JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Some drivers are taking their holiday spirit on the road this year.
A new viral trend is gaining steam, with drivers loading up their cars with Christmas lights, but the trend could earn a person the gift of a traffic ticket this holiday season.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
Some of the lights are extremely bright, and in some cases cover the entire car.
Here in Duval, drivers like Antony Thomas have taken note of the mobile Christmas displays.
“I think it’s a little bit of holiday fun,” Thomas said.
While the idea may sound like a creative way of spreading holiday cheer, in most cases, these displays are likely illegal in Florida.
RELATED: Police warn against putting Christmas lights on your car
There’s no law explicitly banning Christmas lights on cars, but there are several light restrictions most Christmas lights would violate when strapped to a vehicle.
“It’s illegal in the State of Florida to display lights that are similar to law enforcement or emergency vehicles,” attorney and former FBI agent Dale Carson said.
Carson explained state law restricts non-emergency vehicles from displaying extra white and red lights in most cases and prohibits the use of blue lights across the board.
Green and amber lights are also restricted for use by security vehicles.
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
Flashing lights are banned and the hotrod holiday light setups seem to violate restrictions on the number of additional lights cars can have.
“But law enforcement tend to be understanding when it comes to something like this, particularly if it’s not over the top,” Carson said.
Legality aside though, drivers like Thomas don’t mind seeing Christmas cars on the roadways, so long as no one is getting hurt.
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
“As long as people are having fun, I’m totally okay with it,” Thomas said.
Violations of the state’s car lighting laws count as a non-moving traffic infraction.
Unless a $30 ticket in your stocking sounds like a fun Christmas gift, it’s probably best to leave the holiday lights at home.
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
