Usage of neon underglow lighting is governed by South Dakota Statutes, Title 32: Motor Vehicles, Chapter 17: Vehicle Lights and Flares.
Is neon underglow legal in South Dakota?
South Dakota law does not restrict aftermarket vehicle lighting which would include neon underglow. Therefore it’s our conclusion that in South Dakota neon underglow is not illegal, as long as you avoid these restrictions:
- No red light may be visible from the front of your car
- Blue lights are illegal to use
- License plate illumination must be white
Unlike in most other states flashing lights are not expressly forbidden, but we strongly recommend avoiding them. Flashing, rotating or oscillating lights can be considered a distraction to other drivers and may be subject to other laws.
Ensure you never use any blue-colored vehicle lighting. We also strongly recommend avoiding any combination of lights with red color which may give the appearance of an emergency vehicle.
Rotating green lights are also reserved for emergency vehicles in South Dakota, but even if steady-burning you may consider avoiding this color altogether if possible.
There are no relevant SK laws which specifically restrict or prohibit installing car underglow, meaning we consider it legal to use it while driving.
South Dakota vehicle lighting laws
Below are all relevant excerpts from South Dakota Vehicle Code that limit, restrict or allow certain aftermarket lights to be installed on vehicles.
32-17-9. Red lights on front of vehicle prohibited
Except for any authorized emergency vehicle as defined by § 32-14-1, any person who drives or moves any vehicle upon a highway with any red light thereon visible from directly in front thereof, is guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor.
32-17-11. Registration plate illumination
Either the rear lamps required by § 32-17-8 or a separate lamp shall be so constructed and placed as to illuminate with a white light the rear registration plate […] A violation of this section is a petty offense.
32-17-42. Lights on emergency vehicles
Any motor vehicle operated by a member of an organized fire department or organized search and rescue unit or by a person who is an ambulance driver, attendant, or emergency medical technician affiliated with a licensed ambulance service may be equipped with flashing blue lights displayed to the front or a blue rotating beacon light or strobe light or both to be visible 360 degrees. […]
No person may use a light authorized in this section unless the person is actually en route to the scene of a fire or other emergency requiring the person’s services and the person has been authorized in writing to so use a blue light. The authorization may be given by the chief of the fire department, coordinator of the search and rescue unit, or operator or ambulance service director of the ambulance service only to members of the department or service who are in good standing.
The unauthorized use of a blue light in violation of this section is a Class 2 misdemeanor.
32-17-44. Command post vehicle to be equipped with green light.
Any vehicle used as a command post at the site of any accident or emergency incident involving any hazard may be equipped with one green rotating beacon light to be visible 360 degrees.
32-17-45. Red and blue lights authorized for law enforcement officers.
Any law enforcement officer may operate a police vehicle with a combination of red lights as provided by § 32-31-4 and blue lights as described in § 32-17-42.
Penalties
Displaying red lights in front of the vehicle is a Class 2 misdemeanor, as is displaying a blue light. Having a registration plate non-lighted or lighted with a color other than white is a petty offense.
South Dakota Statutes, Title 32: Motor Vehicles, Chapter 17: Vehicle Lights and Flares
State of South Dakota Info
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. South Dakota is the 17th most extensive, but the 5th least populous and the 5th least densely populated of the 50 United States. Once the southern portion of the Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889 simultaneously with North Dakota. Pierre is the state capital and Sioux Falls, with a population of 159,000, is South Dakota's largest city.
Capital: Pierre
Population: 833,354
Area: 77,116 sq mi (199,905 km2)
Cities ▼
Cities in South Dakota: Sioux Falls, Rapid City, Deadwood, Brookings, Sturgis, Pierre, Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, Spearfish, Yankton, Vermillion, Aberdeen, Watertown, Mitchell, Hot Springs, Rosebud Indian Reservation, Dupree, Keystone, Belle Fourche, Custer, Huron, Lead, Hill City, De Smet, Mobridge, Oral, Madison, Milbank, Winner, Brandon, Cheyenne River Indian Reservation, Onida, Dakota Dunes, Box Elder, Corsica, Chamberlain, Sisseton, Tea, Dell Rapids, Wall, Summerset, Canton, Faith, Holabird, Shindler, Interior, Eagle Butte, Flandreau, Murdo, Nemo, Harrisburg
Counties ▼
Counties in South Dakota: Armstrong, Aurora, Beadle, Bennett, Bon Homme, Boreman, Brookings, Brown, Brule, Buffalo, Butte, Campbell, Charles Mix, Choteau, Clark, Clay, Codington, Corson, Custer, Davison, Day, Delano, Deuel, Dewey, Douglas, Edmunds, Ewing, Fall River, Faulk, Grant, Gregory, Haakon, Hamlin, Hand, Hanson, Harding, Hughes, Hutchinson, Hyde, Jackson, Jayne, Jerauld, Jones, Kingsbury, Lake, Lawrence, Lincoln, Lugenbeel, Lyman, Marshall, Martin, McCook, McPherson, Meade, Mellette, Meyer, Miner, Minnehaha, Moody, Nowlin, Pennington, Perkins, Potter, Pratt, Presho, Rinehart, Roberts, Rusk, Sanborn, Schnasse, Scobey, Shannon, Spink, Stanley, Sterling, Sully, Todd, Tripp, Turner, Union, Wagner, Walworth, Washabaugh, Washington, Yankton, Ziebach
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