Virginia Administrative Code › Title 19 - PUBLIC SAFETY › Agency 30 - DEPARTMENT OF STATE POLICE › Chapter 70 - MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY INSPECTION REGULATIONS › Part III - Inspection Requirements for Passenger Vehicles and Vehicles Up to 10,000 Pounds (GVWR) › Section 19VAC30-70-180 - Clearance lamps, side marker lamps, and reflectors

Current through Register Vol. 40, No. 24, July 15, 2024
Inspect for and reject if:
1. Any motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer or
				  other vehicle is not equipped with clearance lamps if the vehicle is over seven
				  feet wide or if any portion extends four inches or more outside the front
				  fender line.
NOTE: See
					 19VAC30-70-550
					 for vehicles exceeding 10,000 GVWR.
When a motor vehicle with a trailer attached is presented,
					 the combination may be considered as one unit in meeting this requirement. If
					 presented separately, the individual unit must meet these requirements.
2. Lamps or reflectors are not of an approved
				  type or a lamp has been altered; any wires are exposed; unapproved lenses or
				  plastic covers; or any other materials that are not original equipment or any
				  colored material placed on or in front of lamps or reflectors.
3. Lenses or lamps on the front are not amber
				  and lenses on lamps on the rear are not red or if a lens has a piece broken
				  from it. A lens may have one or more cracks provided an off-color light does
				  not project through the crack or cracks. Taping or gluing cracks or pieces is
				  not permitted.
NOTE: For vehicles equipped with a multiple LED
					 (light-emitting diode) light (not filament-burning bulbs): they will pass
					 inspection if more than 50% of the diode lights are burning.
4. Wiring or electrical connections are
				  defective, all filaments do not burn.
5. Two amber lamps are not mounted on the
				  front and two red lamps on the rear, so as to indicate the extreme width of the
				  body, and as high on the permanent body as practical, except that approved 180
				  degree lamps with yellow or amber lens may be mounted on the side of the
				  vehicle at or as near the front as possible, or if the front is not the widest
				  portion, the lamps may be installed on the side and as near that point as
				  possible. And with the further exception that 180 degree lamps with red lens
				  may be mounted on the side of the vehicle at or as near the rear as possible or
				  if the rear is not the widest portion of the vehicle, the lamps may be
				  installed on the side as near that point as possible.
6. Any vehicle equipped with three red
				  identification lamps with the lamp centers spaced not less than six inches or
				  more than 12 inches apart and installed as close as practicable to the top of
				  the vehicle and as close as practicable to the vertical centerline of the
				  vehicle may have the rear clearance lamps required by subdivision 5 of this
				  section, mounted at any height but indicate as nearly as practicable the
				  extreme width of the vehicle.
NOTE: Other specially constructed vehicles may be equipped
					 with the required clearance lamps not mounted on the extreme rear, provided
					 such red lamps are clearly visible from the rear and provided further that two
					 red reflectors of an approved type are mounted on the extreme rear. In unusual
					 cases the rear lamp may be mounted on the cab and another red reflex reflector
					 placed on the extreme rear.
NOTE: In addition to the required clearance lamps showing
					 to the front and to the rear, a vehicle may be equipped with side marker lamps
					 on the side of the vehicle. When such an installation is used, all of the
					 clearance lamps on the side except the one at or near the rear must have an
					 amber lens. The side marker lamps on the side at or near the rear must have a
					 red lens.
7. Any vehicle
				  covered by subdivision 1 of this section, except school buses, is not equipped
				  with amber reflectors on the sides as near the front as practical, and red
				  reflectors on the rear. The reflectors must be at least 15 inches and not more
				  than 60 inches from the ground. No reflector can have a piece broken from its
				  reflective surface, but may have one or more cracks. Taping or gluing cracks or
				  pieces is not permitted.
8. Any
				  combination of vehicles whose actual length exceeds 35 feet is not equipped
				  with reflex reflectors of a type approved by the superintendent and mounted on
				  the widest part of the towed vehicle so as to be visible from the front and
				  sides of the vehicle. No reflector can have a piece broken from its reflective
				  surface, but may have one or more cracks. Taping or gluing cracks or pieces is
				  not permitted.
9. Any passenger
				  vehicle is equipped with clearance lamps, unless such lamps are used to mark
				  the extreme width of the vehicle or used as taxicab identification, or used as
				  supplemental turn signals. (See
				  19VAC30-70-190
				  B.)
10. Vehicles so constructed as
				  to make compliance with the requirements of subdivisions 1, 5, 7, 9, 11, and 12
				  of this section impractical will be equipped with clearance lamps and
				  reflectors at the most practical location to provide maximum
				  visibility.
11. Any vehicle is not
				  equipped with two front side marker lights (amber) and two rear side marker
				  lights (red).
12. Any vehicle is
				  not equipped with two front side reflectors (amber), two rear side reflectors
				  (red), and two reflectors mounted on the rear (red).
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If equipped with three red identification lamps,
								  the required clearance lamps may be mounted at any height so long as they
								  indicate, as nearly as practicable, the extreme width of the vehicle.
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NOTE: Must be equipped with three red
								  identification lamps
ILLUSTRATIONS FOR PROPER INSTALLATION OF
								  REFLECTORS
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Amber Reflector
At least 15 inches and not more than 60 inches
								  from the ground.
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Red Reflectors: At least 15 inches and not more
								  than 60 inches from the ground.
Statutory Authority: §
												46.2-1165
						of the Code of Virginia.