This may be an isolated incident, but I got a ticket for my white tail lights yesterday.

Today, I put my old tail lights back on

I purchased my white BMW lights from Tate Mini Dealership in Annapolis. The lights are DOT approved. However, I still got a ticket for $55.00. I called the dealer they said they have sold many of these and I am the first to have had a problem.
Should I ask them for money back ? I lost $200+ the $55.00 fine with these lights.

It appears there is an 1971 Maryland law that makes it illegal to drive without red reflectors in your lights.

The law is listed as Maryland Title 22-205:

Title 22-205

My Ticket is brighter than the light

 

Fight it in court. Show that they are DOT legal lights sold by a legitimate BMW/MINI dealership and not illegal aftermarket imported garbage.

I rememeber reading some threads about such lights, and if they do not have reflectors in them, you simply need to add reflectors to your bumper. If they do not have the reflectors in them, MINI should have included them with the kit, especially if you had the dealer install them. Adding the proper reflectors and taking a pic to show the judge that you have made an effort to be compliant with the law should be enough to get the case tossed out.

If you bring in your receipt, and proof that they are DOT legal ( a letter from the general or service manager at your dealership would be great), you can have a little fun making the officer look like an a$$ in court. Then keep the court paperwork in your glove box to show to any future troublemaking officer. There is also a good chance that the officer will not show up in court for a $55 ticket. . .



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SE Regional, BAMA Club Moderator: PM me

 

>>The law is listed as Maryland Title 22-205:
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I sorry to hear about the ticket, but State Laws can augment or superceed DOT requirements. DOT approved means that it can be used on interstate roads/highways. You can take it to court, but your are not going to win. If you go to certain sites that sell the clear lights, you will find that disclaimer that says that some states might require a red reflector installed. Look at the rear of Lexus RX330 and you'll see what I mean.

 

The white lights are not even DOT legal without the red reflectors, which should have been included in your purchase. A lot of people think they are ugly and don't put them on tho.

 

The state is right. What I would do is just show up in court and hope the police officer didn't show. If he does, then I would take the ticket, reciept and reasons for it not being DOT approved to the dealer. They should reimburse you for their mistake. If they were the ones to install the lights. If not, then this is not their problem either. Though I would rather have red lenses than a red reflector stuck to the bumper.



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So the question here is: Did the lamps come with reflectors that you did not install on your bumper? If they did, then it is not the dealer's fault that you are not in complicance with DOT and Maryland law.

However, I still think that a reasonable judge would toss out the case if you appeared and explained that you made the effort to purchase genuine DOT approved lights and that you have immediately installed the reflectors as soon as you learned that they were necessary. A letter from the manager of your dealership will probably go a long way if it explained that the lights were completely DOT compliant.

And if you do not get the case tossed out, you can take comfort knowing that you have tied up the courts and cost them more than your $55 ticket will bring in. Plus, you get to waste the time of the officer who has wasted your time. At least you live in a place so crime-free that your local law enforcement does not have to concern itself with crime fighting and can concentrate on the important things like the color of tail light lenses

 

Maryland Title 22-205 reads very similarly to the California law regarding rear reflectors. If the tail light assembly does not incorporate red reflectors, then they must be added.

MINI sells a bumper mounted reflector kit for US$35. 63 21 0 142 223

I just bought a couple of stick on reflectors from Auto Zone for about $4. Haven’t stuck them on the rear bumper’s grill yet - at present they live in the glove box.

 

In order for the MINI clear lights to be DOT legal, the car must have a reflector on the bumper AND the additional wiring harness. Like Nike said, red reflector sticker will work fine. The sticker even has DOT stamp on it. :smile:

 

In California, if the car is newer than a 1964, it must have two reflectors. One on each side and at the same height. No lower than 15" and no higher than 60".

 

You are in the People's Republic of Maryland. It is a Police State. You will lose if you fight the ticket. Your only hope is to flee the jurisdiction, like any sensible human being. Relocate to VA, WV, PA or DE (but avoid DC as it is just as bad). Consider $55 a very cheap way to learn that Maryland is not a fit place to live. I should know, my family emmigrated from there years ago.