WJBertrand

It's interesting. In California I've never been pulled over for an equipment issue on any of my cars. My wife got a ticket for window tint on the front windows years ago but that's it. I keep my cars stock looking and drive conservatively in traffic - don't want to stand out.

On my motorcycle though, it's a completely different story. I've been pulled over for a variety of BS "equipment violations". I got a fixit ticket for too loud exhausts on a completely stock motorcycle! I got pulled over once because I "leaned the bike over too far" in a turn, I wasn't even touching the pegs down on my touring bike! The cop was really irritated with me when I asked where that was in the vehicle code - no ticket. Got stopped another time for a headlight modulator by a city cop (the CHP knows these are legal) and threatened to ticket me until a showed him a copy of the vehicle code that I carry. Lastly I was pulled over and ticketed for failure to control my motorcycle adequately because the officer said I was out of control and locking up my brakes on an off ramp. My bike is equipped with ABS, I couldn't lock up the bike if I tried. I went to court on that one, equipped with evidence to show my motorcycle has a functioning ABS system. The judge kind of glared at the officer and said "dismissed". I loved seeing the egg on that officer's face!

Derf00

If they are the ones that came on the car from the factory, the burden of proof lies with the entity that tries to cite you for them.

Ford (or any OEM) will not approve something that is not 50 state legal (or cali + fed). That being said if you had a 05-09 and put in the Raxiom taillights, you would have the burden of proof on you since they are not factory.

his comment about dealership installing aftermarket lights is a back pedal since he didn't want to admit being wrong. That just opens up all of his judgements/citations to scrutiny.

ghunt

Sam's Club and Walmart are the same way. If you order different than stock sized tires they will not install them on your car (or truck). You can bring in just the wheels and they will install them, and as the guy at one of the stores told me once "If you want to jack your car up in the parking lot, take the wheels off and roll them into the shop, we will mount the tires for you, but we will not put them on your car." Dumbest crap I ever heard.

But, I can't justify paying other places $20+ per wheel to mount and balance so I'm stuck taking my wheels off and bring them to wally world with the tires.

6xStang

FYI, the burden of proof is ALWAYS on the plaintiff, or in criminal or traffic issues, it is always on the state. In traffic cases, usually the officer's testimony is taken as "evidence," and the burden then shifts to the defendant to show that the evidence does not meet the clear and convincing evidence standard (the standard differs depending upon the seriousness of the offense and the jurisdiction; it could be the preponderance of evidence standard or the "beyond a reasonable doubt" standard).

So if a cop testifies that your lights are too dark, the burden is shifted and you would need to prove that you are using US DOT compliant lights. Factory lights in a US sold/certified car would be DOT compliant, since the US DOT approves/certifies that a car is DOT compliant before it can be sold in the US.

State compliance can only trump federal requirements in unique situations (i.e. California emissions, etc).