Indiana Neon Underglow Laws

Indiana neon underglow usage is governed by the state's Code. All relevant laws, rules and regulations pertaining to vehicle lighting including car underglow in Indiana have been provided below. Make sure to examine the regulations carefully and do not use any restricted lights.

Usage of neon underglow lighting is governed by Indiana Code, Title 9: Motor Vehicles, Article 19: Motor Vehicle Equipment, Chapter 6: Lights, Reflectors, an Turn Signals.

Is neon underglow legal in Indiana?

Indiana law does not restrict additional aftermarket vehicle lighting which would include neon underglow. Therefore it’s our conclusion that in Indiana neon underglow is not illegal, as long as you follow these restrictions:

  • License plate illumination must be white
  • Flashing lights are prohibited
  • All combinations of red, blue, white, and amber colors are illegal

Though there are no specific restrictions that say otherwise, to stay completely within regulations in Indiana laws consider using lights on the front of the vehicle which are amber. License plate illumination must be white, while other illumination on the rear or a vehicle should be red.

Flashing lights on civilian vehicles are only permitted for warning other drivers about potential hazards, with white and amber being the only legally allowed colors in this case. You should never display flashing or revolving red, blue, or green lights, as they are reserved for emergency vehicles (fire department, ambulance, police cars, etc.).

We recommend avoiding red, blue and green colors altogether. Any combination of these colors with white or amber is also illegal to use.

There are no relevant IN laws which specifically restrict or prohibit installing car underglow, meaning we consider it legal to use it while driving.

Indiana vehicle lighting laws

Below are all relevant excerpts from Indiana Vehicle Code which limit, restrict or allow certain aftermarket lights to be installed on vehicles.

IC 9-19-6-8 Clearance and marker lamps and reflectors; color displayed or reflected

Sec. 8. (a) A front clearance lamp, marker lamp, and reflector mounted on the front or on the side near the front of a vehicle must display or reflect an amber color.

(b) A rear clearance lamp, marker lamp, and reflector mounted on the rear or on the sides near the rear of a vehicle must display or reflect a red color.

(c) A lighting device and reflector mounted on the rear of a vehicle must display or reflect a red color, except as follows:

(1) The stoplight or other signal device may be red, amber, or yellow.

(2) The light illuminating the license plate must be white.

(3) The light emitted by a back-up lamp must be white or amber

IC 9-19-6-18 Fender lamps; running-board courtesy lamps; back-up lamps

Sec. 18. (a) A motor vehicle may be equipped with not more than two (2) side cowl or fender lamps that emit an amber or a white light without glare.

(b) A motor vehicle may be equipped with not more than one (1)running-board courtesy lamp on each side that emits a white or an amber light without glare.

(c) A motor vehicle may be equipped with not more than two (2)back-up lamps either separately or in combination with other lamps.

IC 9-19-6-19 Flashing warning lights

Sec. 19. (a) A vehicle may be equipped with lamps that may be used for the purpose of warning the operators of other vehicles of the presence of a vehicular traffic hazard requiring the exercise of unusual care in approaching, overtaking, or passing. The vehicles,when so equipped, may display the warning in addition to any other warning signals required by this article.

(b) A lamp used to display a warning to the front must be mounted at the same level and as widely spaced laterally as practicable, and must display simultaneously flashing white or amber lights or any shade of color between white and amber.

(c) A lamp used to display a warning to the rear must be mounted at the same level and as widely spaced laterally as practicable, and must show simultaneously flashing amber or red lights or any shade of color between red and amber.

IC 9-19-14.5-1 Display of green lights on privately owned vehicles in line of duty

Sec. 1. A privately owned vehicle belonging to a licensed paramedic, certified advanced emergency medical technician, certified emergency medical technician, certified emergency medical service driver, or certified emergency medical responder while traveling in the line of duty in connection with emergency medical services activities may display flashing or revolving green lights, subject to the following restrictions and conditions […]

(5) The green lights may not be a part of the regular head lamps displayed on the vehicle.

(6) For a person to be authorized under this chapter to display a flashing or revolving green light on the person’s vehicle, the person must first secure a written permit from the executive director of the department of homeland security to use the light. The permit must be carried by the person when the light is displayed.

Displaying flashing or revolving green or white lights is considered a Class C infraction (as per: 9-19-14.5-2).

IC 9-19-14-5 Police vehicles used as emergency vehicles

Sec. 5. A police vehicle, when used as an authorized emergency vehicle, must be equipped with either of the following:

(1) At least two (2) signal lamps capable of displaying a red beam and a blue beam that meet the following requirements:
(A) The signal lamps are mounted as high and as widely spaced laterally as practicable or mounted in a manner that will make the lights visible to oncoming traffic one hundred
eighty (180) degrees around the front of the vehicle. (B) The signal lamps are capable of displaying to the front alternately flashing red and blue lights.

IC 9-19-14-5.5 Red and white, red and blue, red, or amber lights; violation

Sec. 5.5. (a) Except for a:
(1) vehicle utilized in a funeral procession; or
(2) funeral escort vehicle bearing markings as described in IC 9-21-13-0.7;
a vehicle that is not described by sections 2 or 5 of this chapter may not display a red and white lamp or a red and blue lamp.
(b) A person who: (1) possesses a vehicle with equipment described by sections 2 or 5 of this chapter; and (2) is not authorized to display a red and white or red and blue lamp upon the vehicle; shall immediately remove the red and white or red and blue lamp from the vehicle. (c) A funeral escort vehicle, other than an authorized emergency vehicle used in a funeral procession or as a funeral escort vehicle, may display only red and white, red, or amber lights.
(d) Except as provided in subsection (e), a person who fails to comply with subsection (b) or (c) commits a Class C misdemeanor

Emergency vehicle colors in Indiana include red, blue and green, so using any combination of these colors (even if not flashing) is not recommended.

Our information about car neon underglow laws in Indiana was last updated in 2023 and checked in 2024. In case any info we provided is not up to date or correct be sure to contact us so we can revise it. Thank you!

Check our data with your local law enforcement or other relevant agencies! Indiana underglow laws in certain cities or counties may be different from state legislation. While we do our very best to provide the most accurate information about LED and neon street glow usage we will not be held liable for any potentially incorrect or misinterpreted info.

State of Indiana Info

Indiana is a U.S. state located in the midwestern and Great Lakes regions of North America. Indiana is the 38th largest by area and the 16th most populous of the 50 United States. Indiana is the least extensive state in the contiguous United States west of the Appalachian Mountains. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th U.S. state on December 11, 1816.

Capital: Indianapolis

Population: 6,537,334

Area: 36,418 sq mi (94,321 km2)

Cities ▼

Cities in Indiana: Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, South Bend, Evansville, Bloomington, Gary, Terre Haute, Muncie, Carmel, Lafayette, Fishers, Kokomo, Elkhart, Noblesville, Michigan City, Columbus, Mishawaka, Merrillville, Avon, Valparaiso, West Lafayette, French Lick, Crown Point, Hammond, Anderson, Shipshewana, Richmond, New Albany, Greenwood, Goshen, Marion, Madison, Zionsville, Warsaw, Nashville, New Harmony, Broad Ripple, Brownsburg, Santa Claus, Jeffersonville, Vincennes, Wakarusa, Plainfield, Greenfield, Popcorn, La Porte, Westfield, Munster, Crawfordsville, Portage

Counties ▼

Counties in Indiana: Adams, Allen, Bartholomew, Banton, Blackford, Boone, Brown, Carroll, Cass, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Crawford, Daviess, Dearborn, Decatur, DeKalb, Delaware, Dubois, Elkhart, Fayette, Floyd, Fountain, Franklin, Fulton, Gibson, Grant, Greene, Hamilton, Hancock, Harrison, Hendricks, Henry, Howard, Huntington, Jackson, Jasper, Jay, Jefferson, Jennings, Johnson, Knox, Kosciusko, LaGrange, Lake, LaPorte, Lawrence, Madison, Marion, Marshall, Martin, Miami, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Newton, Noble, Ohio, Orange, Owen, Parke, Perry, Pike, Porter, Posey, Pulaski, Putnam, Randolph, Ripley, Rush, St. Joseph, Scott, Shelby, Spencer, Starke, Steuben, Sullivan, Switzerland, Tippecanoe, Tipton, Union, Vanderburgh, Vermillion, Vigo, Wabash, Warren, Warrick, Washington, Wayne, Wells, White, Whitley

Wikipedia

State website



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