The purpose of tag lights
Replacing a tag light
Conclusion
The purpose of tag lights
“Tag lights”, as they are most commonly referred to, are the small lights near your rear license plate that allow other drivers and/or the police to read your plate at night and in other dark conditions. This is important because other driver’s may need to identify you in case you were involved in an accident, did something illegal or they otherwise need to identify your vehicle with specificity. The same essentially goes for the police but it also goes a step further. The police will additionally need to be able to quickly read your plate in dark conditions so they can call it in and run a check to see if you have warrants, if your car is currently stolen etc.
It is important to frequently check your tag lights to ensure that they are in proper working condition. If one or more of your tag lights is out and your license plate is not completely readable as a result, you can be pulled over by the police and given a ticket. Thankfully, this infraction is not a moving violation so it will not have any insurance or license suspension implications. However, you will still need to pay a fine.
In Hawaii, the cost of a “License Plate Must be Illuminated and Visible at 50 ft from Rear,” otherwise known as a tag light ticket, is $40 not including fees. The additional fees/surcharges could end up being in the $100 dollar range, so your total cost could easily be over $100 for having a tag light out in Hawaii.
Replacing a tag light
Fortunately, if you do get one of these tickets it is considered a correctable offense. So, you can get your tag light fixed and bring it to the station that issued the ticket so that they can confirm the repair has been made. If it has, the ticket can be reversed. Typically, you only are allowed twenty-four hours from the issuance of the ticket to correct the offense.
The big question is “How do I replace a tag light?” Well, the way to do this can vary, especially for older vehicles which might not even have tag lights. However, most cars made in the last twenty years have the tag lights in a very similar area.
You can replace your vehicle’s tag lights by taking the following steps:
- First you will need to get a replacement tag light that corresponds to your particular vehicle. You can easily do this by going into your local AutoZone and giving them the make, model and year of your car. They will go grab you a replacement bulb or order one for you. You can also order one online, but AutoZone usually keeps them in stock which will be your quickest option.
- Then you will need to remove the cover of the tag light that has burnt out. For almost all vehicles produced over the last two plus decades, these lights are located right where the latch for your trunk is located which is purposely right above your rear license plate. These covers will be screwed it, so make sure you have a screwdriver handy.
- Next you will need to remove the burnt-out bulb in question. There will be specific instructions in your vehicle’s owner’s manual regarding the exact method to use to do so. Some bulbs will need to be unscrewed and others can be gently pulled out.
- Pop or screw in your replacement bulb at this point.
- Start your car’s engine in order to see if you have correctly replaced the tag light and that it is correctly illuminated.
- Once you have determined that you successfully replaced your tag light, you will just need to put the cover for the tag light back on by screwing it back in.
Conclusion
Your tag lights essentially serve only one purpose, to allow other drivers and the police to easily be able to read your license plate at night. If you happen to be involved in an accident or do something illegal, your car needs to be easily identified from a distance. If one or more of your tag lights goes out, you can be pulled over and get a ticket. Fortunately, if you replace the light within a day, you can get the ticket reversed in most cases. Your best bet is to frequently check your tag lights and replace them as soon as they burn out.
