Per my PA inspection book, Auxiliary and fog lamps have to be 20 inches apart and no higher then 42 inches above level surface. Nothing in my book about needing covers. You are correct on only roof or roll bar mounted off road lights needing covers when operating on the highway or trafficway.

 

Beat me too it. I looked this up as I may be moving to PA or NYC.

Here in SC we don't really care, so it's a change for me. I leave all lights uncovered; have that rock-guard-clear-plastic-sticky-stuff on them though.....

 

I had gotten flagged down, I guess you could say pulled over, but the cop said my I couldn't have my Westins on, unless offroad. Ohio law is anything from headlight level and below is fine. Mine sit right in the middle of the headlights. Explained it to the officer, and I've never been messed with since. These were our local cops as well

 

Over here in good Ol' Oregon it's below head light level as well, but we can get away with a lot it seems like.

And it's really nice not having to go get inspections.

 

Funny thing is, the cop that pulled me over was the same one I had a full on conversation with about his cruiser (ford explorer). The power steering pump was going absolutely crazy and I asked him if it always did that. I told him to try and not drive it till it gets fixed cuz the pump can literally blow apart, haha. I looked up multiple codes and nothing says I'm illegal aside from the way mine are wired. I still have to call up my local state police station to ask them about it. I won't go to the cops that pulled me over, they tend to profile a lot since they literally have nothing to do all day. The town isn't very big at all.

 

As far as I'm concerned, the cop had a right to ask me to shut them off in town because these effers are bright as all hell. I walked towards my jeep last night with them on and it blinded the hell out of me. During the day they literally hurt your eyes. As far as telling me they're illegal or they need covers, he can't do that. They aren't mounted illegally or aimed improperly and they do not put out too much light. I'm probably gonna get another 3 pairs also, another for the bumper and 4 for the top. I'll be able to drive in pure darkness with no problem, haha. Add some HIDs in the headlights and I'm set.

 

There is a lot of confusion between the inspection mechanics, their instructors, and the LEOs. My local garage doesn't know what E-codes are, and can't differentiate between fogs and driving lights because "they aren't marked driving or fog".

I have a set of PIAA lights wired w/o relays, but had covers on them, so effectively auxiliary/offroad lights. The local guy didn't like 'em even though they had covers on.

I pointed out that Pa law allows for (1) set of fogs, AND (1) set of driving lights. They must be at least 20" apart on centers and no higher than 42" above the road, and no lower than the chassis! Decorative under vehicle lights are not allowed. Lights on top of the roof/cab/rollbar(above 42") are effectively offroad/auxiliary and must have covers on them when on public roads.

He insisted that the lights on the rollbar had to be on relays with the H/L, and I pointed out that since they are not meant to be used on the public roads (offroad only) and had to have covers onroad, they were exempt, and that you could have as many as you wanted....

He insisted that fogs could only be used with L, and I pointed out that on my new vehicle the factory fogs will work with the parking lights, and he insisted that it would be illegal to drive that way....I gave up and took my lights off.

 

I used to run am early morning newspaper route daily. It was in a rural area that jad lots of deer. About 85 miles daily and the first night I was being trained, I stopped counting at 86. Not to mention dogs, cats, rabbits, coons, foxes, armadillos, skunks, cows and horses. I had 6 Hellas mounted on my bumper and wired into my high beams so that they'd turn off when I switched to low. I wanted to see the animals before they ran in front of me. The only time cops ever said anything was once I was pulling up to a stop sign and the cop come flying over a little hill and I thought he was going to run the stop sign and I was so busy watching him that I forgot to turn them down. He said that I couldn't have them on while on the road. I explained what they were for and how rhey were wired and he never bothered me again. Here I think that they are supposed to be covered but as long as they aren't on, they never say anything. Thank goodness that we don't have the hassle of state inspections anymore.

 

I never got stopped again for my lights, only ever that one time I got crap for them. But they still liked to follow me around. Still never put the lights on a relay either, haha. But now I got a new DD so it's no big deal. Tomorrow's project is getting rid of some surface rust on the rockers, yay!