Headlights are one of the first things people notice when looking at cars. Naturally, many drivers want to personalize their headlights. One way to get a unique look is to use headlights of different colors. However, when it comes to bulbs, not all colors are legal (or available).
Read on to find out which headlights are legal and off-road in the UK, US, EU and Australia.
In most countries, headlights are limited to two colors - yellow or white. Of course, this covers all kinds of tones. Most headlamp bulbs have a spectrum ranging from yellow to white to blue. The color temperature of the bulb tells you where the light will fall in the spectrum - bulbs with lower Kelvin levels are yellow and bulbs with higher numbers are blue. Generally, halogen headlamp bulbs are more yellow and Xenon HID bulbs are closer to blue in spectrum.
Britain
In Britain, the law strictly restricts the color of headlights. The bulb must be white or yellow. This means that bulbs that produce blue light are not approved for road use. Halogen bulbs with a color temperature of more than 4200k are illegal. This is because the blue of the light will confuse other drivers, who may think that the blue light belongs to an emergency service vehicle.
However, it seems that the bluer Xenon HID bulb is still legal to a certain extent. Some Xenon HID with color temperatures up to 6000K are considered legal.
You can use the blue bulb for off-road use. Other colors, such as green or purple, may be available, but they actually guarantee to stop you.
European Union
If you want to travel to Europe, please follow the same headlights rules as anywhere else. Generally speaking, the EU headlights must be yellow or white. The blue HID light is allowed to reach a specific point.
Previously, vehicles in Europe had to have yellow headlights. There is still a common misconception that headlights in France can only be yellow, not white. Although this has been the case for decades, the law changed to allow the use of white headlights in 1993.
Nowadays, new cars in the EU must be equipped with white headlights. Old vehicles equipped with yellow headlights are allowed to use yellow headlights.
U.S.A
Figuring out America's laws on headlights can be tricky. Laws on vehicle safety are controlled by states rather than the federal government. This means that there are 50 different rules for headlights and acceptable colors.
Fortunately, most states follow the same general guidelines as the UK or the EU. The headlights can be yellow or white, or some bluer Xenon HID bulbs can be used. Drivers should be careful that their headlights are not too blue because the law is more strictly enforced in some places.
Off road vehicle headlights are available in a variety of colors. Drivers can buy colored bulbs or headlights of almost any color. But none of this is legal.
Australia
As in the UK, the European Union or the United States, Australia's headlights law is simple and restricts drivers to only use yellow or white headlights. Xenon HID can be slightly blue, but Australian law prohibits completely blue headlights.
Similarly, you can buy headlamp bulbs of different colors and hues that change the color of the headlamp. Drivers who install these modifications for street use may eventually pay fines.
