driving lamps (white, HID white, or yellow-amber, mounted 12 to 42 inches) plus one spot lamp aimed no more than 100 feet are permitted.
Verified against primary sources · August 2026
What the law says
This is the opposite of the advice commonly given for light bars. Red to the front and flashing lights are separately prohibited. Note: covering the lamp is not the compliance route here — smoked or tinted lens covers are themselves prohibited. Mounting a light bar is legal everywhere; what states regulate is using it on public roads, and the usual constraint is a mounting-height ceiling plus a per-type lamp count — a roof-mounted bar often falls outside the permitted category entirely.
Specific Limits
- Max lamps
- 3 auxiliary driving lamps (white, HID white, or yellow-amber, forward-facing, 12-42 in) plus 1 spot lamp aimed no more than 100 ft
- Prohibited
- red to the front; flashing lights
- Cover required
- No
- Smoked or tinted covers
- prohibited
Frequently Asked Questions
Are light bars & led lighting legal in Illinois?
What are the exact light bars & led lighting limits in Illinois?
Street-legal light bars & led lighting picks
Gear that helps you mod without a ticket in Illinois.
Required on the road in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Virginia — but check your state first: Illinois and Kentucky prohibit tinted lens covers.
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