Iowa § 321.409 - 321.409 Mandatory lighting equipment.

§ 321.409. 321.409 Mandatory lighting equipment.

1. Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, the headlamps or the auxiliary driving lamp or the auxiliary passing lamp or combination thereof on motor vehicles other than motorcycles or motorized bicycles shall be so arranged that the driver may select at will between distributions of light projected to different elevations and the lamps may, in addition, be so arranged that selection can be made automatically, subject to the following limitations: a. There shall be an uppermost distribution of light, or composite beam, so aimed and of sufficient intensity to reveal persons and vehicles at a distance of at least three hundred fifty feet ahead for all conditions. b. There shall be a lowermost distribution of light, or composite beam so aimed and of sufficient intensity to reveal persons and vehicles at a distance of at least one hundred feet ahead. On a straight level road under any condition of loading none of the high-intensity portion of the beam shall be directed to strike the eyes of an approaching driver. 2. Every new motor vehicle, other than a motorcycle or motorized bicycle which has multiple-beam road-lighting equipment shall be equipped with a beam indicator, which shall be lighted whenever the uppermost distribution of light from the headlamps is in use, and shall not otherwise be lighted. The indicator shall be so designed and located that when lighted it will be readily visible without glare to the driver of the vehicle. [C24, 27, 31, 35, §5049, 5052; C39, §5034.18 – 5034.22; C46, 50, 54, §321.409 – 321.413; C58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §321.409] 2010 Acts, ch 1061, §118; 2021 Acts, ch 80, §176 Referred to in §321.1, 321.275, 321.390, 321.415, 321.417, 321.418, 321O.6, 456A.12, 805.8A(3)(v) For applicable scheduled fine, see §805.8A, subsection 3 Thu Dec 11 19:41:42 2025 Iowa Code 2026, Section 321.409 (30, 0)