I think the Iowa law specifically says that there cannot be any device on the lens that inhibits the passing of light. It does not say how far away the light must be seen.

It is a little frustrating. My lenses are not tinted that much and I can see them just fine. What pisses me off is the people who live on gravel roads and have the rear end of their cars just coated with dust. Or another thing with older pick ups I see. They have some pretty pathetic little light bulbs in them with tiny lenses that you can hardly see during the day time. I guarantee my tinted lenses are easier to see than those dirty old cars, yet I'm the one breaking the law. I don't see any cops pulling them over to tell them to wash their car, or upgrade their taillights.

 

This is the only thing I ever really found for Iowa. I'm not sure which ones are really the "law" and which ones officers go by though.

1. Any modification to stock headlights, tail lights side reflectors are illegal.
2. As long as you can see the (must be) red tail lights 500 feet behind the vehicle it is legal.


In my opinion, it just depends on what cop you encounter. I've been pulled over a few times and the cop hasn't said a word about the tint. Even during the day while they're walking up to my car with the tinted lights fully exposed.

Before I put my car away last fall, I was stopped for my 6000k HIDs being "too blue" and he also mentioned my tail lights looked "modified" which he went on to say was illegal by state law.

While I still have never received a ticket for such violations, I still went back to stock (no tint). Not worth it IMO. One day a cop might not notice, they next you're getting a ticket or fix-it. I wish they would just drop the first part of the law, and just leave it at visible from 500 ft. Mine were tinted with 3 coats of VHT and were still visible from 500+, but since it was a modification to stock lighting, it could easily be seen as illegal. Then again, for most vehicles, you can find "smoked" aftermarket tails and headlights so My only advice is no tint and visible from a good range. The LED and stock housing will be good for 500+ for sure though

I've heard of people here getting rear ended and if they're tails were tinted, they were almost always put at fault. So some idiot could rear end you just because you have tinted tails, and you get put at fault. That was more than enough to convince me to remove the tint.

 

6000K too blue? Really? Is there some law as to what point your headlights become too blue?

I'm with Justin on the tint. It's just not worth it. My tail lights are still technically going to be illegal because they are modified, but I really doubt a cop is going to call me out on these once they are on the car. The goal is to make them look OEM.

I've never been bugged about my projector retrofit since they are technically illegal too. But since they look factory, no cop is going to notice unless they are a real car nut.

 

Yep haha. On State Ave, right after the old middle school, he was sitting in there in the dark with no lights on. Gotta love Ames Police

 

I've seen them there. They also sit along Mortensen Rd. with their lights off at night, but I'm sure you know Ames police

 

Got pulled over for these once. It was enough for me to put in a switch XD

 

Hahaha now that is understandable

 

Playing the dumb card really helped on that one. "Sorry, I thought the law was that they couldn't be flashing. I'll take care of it tonight."

Thankfully he didn't seem to mind my car being on open headers, either.

 

Not always true. It depends on the visibility and output of the lights themselves.

OP I like the look of the tails. I don't think you should go with circles, I like your first designs, they're more unique and look way better IMO!

 

I definitely don't want circles! Very unoriginal haha. There are two other 5th gen custom LED tail lights that I know of and I'm pretty sure both of them use a smoked lens cover and retrofitted some circle LEDs from another car into them. I like the ideas of lines/bars of light so I'll try to pull that effect off