Do ohv night lights rules differ by state?

Yes. Headlight and taillight on a dirt bike after sunset — published clock, not “be visible” Crosstatelaws maps all 50 states for travelers who are physically in that state — not for what a state requires of its own plates or licenses.

Does ohv night lights apply if my vehicle is registered in another state?

Operate-here rules (speed, helmets, possession, inspections you must stop for) follow the state you are in. Registration-state rules such as a front license plate do not. Read the layer notes on the map.

Where can I see a ohv night lights map?

Open the Crosstatelaws interactive map with this layer soloed: https://crosstatelaws.com/?solo=ohv_lights

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OHV night lights laws by state

People search “OHV night lights by state”, “OHV night lights laws by state”, and “OHV lights map” when a road trip, boat, bike, or load is about to cross a line. This page is the 50-state index for ohv night lights. Colors and quotes are written for someone in that state today, not for what that state demands of its own registered vehicles.

Open the OHV lights difference map

How states differ

Headlight and taillight on a dirt bike after sunset — published clock, not “be visible”.

Published night clock — headlight + taillight from sunset/½-hour or named hours
Night-light statute is ATV-framed; no dirt-bike trail lamp sentence found
No statewide dirt-bike / OHV-trail night-light statute found

Searches this page is meant to answer

If you typed any of these — or a close variant with a state name — this is the Crosstatelaws topic that should show up:

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All 50 states

One-line traveler summary for each state. Open the map for the quoted rule and footnotes.

Alabama (AL): Alabama: No statewide dirt-bike / OHV-trail night-light statute found. Ala. Code § 32-5A-175 is a highway motor-driven cycle rule.
Alaska (AK): Alaska: When lights are required by 13 AAC 04.010: headlamp 100 ft, red tail lamp, stop-signal light + red reflector (13 AAC 04.400). Covers snowmobile / all-purpose / other OHV.
Arizona (AZ): Arizona: ½ hour after sunset to ½ hour before sunrise: headlamp and taillight, OEM or better (A.R.S. § 28-1179(A)(2)). OHV includes dirt bikes.
Arkansas (AR): Arkansas: No statewide OHM night-equipment statute found.
California (CA): California: ½ hour after sunset to ½ hour before sunrise: white headlamp visible 200 ft (CVC 38335) and a red tail lamp clearly visible (CVC 38345). No brake-lamp duty in those sections.
Colorado (CO): Colorado: Sunset to sunrise on public land: lighted head lamp and lighted tail lamp (C.R.S. § 33-14.5-109).
Connecticut (CT): Connecticut: No statewide ATV / OHM night-trail lighting statute found.
Delaware (DE): Delaware: Sunset to sunrise: headlamp and taillight (21 Del. C. § 6817). OHV ch. 68.
Florida (FL): Florida: Sunset to sunrise, or reduced visibility (rain / smoke / smog): headlamp and taillight on public lands (Fla. Stat. § 261.20).
Georgia (GA): Georgia: No statewide dirt-bike / OHV-trail night-light statute found.
Hawaii (HI): Hawaii: No statewide OHV night-trail equipment statute found.
Idaho (ID): Idaho: No Idaho Code night-OHV lighting section found. USFS units in Idaho post ½ hour after sunset head+tail — that is the federal order, not an Idaho statute.
Illinois (IL): Illinois: No DNR-trail night-light statute found. 625 ILCS 5/11-1426.1 roadway non-highway vehicles: head+tail when 12-201 requires lights.
Indiana (IN): Indiana: Sunset to sunrise (IC 14-16-1-21) and ½ hour after sunset to ½ hour before sunrise (IC 14-16-1-23): headlamp and taillight. ORV includes OHM.
Iowa (IA): Iowa: Hours of darkness: headlamp and taillight. ATV operation rules apply to ORM (Iowa Code §§ 321I.1, 321I.13).
Kansas (KS): Kansas: No statewide dirt-bike / OHV-trail night-light statute found.
Kentucky (KY): Kentucky: No trail night-light statute found. ATV highway-cross: headlight + 2 taillights on, daylight only (KRS 189.515(7)).
Louisiana (LA): Louisiana: No trail night-light statute found. R.S. 32:299 is a farm-shoulder daylight window.
Maine (ME): Maine: Must use lights ½ hour after sunset to ½ hour before sunrise, and when objects are not clear at 500 ft. Headlamp 100 ft white; tail 100 ft red (12 M.R.S. § 13157-A(16)–(17)). 2-wheel ORM may run without lights sunrise–sunset. ATV chapter includes 2-wheel off-road motorcycles.
Maryland (MD): Maryland: No statewide dirt-bike / OHV-trail night-light statute found.
Massachusetts (MA): Massachusetts: After sunset: one or more headlights, a red rear light, and a red rear reflector (M.G.L. c. 90B / Mass.gov ORV). Recreation vehicle includes dirt bikes.
Michigan (MI): Michigan: ½ hour after sunset to ½ hour before sunrise: headlamp and taillight (MCL 324.81133(1)(b)). ORV includes motorcycles.
Minnesota (MN): Minnesota: No published statewide night-OHM equipment clock on a trail. Road / right-of-way: head+tail required; lights on ½ hour after sunset to ½ hour before sunrise or reduced visibility when on or crossing a trunk / CSAH / county highway (Minn. Stat. § 84.795).
Mississippi (MS): Mississippi: Miss. Code § 63-31-3 has no night-light sentence.
Missouri (MO): Missouri: No trail night-light statute found. § 304.013 is highway ATV.
Montana (MT): Montana: No statewide dirt-bike / OHV-trail night-light statute found.
Nebraska (NE): Nebraska: No statewide dirt-bike / OHV-trail night-light statute found.
Nevada (NV): Nevada: No trail night-light statute found. Designated highway: headlamp 500 ft (NRS 490.120).
New Hampshire (NH): New Hampshire: ½ hour after sunset to ½ hour before sunrise: 1–2 headlamps and a taillight (RSA 215-A:6, 215-A:14). OHRV includes trail bikes.
New Jersey (NJ): New Jersey: No statewide dirt-bike / OHV-trail night-light statute found.
New Mexico (NM): New Mexico: When darkness or conditions limit visibility to 500 ft or less: headlamp 150 ft and a red or amber tail lamp 200 ft (NMSA 66-3-1010.3(A)). OHV includes OHM.
New York (NY): New York: ½ hour after sunset to ½ hour before sunrise: lighted white headlamp and lighted red tail lamp (VAT § 2406(1)(e)). NY ATV includes 2-wheel OHM.
North Carolina (NC): North Carolina: ATV-only: ½ hour after sunset to ½ hour before sunrise, or reduced visibility — headlamp and taillight (G.S. 20-171.19(g)). Dirt-bike statewide: no statute found.
North Dakota (ND): North Dakota: N.D.C.C. § 39-29-09 lists highway OHV equipment (including a brake light for some highway use). No confirmed trail night-clock sentence in that chapter extract.
Ohio (OH): Ohio: Hours of darkness: headlamp 100 ft and a red tail lamp 500 ft. Daylight exempt. Off-highway motorcycle is named (ORC 4519.20).
Oklahoma (OK): Oklahoma: No statewide dirt-bike / OHV-trail night-light statute found.
Oregon (OR): Oregon: ½ hour after sunset to ½ hour after sunrise (ORS 821.040(g)); also any limited visibility (ORS 821.230): headlamp and taillight. Class III ATV = motorcycle.
Pennsylvania (PA): Pennsylvania: No dirt-bike trail sunset-sunrise lamp rule in 75 Pa.C.S. ch. 77. Highway ATV lighting is a separate sentence.
Rhode Island (RI): Rhode Island: R.I. Gen. Laws § 31-3.2-7: lights “when required for safety”; highway operation needs head + tail. No published trail sunset clock.
South Carolina (SC): South Carolina: ATV-only: ½ hour after sunset to ½ hour before sunrise — headlights on (S.C. Code § 50-26-40(D)). Dirt-bike: no statute found.
South Dakota (SD): South Dakota: No statewide dirt-bike / OHV-trail night-light statute found.
Tennessee (TN): Tennessee: No statewide dirt-bike / OHV-trail night-light statute found.
Texas (TX): Texas: Ch. 551A ½ hour after sunset to ½ hour before sunrise + reduced visibility is ATV/ROV/UTV/sand rail — § 551A.001 excludes a motorcycle. Dirt-bike trail night lamp: no statute found.
Utah (UT): Utah: Sunset to sunrise: headlamp and taillight (Utah Code § 41-22-10.7). OHV includes off-highway motorcycle.
Vermont (VT): Vermont: ATV: 30 minutes after sunset to 30 minutes before sunrise — one or more working headlamps and a red rear light (23 V.S.A. § 3505). Dirt-bike if it is not an ATV: no statute found.
Virginia (VA): Virginia: No statewide dirt-bike / OHV-trail night-light statute found.
Washington (WA): Washington: Dusk to dawn (or when otherwise required for safety): headlamp and taillight on a nonhighway vehicle on land not owned by the operator (RCW 46.09.470(1)(b)).
West Virginia (WV): West Virginia: No statewide dirt-bike night-light statute found. Hatfield-McCoy CSR is a trail-system rule, not a statewide lamp statute.
Wisconsin (WI): Wisconsin: Hours of darkness on a limited-use OHM: white headlamp 200 ft and a red tail lamp 500 ft (Wis. Stat. § 23.335(17)(a)).
Wyoming (WY): Wyoming: ½ hour after sunset to ½ hour before sunrise on roadways in the ORV program: headlamp and taillight; Parks also wants a working brake light on those roads (W.S. 31-5-1601(a)(iii)).

OHV night lights laws by state

How states differ

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All 50 states

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