Can I Legally Ride with Neon Underglow Lights on My Motorcycle?

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.

Can a motorcyclist install neon lighting on his or her bike? These are often called UNDERGLOW lights. Michigan law does not specifically prohibit having these lights on your motorcycle. However, the law is when you are operating the motorcycle on any public road the only lights allowed are white or amber ones in the front, red and amber if visible to the side, and only red for the back.

So, the answer is you can EQUIP your motorcycle with these neon accent lights, and you can turn them on when parked but, when you go out on the road, the law actually says they have to be off and covered. I don’t know how you cover them, because they usually come in an LED strip, so good luck with that! Riding with the lights on is a civil infraction which means a ticket with a fine, but no points.

Here is the Michigan statute pertaining to motorcycle lights:

MCL 257.698 Side cowl or fender lamps; running board courtesy lamp; backing lights; lamp or reflector; flashing, oscillating, or rotating lights; private motor vehicle of security guard agency or alarm company; use of lights authorized or required under MCL 257.697, 257.697a, and 257.698a; violation as civil infraction.

 (4) Unless both covered and unlit, a vehicle operated on the highways of this state shall not be equipped with a lamp or a part designed to be a reflector unless expressly required or permitted by this chapter or that meets the standards prescribed in 49 CFR 571.108. 

A lamp or a part designed to be a reflector, if visible from the front, shall display or reflect a white or amber light; if visible from either side, shall display or reflect an amber or red light; and if visible from the rear, shall display or reflect a red light, except as otherwise provided by law.

 (5) The use or possession of flashing, oscillating, or rotating lights of any color is prohibited except as otherwise provided by law

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