Michigan Motorcycle Headlight Law

The Motorcycle Legal Minute™ was created by Jason Waechter, THE Motorcycle Lawyer, to explain Michigan’s motorcycle law in a short and easy to understand way.

 

Let’s talk about the law pertaining to motorcycle headlamps - you know, the white headlight on a motorcycle. To be legal, you must have one and you can’t have more than two. Headlamps must be at least 24 inches off the ground, but not higher than 54 inches.

Are Modulating Headlights On Motorcycles Legal in Michigan?

Modulating headlamps are legal in Michigan - that’s where the light looks like it blinks. It goes from full intensity to a lower intensity, but still in the low-beam position. 

 

If you have two white headlamps, they are supposed to flicker at the same time, not at different rates. For all the legal specifics for motorcycles and specs, see elsewhere on this website.

 

Here is the Michigan statute pertaining to motorcycle headlamps:

 

MCL 257.685 Head lamps; number; modulator; height; auxiliary, spot, or other lamp; exemption.

Sec. 685.

  (1) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (2), a motor vehicle shall be equipped with at least 2 head lamps with at least 1 head lamp on each side of the front of the motor vehicle, in compliance with this chapter. An implement of husbandry manufactured on or after January 1, 2007 shall comply with section 684a.

  (2) A motorcycle or moped shall be equipped with at least 1 and not more than 2 head lamps that comply with this chapter.

  (3) A motorcycle or moped head lamp may be wired or equipped to allow either its upper beam or its lower beam, but not both, to modulate from a higher intensity to a lower intensity. A head lamp modulator installed on a motorcycle or moped with 2 head lamps shall be wired in a manner to prevent the head lamps from modulating at different rates or not in synchronization with each other. A head lamp modulator installed on a motorcycle or moped shall meet the standards prescribed in 49 CFR 571.108.

  (4) Every head lamp upon a motor vehicle shall be located at a height measured from the center of the head lamp of not more than 54 inches nor less than 24 inches above the level surface upon which the vehicle stands.

  (5) When a motor vehicle equipped with head lamps as required in this section is also equipped with auxiliary lamps or a spot lamp or any other lamp on the front of the motor vehicle projecting a beam of an intensity greater than 300 candlepower, not more than a total of 4 of those lamps on the front of a vehicle shall be lighted at a time when upon a highway.

  (6) A motor vehicle licensed as an historic vehicle is exempt from the requirements of this section if the vehicle as originally equipped failed to meet these requirements. An historic vehicle shall not be operated in violation of section 684.

Michigan Motorcycle Headlight Law 2023

Michigan legislature did not introduce any new motorcycle law or legislation and the governor did not sign any legislation pertaining to motorcycle healdight law in 2023.

 

Federal Modulating Headlight Law

This is the federal statute cited in the Michigan law as to modulating headlamps.

 

S10.17.5 Motorcycle headlamp modulation system. A headlamp on a motorcycle may be activated to modulate either the upper beam or the lower beam from its maximum intensity to a lesser intensity, provided that:

S10.17.5.1 Modulation.

(a) The rate of modulation must be 240 ±40 cycles per minute.

(b) The headlamp must be operated at maximum power for 50 to 70 percent of each cycle.

(c) The lowest intensity at any test point must be not less than 17 percent of the maximum intensity measured at the same point.

(d) The modulator switch must be wired in the power lead of the beam filament being modulated and not in the ground side of the circuit.

(e) Means must be provided so that both the lower beam and upper beam remain operable in the event of a modulator failure.

(f) The system must include a sensor mounted with the axis of its sensing element perpendicular to a horizontal plane. Headlamp modulation must cease whenever the level of light emitted by a tungsten filament light operating at 3000° Kelvin is either less than 270 lux of direct light for upward pointing sensors or less than 60 lux of reflected light for downward pointing sensors. The light is measured by a silicon cell type light meter that is located at the sensor and pointing in the same direction as the sensor. A Kodak Gray Card (Kodak R-27) is placed at ground level to simulate the road surface in testing downward pointing sensors.

(g) When tested in accordance with the test profile shown in Figure 9, the voltage drop across the modulator when the lamp is on at all test conditions for 12 volt systems and 6 volt systems must not be greater than 0.45 volt. The modulator must meet all the provisions of the standard after completion of the test profile shown in Figure 9.

(h) Means must be provided so that both the lower and upper beam function at design voltage when the headlamp control switch is in either the lower or upper beam position when the modulator is off.

Is Your Motorcycle Headlight Legal?

Is a Modulating Headlight Legal in Michigan?

Yes, modulating headlights are legal in Michigan. A modulating headlight may make it easier for other drivers to see you on the road.

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