Driving with Interior Lights On: Is It Illegal?

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By: Taranjit | Last Updated: September 7, 2020

Driving with the lights on is illegal or so we repeatedly heard from our parents when we were younger, and we continued this belief into our adulthood (or at least some of us still think this). And whenever you would ask why can’t you turn on the light, your parents would talk around it and usually just gave an answer that would convince you to not do it. Such as it’s distracting or it’s just illegal. But is illegal?

Is it illegal?

There is no law stating that it is illegal, however, a police officer can pull you over if he thinks your interior lights is a driving distraction, and he can tell you to turn it off.

In most states, it is legal to drive with your interior lights on, but is it safe to do so? Now that is the true question. Just because something is legal, does it mean you should do it?

Similar to the fact that you could get a ticket while eating and driving because it can cause you to be distracted or careless while behind the wheel, a police officer can provide this same justification when you are using your interior lights. Ultimately, it all comes down to whether it is being a distraction to you or not in the eyes of the officer.

For example, an inappropriate use of interior lights in some cities, like Los Angeles, can get you a citation, but having them on is not illegal. So I would opt out of using them to provide you light for applying makeup while driving because you can get a ticket!

Why have the lights if we can't use them?

There was a reason those lights were installed in cars in the first place, right? Well, back in the day before we had GPS on our phones, we had to use handheld maps, and those interior lights in the front were designed to help with seeing a map while in the car at night. Of course, for the passenger to be able to see the map not the driver because that would be dangerous. Those are the interior lights that we are referring to in this post.

What about the cabin lights? Is that legal?

The other interior lights, the ones that come on when a door is open (the cabin lights), should not be used while driving. Not because they are illegal, but they can not only pose danger for you, but also other drivers on the road. Those lights are illuminating the entire inside of your car (whereas those map lights only provide light in a small front part of your car) which can make it difficult for you to see outside your car. And if you can’t see, then how are you going to drive?

Final Thoughts:

It is best practice to minimize the use of interior lights while you are on the road, not just for your own safety, but also for the safety of other drivers on the road. And if necessary to use the lights, use the map lights at the front over the cabin lights, and have your passenger control this while you continue to focus on the road. As the driver, your main responsibility is to stay focused on the road, not be looking around in your car or doing other tasks. Just drive or let someone else drive.