Are LED headlights allowed in Ontario?

[Greig]

Has anyone in Ontario experienced issues with police over using LED headlight bulbs?

 

[st11ray]

Can't you buy new cars, trucks and motorcycles with stock LED headlights in Canada?

 

[caldercay]

how could that be?? many new vehicles come from the factory with LEDs

 

[sky.high]

Most bikes and cars are now fitted with led lights, how would a cop even know they are not standard equipment. I wouldn't worry about that at all, all my bike headlights are now led, brighter the better, be seen be safe..ish

 

[Greig]

I recently replaced my stock bulbs with LEDs. But on a FB forum, I read that LED replacement bulbs aren't DOT approved and you could therefor get a ticket for using them.

RCMP warns about use of aftermarket LED lights | Provincial | News | The Guardian

Are LED Car Headlight Bulbs Road Legal? | LED Upgrades | PowerBulbs CA

So it sounds like you're not supposed to be using them. As a practical matter, I wondered if anyone has actually ever been ticketed for it?

 

[STraymond]

Most bikes and cars are now fitted with led lights, how would a cop even know they are not standard equipment. I wouldn't worry about that at all, all my bike headlights are now led, brighter the better, be seen be safe..ish

As someone who dislikes being blinded by oncoming LED lights from vehicles driving on an upslope, I would like to have manufacturers required to supply adaptive headlights.

 

[TerryS]

Fitting LED bulbs to a headlight not originally designed for them is grounds for a warrant of fitness fail in New Zealand. That is due to people fitting the wrong type of bulb that does not generate a decent low beam cutoff. I switch my LEDs out whenever it is inspection time and refit halogens, then back to LED after that. It is a typical case of a regulation needed because the general public can't be trusted to make intelligent decisions.

 

[Greig]

If I re-aim my headlights to keep the beam low, is it safe to assume the risk of getting ticketed is pretty low?

 

[RaYzerman]

Prior tech LED's did not have low beam cut-off shields and they were terrible and annoying.
I've never been questioned or stopped. I would aim the beams properly, not worry about lowering them.

 

[Greig]

Prior tech LED's did not have low beam cut-off shields and they were terrible and annoying.
I've never been questioned or stopped. I would aim the beams properly, not worry about lowering them.

I agree. I think the technology and design of the LED bulbs have come a long way from the earlier days.

How long have you had LEDs installed?

 

[Andrew Shadow]

Has anyone in Ontario experienced issues with police over using LED headlight bulbs?

I have had LED headlamps for years and ride in Ontario regularly- no problems so far.

Can't you buy new cars, trucks and motorcycles with stock LED headlights in Canada?

how could that be?? many new vehicles come from the factory with LEDs

Yes however, a new vehicle certified with LED headlamps has no impact on the certifications of prior year vehicles. LED headlamps being certified as legal on a 2021 version of any specific model vehicle does not now make them legal on the 2015 version of that same model vehicle.

I read that LED replacement bulbs aren't DOT approved and you could therefor get a ticket for using them.

I don't pretend to be an expert by any means and I gave up trying to find the absolute answer in all of the regulations and their jargon.
I did find that in Canada, part of the standard for vehicle lighting allows for Alternative Headlamps for Motorcycles.
One of the statements in it is;

• (13) Instead of being equipped with headlamps as required under subsection (10) or (11), as the case may be, motorcycles may be equipped with headlamps that
  • (a) conform to
    • (iv) United Nations Regulation No. 113, Uniform Provisions Concerning the Approval of Motor Vehicle Headlamps Emitting a Symmetrical Passing Beam or a Driving Beam or Both and Equipped with Filament, Gas-discharge Light Sources or LED Modules, as amended from time to time;

It also states that the remainder of the requirements for headlamps must be respected except where indicated. Assuming that all of the other requirements are met, does this mean that you can take any motorcycle that was approved for use with halogen headlamp bulbs and swap them for LED as long as you respect all of the other requirements?
I don't know- I got tired of reading about it, gave up and just installed the LED's.

If I re-aim my headlights to keep the beam low, is it safe to assume the risk of getting ticketed is pretty low?

Install LED 9003/H4 replacement bulbs that have a well defined cut-off on the low beam as required under the law, such as the F2 often discussed on this forum. Make sure that you aim them properly and your lights will be less irritating to oncoming drivers than many of the vehicles that you will be on the road with.
Don't worry about it and go ride is the best advice that I can give.

 

[Greig]

Good advice!

 

[STraymond]

Make sure that you aim them properly and your lights will be less irritating to oncoming drivers than many of the vehicles that you will be on the road with.
Don't worry about it and go ride is the best advice that I can give.

Without adaptive headlights to level the aim traveling up hills, normal adjustments to aim headlights won't prevent the irritation of oncoming drivers.

 

[Andrew Shadow]

Without adaptive headlights to level the aim traveling up hills, normal adjustments to aim headlights won't prevent the irritation of oncoming drivers.

I submit for consideration that without adaptive headlights to level the aim traveling up hills, normal adjustments to aim headlights won't prevent the irritation of oncoming drivers if the motorcycle is equipped with the OEM halogen bulbs either. That situation is a function of not having adaptive headlights more so than having LED bulbs.

 

[Bmacleod]

Factory LED lights are certified. Aftermarket LED's in halogen bases need to be certified or DOT approved. As far as I know, none are. Here is a disclaimer from Diode Dynamics, a large maker of bulbs:

APPLICATION NOTICE: LED bulbs are legal in the USA for Fog Light use only. Not compliant with DOT / FMVSS108 and not street legal in the USA for Headlights. Legal for off-road use in ATV, snowmobile, and off-road racing use. International legality varies by country. Note: This usage regulation is not unique to Diode Dynamics bulbs. All LED bulbs from all brands, regardless of marketing claims, are prohibited from street use in halogen headlights in the USA.

I understand that Canda follows the same logic. So, my take is that if you have quality designed bulbs that dont create difficulty for oncoming drivers, i doubt that you will have any issue. If you have poor cheap bulbs that have a lot of scatter, you COULD get called on it, but honestly, I see them all the time, yet I have never heard of police clamping down on anyone. I look at it as, I have aftermarket LED's on my bike that I have checked and changed the aim to be sure I am not a nuisance to anyone and I dont worry after that

Here is a good video explaining the issues with cheap bulbs and how it all works, or doesn't...

Myself, I just bought a new pickup and the stock Halogens are less than stellar. I have been doing lots of research on upgrades. There are proven performers in the LED camp (although the manufacturers wont pay to certify them for street use), but they are expensive... $200 plus, here in Canada. I am struggling to pull the trigger on these, but I refuse to be a nuisance to oncoming drivers, so for now, I'm still looking at options.

 

[Obo]

Many of us have put in LED bulbs that are modeled very close to filament bulbs. (I'm thinking specifically of the F2 model LED bulb.) There is little excess spill when adjusted properly to blind oncoming drivers. My bike has less glare and shine to oncoming drivers than the stock headlights in a Jeep Wranger (which I find are terrible)
An OEM bulb adjusted wrong would have more glare. While they may not have a DOT approval there's a complex case for that, tied into how the specs for incandescent bulbs were written. You certainly can put LED's in our older model bikes and not have issues or be a nuisance - even without a DOT approval. In ways it's no different than putting on aftermarket exhausts that are still within the legal OEM db rating etc. The key is to use the proper modeled bulb and to adjust it to the same specs as you would an OEM bulb.

Using an LED is not really any different than if you upgrade the stock bulb (45/45w) to an H4 bulb (55/60W)
The bulb is legal but its being used in a headlight it wasn't designed for..

My 2 cents.

 

[MaxPete]

LED headlights, taillights and turn signals are definitely allowed in Ontario and everywhere else in Canada and the USA.

In fact, all of my bikes run headlight modulators that pulse between low and high beam - and they are also permitted everywhere in North America. If you are ever asked, just quote FMVSS 108 Section 7.9.4 (see attached file) and also, the same law applies in Canada under CMVSS 108...etc. etc. etc.

......and don't let any nitwit parts guy in a large bike stealership in say....London, ON or anywhere else tell you different!

Pete

 

[STraymond]

I submit for consideration that without adaptive headlights to level the aim traveling up hills, normal adjustments to aim headlights won't prevent the irritation of oncoming drivers if the motorcycle is equipped with the OEM halogen bulbs either. That situation is a function of not having adaptive headlights more so than having LED bulbs.

That is a valid point about the halogen bulbs, but don't the LED bulbs and their frequencies and extra lumens seem more annoying?

 

[Bmacleod]

LED headlights, taillights and turn signals are definitely allowed in Ontario and everywhere else in Canada and the USA.

In fact, all of my bikes run headlight modulators that pulse between low and high beam - and they are also permitted everywhere in North America. If you are ever asked, just quote FMVSS 108 Section 7.9.4 (see attached file) and also, the same law applies in Canada under CMVSS 108...etc. etc. etc.

......and don't let any nitwit parts guy in a large bike stealership in say....London, ON or anywhere else tell you different!

Pete

I am not a lawyer (but I did stay at a Holiday Inn express once) so I wont say beyond a shadow of a doubt, but I have been doing alot of headlight research lately and of all the experts and even manufacturers I have read of, EVERYONE has stated that no LED retrofit bulb is legal for on-road use. Some manufacturers have even pulled some bulbs from sale for fear of litigation. I have read that some jurisdictions are starting to act on complaints of people being blinded by bright lights and some are even stating that in the event of accidents cased by blinded drivers, the offending driver could have his vehicle inspected and if the headlamps are non-conforming, criminal charges could be laid. There seems to be a revolt happening. Here are just 2 sites from a 1 minute google search but if you have the time there is literally hours and hours of reading and unfortunately, it all states that aftermarket LED bulbs that are not DOT approved (and that has been 100% of all bulbs that I have seen so far) are not legal for road use.

RCMP warns about use of aftermarket LED lights | SaltWire

HOLYROOD, N.L. — Ever been blinded by oncoming LED headlights? You are not alone. The RCMP is warning that use of the aftermarket lights that are not DOT ...

www.theguardian.pe.ca

DOT Information

www.hidvisioncanada.ca

 

[Larry Fine]

I have seen plenty of other LED bulbs in auto parts stores, but so far, no headlight LEDs.

Do the no-legal-LED rules apply to other exterior bulbs, too?