Christmas Lights On Cars In Missouri: Off Limits Or Colorful?

About a week ago, our friend Rick Maize posted a meme on the Best of Sedalia Facebook page about the Kansas Police reminding drivers not to put Christmas lights on their cars. Every time I've seen that crazy photo of the guy driving with a fully lit-up Christmas car, I've wondered, is that legal in Missouri?

The concise answer is yes. However, it's always a good idea to check with local police to ensure compliance with specific local ordinances. Of course, you can't ignore Missouri Statutes because you want to drive around Missouri spreading holiday cheer. Regarding vehicle lighting, some things are pretty specific and easy to run afoul of if you're stringing a bunch of lights on your vehicle.

First, Missouri Statutes prohibit the use of specific colors of lights on vehicles, specifically red and blue. Red lights cannot be visible from the front of your car, and blue lights are generally restricted to law enforcement. So, if you want to decorate your vehicle, green, yellow, and white lights are the safest choices.

Flashing and oscillating lights are also only allowed for certain vehicles. These include school buses, emergency vehicles, and mail carriers. Using flashing lights on a personal vehicle could result in a violation.

Additionally, lights cannot be overly bright or distract other drivers. You can't place lights where they could interfere with your driving ability or other drivers' visibility.

That last part about lights not distracting you or other drivers might give me pause from decorating my vehicle like a Christmas tree. Police officers have a fair amount of discretion when enforcing laws, and I could see this being one area where a police officer may disagree with your assessment of what could be distracting.