Idaho Code
Idaho Code § 49-906 (2026)
Tail lamps.
✓ current as of May 2026
Find cases:
SyfertCases citing this section
IClegislature.idaho.gov
Justiaon Justia
CornellLII Search
CasesGoogle Scholar
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 red light plainly visible from a distance of five hundred (500) feet to the rear. In the case of a train of vehicles only the tail lamp on the rearmost vehicle need actually be seen from the distance specified. Every mentioned vehicle, other than a truck tractor, registered in this state and manufactured or assembled after December 31, 1955, shall be equipped with at least two (2) tail lamps mounted on the rear, which when lighted as required, shall comply with the provisions of this section.
(2) Every tail lamp upon every vehicle shall be located at a height of not more than seventy-two (72) inches nor less than twenty (20) inches.
(3) Any tail lamp shall be wired so to be lighted whenever the head lamps or auxiliary driving lamps are lighted.
(4) Nothing herein shall prohibit the display on any vehicle thirty (30) years or older of tail lamps containing a blue or purple insert lens not to exceed one (1) inch in diameter, provided the tail lamp or lamps otherwise comply with the requirements of this section.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 8
cases (1 in the last 5 years), 1968–2022 · leading case: State v. Patterson, 97 P.3d 479 (Idaho Ct. App. 2004).
State v. Patterson, 97 P.3d 479 (Idaho Ct. App. 2004). “The state argues that, under I.C. §§ 49-906 and 49-910, it is illegal to drive with taillights that emit light other than red and that, because the officer observed white light emitting from Patterson’s taillight, the officer had reasonable suspicion to effectuate a stop.”
Susan Hallstrom Robert Hallstrom v. City of Garden City Randy W. Snapp Sgt. Thurston Vaughn Killeen, Sheriff Mike Roberts, 991 F.2d 1473 (9th Cir. 1993). “Idaho Code § 49-906 (1988); In re Griffiths, 113 Idaho 364 , 744 P.”
Sterling H. Nelson & Sons, Inc. v. Bender, 520 P.2d 860 (Idaho 1974). “;" and I.C. § 49-906 which allows the Board of Highway Directors to make special regulations reducing the weight or speed of vehicles "as may be necessary for the protection of the road or for public safety, .”
State v. Hahn, 441 P.2d 714 (Idaho 1968). “§ 49-901 or § 49-906. Thus the charge, that appellant refused to submit the loaded truck to such a weight determination, was not within the purview of I.”
State v. Davis (Idaho Ct. App. 2020). “Additionally, Officer Stokes cited Davis for two traffic infractions: failing to stop when emerging from a driveway in violation of Idaho Code § 49-651 and operating a vehicle without taillights in violation of I.C. § 49-906. Davis challenged these traffic citations.”
State v. Fredrick D. Roy (Idaho Ct. App. 2017). “In that case, the petitioner conceded his taillamp was broken but argued that because it emitted white light in addition to red light, it was not a violation of I.C. § 49-906 or I.C. § 49-910. Patterson, 140 Idaho at 615 , 97 P.”
State v. Gerald R. Cessnun (Idaho Ct. App. 2017). “The officer activated his overhead lights and stopped Cessnun’s vehicle for violation of Idaho Code § 49-906 (1). The traffic stop lead to a search of Cessnun’s vehicle, which uncovered a gun and illegal substances.”
Watkins v. Idaho Transp. Dep't (Idaho Ct. App. 2022). “See I.C. § 49-906(1) (“Every motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, and pole trailer .”
— Idaho Code § 49-906(1) — 2 cases
State v. Davis (Idaho Ct. App. 2020). “Additionally, Officer Stokes cited Davis for two traffic infractions: failing to stop when emerging from a driveway in violation of Idaho Code § 49-651 and operating a vehicle without taillights in violation of I.C. § 49-906. Davis challenged these traffic citations.”
Watkins v. Idaho Transp. Dep't (Idaho Ct. App. 2022). “See I.C. § 49-906(1) (“Every motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, and pole trailer .”
— Idaho Code § 49-906(4) — 1 case
State v. Patterson, 97 P.3d 479 (Idaho Ct. App. 2004). “The state argues that, under I.C. §§ 49-906 and 49-910, it is illegal to drive with taillights that emit light other than red and that, because the officer observed white light emitting from Patterson’s taillight, the officer had reasonable suspicion to effectuate a stop.”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the
Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and
treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.