New Hampshire Neon Underglow Laws

New Hampshire neon underglow usage is governed by the state's Code. All relevant laws, rules and regulations pertaining to vehicle lighting including car underglow in New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire Statutes, Title 21: Motor Vehicles, Chapter 266: Equipment of Vehicles.

Is neon underglow legal in New Hampshire?

New Hampshire law does not mention additional allowed or restricted vehicle lighting which would include neon underglow. Therefore it’s our conclusion that in New Hampshire neon underglow is not illegal, but ensure you avoid the following restrictions:

  • No red, blue, amber, or green lights are permitted
  • License plate illumination must be white

Although not specifically prohibited unless it’s a restricted color, flashing lights are technically not prohibited but we strongly suggest never using them. Any flashing, rotating or oscillating light can be considered a distraction to other drivers and may be subject to other laws and regulations.

We also highly recommend avoiding purple or violet color on any aftermarket lights including underbody glow.

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

New Hampshire vehicle lighting laws

Below are all relevant excerpts from New Hampshire Vehicle Code that limit, restrict or allow certain aftermarket lights or colors to be installed on vehicles.

Section 266:44 – Tail Lamp and Reflectors.

Every motor vehicle and trailer or any combination of vehicles, when on the ways of this state at night, shall have on the rear thereof, and to the left of the axis thereof, one lamp, displaying a red light visible for a distance of at least 1000 feet to the rear of such vehicle, and a white light illuminating the registration plate of such vehicle so that the characters thereon shall be visible for a distance of at least 50 feet, except that passenger cars manufactured or assembled after January 1, 1952, shall have at least 2 tail lamps, one to either side of the axis thereof.

Section 266:78-a – Definitions.

I. In this section:

(a) “Emergency light” means a steady burning, oscillating, rotating, or flashing red or blue colored light.
(b) “Warning light” means a steady burning, oscillating, rotating, or flashing amber light or arrow board or white colored light.

Section 266:78-b – Blue Lights Restricted to Law Enforcement and Emergency Response.

I. No person other than a sworn law enforcement officer with power of arrest shall operate a vehicle equipped with blue colored light […]

Section 266:78-c – Red Lights Restricted to Police, Fire, and Rescue Vehicles.

No person other than those authorized in this section shall operate a vehicle equipped with red colored emergency lights […]

Section 266:78-h – Amber Warning Lights Authorized for Certain Vehicles.

No person other than those authorized in this section or in RSA 266:78-c shall operate a vehicle equipped with amber colored warning lights. […]

Section 266:78-l – Private Security Vehicles.

Vehicles owned by or leased to licensed public or private security services but not personally owned vehicles of security guards may be equipped with amber or green warning lights […]

Penalties

Violation for using emergency and warning lights is punishable by the following section:

266:78-q Penalties. – Any person convicted of a violation of this subdivision shall, notwithstanding the provisions of title LXII, be guilty of a violation and fined $250 plus penalty assessment for a first offense and not less than $500 nor more than $1,000 plus penalty assessment for a second offense, and any person knowingly or purposely using blue lights to commit a crime punishable as a misdemeanor shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and any person knowingly or purposely using blue lights to commit a crime punishable as a felony shall be guilty of a class B felony. The director or the court may suspend or revoke for a period of not less than 30 days the license or driving privilege of any person convicted of violating this subdivision.

Our information about car neon underglow laws in New Hampshire 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! New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire Info

New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the north. New Hampshire is the 5th smallest and the 9th least populous of the 50 United States.

Capital: Concord

Population: 1,320,718

Area: 9,304 sq mi (24,217 km2)

Cities ▼

Cities in New Hampshire: Nashua, Portsmouth, Manchester, Concord, Dover, Keene, Laconia, Hanover, Derry, Merrimack, Exeter, Salem, Hampton Beach, Lebanon, Hampton, Rochester, Londonderry, Bedford, Wolfeboro, Hooksett, Durham, Sunapee, Amherst, Goffstown, Gilford, Hudson, Windham, Plaistow, Claremont, Littleton, Berlin, Peterborough, Lincoln, Stratham, North Hampton, Meredith, Milford, Waterville Valley, Conway, New Boston, Somersworth, Pelham, Hollis, Plymouth, Epping, Seabrook, Rindge, Bretton Woods, Rye, Moultonborough

Counties ▼

Counties in New Hampshire: Belknap, Carroll, Cheshire, Coos, Grafton, Hillsborough, Merrimack, Rockingham, Strafford, Sullivan

Wikipedia

State website



Have questions about traffic or neon glow laws in New Hampshire?

You can ask professional lawyers without having to pay hundreds of $$$ of legal fees just for visiting their office! Traffic law experts are on call 24/7 ready to answer any question you have.

Ask legal experts on JustAnswer and get answers immediately.