Title 49 — MOTOR VEHICLES

49-901. Duties of department and director of Idaho state police. (1) The director shall adopt standards and specifications applicable to head lamps, clearance lamps, identification and other lamps on snow removal equipment when operated on the highways in lieu of the lamps otherw…

49-902. Scope and effect. (1) It shall be unlawful for any person to drive, or move, or for the owner to cause or knowingly permit to be driven or moved on any highway any vehicle or combination of vehicles which is in an unsafe condition as to endanger any person, or which does …

49-903. When lighted lamps are required. Every vehicle upon a highway at any time from sunset to sunrise and at any other time when there is not sufficient light to render clearly discernible persons and vehicles on the highway at a distance of five hundred (500) feet ahead shall…

49-904. Visibility distance and mounted height of lamps. (1) Whenever a requirement is stated as to the distance from which certain lamps and devices shall render objects visible, or within which lamps or devices shall be visible, those provisions shall apply during the times sta…

49-905. Head lamps on motor vehicles. (1) Every motor vehicle other than a motorcycle or motor-driven cycle shall be equipped with at least two (2) head lamps with at least one (1) on each side of the front of the motor vehicle. The head lamps shall comply with the requirements a…

49-906. Tail lamps. (1) Every motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, and pole trailer, and any other vehicle which is being drawn at the end of a train of vehicles, shall be equipped with at least one (1) tail lamp mounted on the rear, which when lighted as required, shall emit a r…

49-907. Motor vehicles to be equipped with reflectors. (1) Every motor vehicle sold and operated upon a highway, other than a truck tractor, shall carry on the rear, either as a part of the tail lamps or separately, two (2) red reflectors. Every motorcycle and every motor-driven …

49-908. Stop lamps and turn signals required on motor vehicles. (1) After December 31, 1986, it shall be unlawful for any person to sell any motor vehicle, including any motorcycle or motor-driven cycle, in this state or for any person to drive a vehicle on the highways unless it…

49-909. Additional equipment required on certain vehicles. In addition to other equipment required in this chapter, the following vehicles shall be equipped as follows: (1) On every bus or truck, whatever its size, there shall be: (a) On each side, one (1) reflector, at or near t…

49-910. Color of clearance lamps, side marker lamps, and reflectors. (1) Front clearance lamps and marker lamps and reflectors mounted on the front or on the side near the front of a vehicle shall display or reflect an amber color. (2) Rear clearance lamps and marker lamps and re…

49-910A. Color of lamps and globes limited to certain vehicle classes. For the purposes of this chapter lighting devices utilizing various colors of lighted globes approved by the director of the Idaho state police for use on vehicles shall be restricted to the following class of…

49-911. Visibility of reflectors, clearance lamps, and marker lamps. (1) Every reflector upon any vehicle referred to in section 49-909, Idaho Code, shall be of a size and characteristic and maintained to be readily visible at nighttime from all distances within six hundred (600)…

49-912. Obstructed lights not required. Whenever motor and other vehicles are operated in combination during the time that lights are required, any lamp, except tail lamps, need not be lighted which, by reason of its location on a vehicle of the combination, would be obscured by …

49-913. Lamp or flag on projecting load. Whenever the load upon any vehicle extends to the rear four (4) feet or more beyond the bed or body of the vehicle, there shall be displayed at the extreme rear end of the load, at the times specified in section 49-903, Idaho Code, a red l…

49-914. Lamps on parked vehicles. (1) Whenever a vehicle is lawfully parked upon a highway at the times specified in section 49-903, Idaho Code, and in the event there is sufficient light to reveal any person or object within a distance of five hundred (500) feet upon the highway…

49-915. School buses — Visual signal. (1) Every school bus shall, in addition to any other equipment and distinctive markings required by this title, be equipped with signal lamps mounted as high and as widely spaced laterally as practicable, which shall display to the front two …

49-916. Lamps on farm tractors, farm equipment and implements of husbandry. (1) Every farm tractor and every self-propelled farm equipment unit or implement of husbandry not equipped with an electric lighting system shall at all times specified in section 49-903, Idaho Code, be e…

49-917. Lamps on other vehicles and equipment. Every vehicle, including animal-drawn vehicles and other vehicles not specifically required by the provisions of this chapter to be equipped with lamps or other lighting devices, shall at all times specified in section 49-903, Idaho …

49-918. Spot lamps and auxiliary lamps. (1) Any motor vehicle may be equipped with not more than two (2) spot lamps, and each lighted spot lamp shall be so aimed and used upon approaching another vehicle that no part of the high-intensity portion of the beam will be directed to t…

49-919. Signal lamps and signal devices. (1) Any motor vehicle may be equipped and when required under this chapter shall be equipped with stop lamps on the rear of the vehicle which shall display a red or amber light, or any shade of color between red and amber, visible from a d…

49-920. Additional lighting equipment. (1) Any motor vehicle may be equipped with not more than two (2) side cowl or fender lamps which shall emit an amber or white light without glare. (2) Any motor vehicle may be equipped with not more than one (1) running-board courtesy lamp o…

49-921. Rear mounted acceleration and deceleration lighting system. (1) Every motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, truck tractor, and pole trailer used in the state may be equipped with an auxiliary lighting system consisting of: (a) One (1) green light to be activated when the a…

49-922. Multiple-beam road-lighting equipment. Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, the head lamps or the auxiliary driving lamp or the auxiliary passing lamp or their combinations on motor vehicles other than a motorcycle or motor-driven cycle shall be so arranged that …

49-923. Use of multiple-beam road-lighting equipment. (1) Whenever a motor vehicle is being operated on a highway during the times specified in section 49-903, Idaho Code, the driver shall use a distribution of light, or composite beam, directed high enough and of sufficient inte…

49-924. Single-beam road-lighting equipment. Head lamps arranged to provide a single distribution of light shall be permitted on motor vehicles manufactured prior to January 1, 1955, in lieu of multiple-beam road-lighting equipment specified in this chapter if the single distribu…

49-925. Lighting equipment on motor-driven cycles. The head lamp upon every motor-driven cycle may be of the single-beam or multiple-beam type, but in either event shall comply with the requirements and limitations as follows: (1) Every head lamp on a motor-driven cycle shall be …

49-926. Alternate road-lighting equipment. Any motor vehicle may be operated under the conditions specified in section 49-903, Idaho Code, when equipped with two (2) lighted lamps upon the front capable of revealing persons and objects seventy-five (75) feet ahead in lieu of lamp…

49-927. Number of driving lamps required or permitted. (1) At all times specified in section 49-903, Idaho Code, at least two (2) lighted lamps shall be displayed, one (1) on each side at the front of every motor vehicle other than a motorcycle or motor-driven cycle, except when …

49-928. Special restrictions on lamps. (1) Any lighted lamp or illuminating device upon a motor vehicle, other than head lamps, spot lamps, auxiliary lamps, or flashing turn signals, emergency vehicle warning lamps, and school bus warning lamps, which projects a beam of light of …

49-929. Lights on snow removal equipment. It shall be unlawful to operate any snow removal equipment on any highway unless lamps on the equipment comply with and are lighted when and as required by the standards and specifications adopted by the director of the Idaho transportati…

49-930. Selling or using lamps or equipment. (1) No person shall have for sale, sell, or offer for sale for use upon or as a part of the equipment of a motor vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer, or use upon any vehicle any head lamp, auxiliary or fog lamp, rear lamp, or reflector wh…

49-933. Brakes. (1) Every motor vehicle, other than a motorcycle or motor-driven cycle, when operated upon a highway shall be equipped with brakes adequate to control the movement of and to stop and hold the vehicle, including two (2) separate means of applying the brakes, each o…

49-934. Brakes on motor-driven cycles. (1) The director is authorized to require an inspection of the brake on any motor-driven cycle and to disapprove any brake which he finds will not comply with the performance standard set forth in section 49-933, Idaho Code, or which in his …

49-937. Mufflers — prevention of noise. (1) Every motor vehicle shall at all times be equipped with a muffler in good working order and in constant operation to prevent excessive or unusual noise and annoying smoke, and no person shall use a muffler cut-out, bypass, or similar de…

49-940. Mirrors. (1) Every motor vehicle shall be equipped with a mirror so located as to reflect to the operator a view of the highway for a distance of at least two hundred (200) feet to the rear of the vehicle. (2) When a motor vehicle is so loaded or constructed, or is towing…

49-943. Windshields to be unobstructed and equipped with wipers. (1) No person shall drive any motor vehicle with any sign, poster, or other nontransparent material upon the front windshield, side wings, or side or rear windows of the vehicle which obstructs the driver’s clear vi…

49-944. Standards for windshields and windows of motor vehicles — Prohibited acts — Penalty. (1) It is unlawful for any person to place, install, affix, or apply any window tinting film or sunscreening device to the windows of any motor vehicle, except as follows: (a) Nonreflecti…

49-945. Safety glazing material in motor vehicles. No person shall sell any new motor vehicle, nor shall any new motor vehicle be registered unless the vehicle is equipped with safety glazing material of a type approved by the director wherever glazing material is used in doors, …

49-948. Restrictions as to tire equipment. (1) Every solid rubber tire on a vehicle shall have rubber on its entire traction surface at least one (1) inch thick above the edge of the flange of the entire periphery. (2) No person shall operate or move on any highway any motor vehi…

49-949. Requirement as to fender or covers over all wheels on motor vehicles. (1) It shall be unlawful for any person to operate or move or any owner to permit to be operated or moved, any motor vehicle, truck, bus, semitrailer or trailer, upon any highway without having the vehi…

49-952. Certain vehicles to carry flares or other warning devices. (1) No person shall operate any truck, bus, or truck tractor upon any highway outside the corporate limits of municipalities at any time specified in section 49-903, Idaho Code, unless there shall be carried in th…

49-953. Display of warning devices when vehicle disabled. (1) Whenever any truck, bus, truck tractor, trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer is disabled upon the traveled portion or the shoulder of any highway outside of any municipality at any time when lighted lamps are required…

49-956. Horns and warning devices. (1) Every motor vehicle when operated upon a highway shall be equipped with a horn in good working order and capable of emitting sound audible under normal conditions from a distance of not less than two hundred (200) feet, but no horn or other …

49-959. Air-conditioning equipment. (1) Air-conditioning equipment shall be manufactured, installed and maintained with due regard for the safety of the occupants of the vehicle and the public and shall not contain any refrigerant which is toxic to persons or which is flammable a…

49-962. Footrests on motorcycles and motor driven cycles. It shall be unlawful for the operator of any motorcycle or motor driven cycle to carry a passenger on the vehicle unless it is equipped with footrests designed exclusively for the use of a passenger on the vehicle.

49-965. Modification of vehicle to reduce road clearance beyond certain limits unlawful. It shall be unlawful to operate any passenger motor vehicle which has been modified from the original design so that any portion of the vehicle other than the wheels has less clearance from t…

49-966. Motor vehicle bumper height requirements. (1) With the exception of motor vehicles registered pursuant to section 49-406, 49-406A, 49-407 or 49-408, Idaho Code, or motor vehicles where the original or predominant body configuration of the motor vehicle, provided by a reco…

49-967. Air bags and air bag systems — Disclosure if inoperable. (1) It shall be unlawful for any person to sell or otherwise transfer ownership of a vehicle without giving prior written notice to the purchaser or transferee if the person knows or should reasonably know that any …