Fix-It Ticket in California for a Broken Headlight
A fix-it ticket in California for a headlight out means you promised to correct it and show proof by the date on the ticket. If the headlight itself is damaged, we repair it by mail, with a free quote first.
From $400 per headlight — final price in your free quote. Packing and shipping instructions come with your quote.
What a fix-it ticket means in California
Its official name is a notice to correct violation, also called a correctable violation.
Headlight rules are equipment rules. Under Vehicle Code Section 40303.5, the officer has to let you sign a promise to correct an equipment infraction, unless a condition in Section 40610(b) applies, such as an immediate safety hazard or evidence of persistent neglect. That is why a broken headlight ticket in California is normally a fix-it ticket.
When you sign, you promise to correct the violation and deliver proof of correction. Section 40610(d) says the notice includes the time you have to do both, so the date on your ticket is the one that counts.
What California headlight law requires
Two sections of the California Vehicle Code cover a headlight that is dark or damaged:
- Section 24400(a): a motor vehicle, other than a motorcycle, “shall be equipped with at least two headlamps, with at least one on each side of the front of the vehicle.”
- Section 24400(b): it “shall be operated during darkness, or inclement weather, or both, with at least two lighted headlamps.”
- Section 24252(a)(1): “All lighting equipment of a required type installed on a vehicle shall at all times be maintained in good working order.”
The words “at all times” matter. The duty to keep a required headlight in good working order applies in daylight too, not only at night.
Other states: Driving With a Broken Headlight: Tickets and Fix-It Tickets.
How to get the correction signed off
Proof of correction is usually a signature on the back of your ticket. Section 40616 says who can certify a lamp violation:
- A station licensed to inspect and certify lamp violations
- A police department, the California Highway Patrol, a sheriff, a marshal or another agency that enforces the Vehicle Code
The California courts' self-help guide lists three steps: fix the problem by the due date, show the court proof that you fixed it, and pay the court's fee for each fix-it ticket. Your court tells you where to send the proof and what the fee is.
Do not let the date pass. Under the same Section 40616, willfully failing to deliver proof of correction is a misdemeanor.
Burned-out bulb, cracked lens or a dead LED unit
- A halogen or xenon headlight that went dark: try a new bulb first.
- A cracked or broken lens: the lens can be replaced on your original housing. See Headlight Lens Replacement Service.
- A broken housing or tabs after a hit: see Broken Headlight Repair.
- An LED headlight or DRL that went out: there is no bulb to swap, so the unit itself has to be repaired.
Repairing your original headlight keeps the factory fit and a beam that matches the other side.
Getting the headlight fixed before the date on your ticket
From $400 per headlight — final price in your free quote
Repair starts only after you approve your written quote.
Mail-in repair means shipping the headlight both ways, so ask for your quote as soon as you have the ticket. We confirm the turnaround time in your quote. Packing and shipping instructions come with your quote.
Once the headlight is back on the car, you still need the signature on your ticket. The steps are in How Mail-In Headlight Repair Works.
California fix-it ticket questions
Can I get a fix-it ticket for a cracked headlight that still works?
It can happen: Section 24252 asks for required lighting to be kept in good working order. A cracked lens also lets water in, so it is worth repairing either way.
Does a repair shop sign off my fix-it ticket?
Our repair does not certify the correction. Once the headlight is back on the car, take it to a law enforcement agency or a station licensed to certify lamp violations, as Section 40616 describes.
What if I need more time to fix the headlight?
Contact the court listed on your ticket before the due date and ask what it allows.
This guide is general information about the California Vehicle Code, not legal advice. Sources: California Legislative Information (Vehicle Code Sections 24252, 24400, 40303.5, 40610 and 40616) and the California courts' self-help guide on fix-it tickets.
Driving in another state? Read Broken Headlight Ticket in Texas: What the Law Says, Florida Headlight Law and Broken Headlight Tickets or Broken Headlight Ticket in New York: What to Know.
Clear the ticket with a headlight that works
Tell us your vehicle, the date on your ticket and a few photos of the headlight, and you get a written quote before you ship anything.