Are Puddle Lights Legal in the UK?

Conditional

Puddle lights and door-projected logos are broadly accepted in the UK when they come on with the door open as you get in and out. The lighting rules still apply: nothing may show red to the front, white to the rear, dazzle, or be confused with a brake or signal light.

Why?

A puddle light shines down from the door mirror or door edge to light the ground as you step out, and door "courtesy" projectors throw a logo onto the tarmac. Because they operate with the door open and the car stationary, they sit in a tolerated grey area rather than being treated as running road lights.

The general lighting rules still set the boundaries. No lamp on the car may show a red light towards the front or a white light towards the rear, none may dazzle other road users, and none may be capable of being confused with a stop lamp, indicator or other mandatory light. White or amber downlighting that only works with the door open is unlikely to trouble anyone; red, or anything that stays on and is visible while driving, is where it turns into a problem.

In practice, keep them subtle, correctly coloured and tied to the door being open, and puddle lights are fine. Permanent glowing ground lighting you drive around with is judged the same as underglow, which has its own limits.

What decides if it's legal

No light may show red to the front or white to the rear.
Lights must not dazzle or be confused with a brake or indicator lamp.
Door-projected logos when parked with the door open are generally tolerated.
Permanent ground lighting visible while driving falls under the underglow rules.

Does it depend on your car?

The colour and no-dazzle rules are the same for every car. It is how and when the lights show, not the vehicle, that decides whether they are acceptable.

Related legality guides

Find your car in the garage

Sources

This page is general guidance, not legal advice, on the rules in the UK for puddle lights. The detail varies by exact vehicle and changes over time - confirm with your insurer and the latest DVSA and GOV.UK guidance before modifying.