Clear is not illegal.

Just need yellow or red light for flashing.

In order to bring an end to this, consider that the blinkers on this car ARE clear and have AMBER bulbs.

Just get an amber bulb for your side marker and you'll be legal in all 50 states.

It's a cheap fix

Blinkers does NOT mean they are the same as side markers. If going by that reasoning, rear blinkers would also need to be red to match side markers... which it is not.

Basically what it boils down to is this:

FMVSS 108 states what is allowed for a car to meet federal standards. This is:

front turn signals: yellow light, any housing
rear turn signals: yellow/red light, any housing
front side markers: yellow housing, any yellow/white light
rear side markers: red housing, any red/white light

Most state law only stipulates what color they should be at night. So it would be okay for local usage to have clear side markers emitting the right type of light via bulb choice, but don't claim it to be DOT legal as it is not.

If some cop wants to throw FMVSS 108 at you and cite you on that, clear side markers are not legal for that purpose. Thankfully I don't live in a state with annual vehicle inspections, but this may be an area of contention.

-alex

Great post now I know. I think I was thinking of side blinkers and not reflectors.
Good info this

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There is a small detail that the small light also acts as the reflector which must be amber in the front and red in the rear. so yes an amber light is fine on a clear lens but you must still have an amber reflector. so to be legal we can all add a small reflective decal on the lens if you get a ticket.

This is spelled out in FMVSS 108. It's a very long read so I don't recommend it.

http://fmvss108.tripod.com/fmvss108text.htm

better to just leave it alone and avoid given law enforcement any reason to pull you over and ticket.

I have yet to be questioned; I have been pulled over once for a red light on a right hand must turn right sign. I have a smoked light have had it for nearly 3 months give or take no problems but, I'd say its probably bound to occur unfortunately haha I say go for it I like the look of it I know there's a switch back light bulb for drl and side markers.

I've been driving with clear side markers in my frs and my brother's old g35c for ages. I'd be absolutely blown away if anyone has ever gotten a fixit ticket for this...

but as mentioned before it may attract unwanted attention in general from cops but as far as being pulled over for it, it's almost impossible at least where I live.

its yellow jdm style .. 2 cops passed me by and nothing:iono:
was white before:bellyroll: too bright.. matches my dlr http://i274.photobucket.com/albums/j...psba3698f7.jpg

So technically if I convert my side markers to act like turn signals (only flash and not lit with low beams/parking lights), that would be considered illegal?


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It depends on the state and situation. Texas requires a yearly motor vehicle "safety" inspection in order to register the vehicle. The state inspection standards have some really moronic (and ambiguous) provisions regarding lighting. I had my BRZ inspected last month and the guy in front of me was turned down because he had aftermarket LED taillights on an F150. I don't know if they were DOT approved or not, but, after listening to the conversation between the shop owner and customer I looked up what the guy was saying.

My reading of the Texas code was that the law could be (and in this case was) interpreted such that ANY sort of lighting retrofitting flunks the standard. I asked the owner about it after he did my car (which had LED turn signal bulbs) about the clear marker light issue. His take was it's not just the bulb but the reflector/lens that must be amber and "OEM." I think he's FOS about the OEM part oi this, but he's the one doing the inspection. I suspect there are shops that are less anal retentive, but it sucks to drive all over town looking for one.

All of that said, I see dozens of clowns in lifted trucks with 8000K HID/LED headlight retrofits blinding the shit out of every car (and passing aircraft) around. I don't see many/any of them pulled over. So, at the end of the day I guess you pays your money and takes your chance, In the (however) unlikely event that you do get pulled over for it, here, at least, I don't think the law is on your side.

edit: To add insult to injury, the shop guy told me his contact at the DPS told him they're going to drop the headlight retrofit prohibition because it's making truck owners mad. If this is true, they're going to legalize the most fucking UNSAFE practice people engage in and continue to punish the safe practices. You'll have a hard time finding shit this fucking insane in Kafka.

Just thought I'd mention this is not necessarily the case. States frequently pass laws that are more restrictive than their Federal counterparts; California emissions is the biggest example. With this in mind, auto makers might meet Fed standards but cross the line in some random state.

I have aftermarket LED tails, LED turn signals and clear side markers (with amber bulbs) in my Subaru. I have European E-code headlights (not DOT compliant) on my Jeep. Both passed Texas inspections twice with no objections about lighting at all.

I keep all my OEM parts, so if it had been a problem, I would have just swapped them long enough to get inspected and put them back.

I passed the inspection with clear side markers before in New York. But I took them off after left marker started condensing water inside. And I don't care about clear side markers any more. I only I wish I could be so sure that I would pass the inspection with a no-cat Ace header.

Here in NJ they need to be White or Amber.