Question on the Legality of Flashlights ...

There are not going to be specific laws about portable lighting.

But there are nuisance laws, or if you injure someone, and you can be sued for anything.

Interesting, I was talking with a friend the other day about the trucks with added illumination and headlight upgrades. Here is a web page that popped up on a feed of mine. Not sure how legit the information is.

I see that all the time, too. Worse when it’s usually a black minivan/suv.

Once when I was taking the bus home, some idiot in (again) a dark minivan with no lights on, was waiting at a red light, 2nd in line behind another car. Not even DRLs, just dark. He gets impatient when the light turns green and car #1 isn’t getting going quickly enough, so flashes the brights at him!

You’d think the reflected light and then nothing would clue him in that his lights aren’t on, right? Nope.

Yeah, they just want Brighter! but no matter what the cost. Crappy cheap-looking Angry Blue™ LEDs, horrible beam spread and lots of glare, it actually hurts my eyes, too, when I see some of these cars coming at me.

ANY crap on the front surface causes glare by scattering light that should be directed quite precisely. If spotlessly clean, those LED “bug-eyes” lots of cars have nowadays can potentially give a pretty clean beam, but the slightest crap that catches that extremely small area where light comes out from, will scatter light up and into peoples’ eyes.

And you get that strobe effect when a car goes over even a small rise in the road. You think they’re flashing the brights at you, but you’re just in’n’out of the hotspot as their aim shifts.

Lights got quite annoying in recent years.

[quote=Lightbringer]

And you get that strobe effect when a car goes over even a small rise in the road. You think they’re flashing the brights at you, but you’re just in’n’out of the hotspot as their aim shifts.

Is that what that is? I thought it was some kind of cut off shade.

Depends on how sharp it is. Projector lights do in fact have a shade right around where the beam all comes together to give an extremely sharp cutoff, while other types of lights just have the reflectors, etc., designed that way but it’s still a kind of fuzzy transition.

Eg, from Projector Vs. Reflector Headlights: Which Is Best? | PowerBulbs US :

"To ensure that the light produced by these types of headlights is angled properly, there is also a cutoff shield. This helps to direct the light down towards the road. Thanks to the shield, projector headlights have a very sharp cutoff."

My old H4s used to have multiple sets of little “devil horns” at the top end of the beam’s hotspot. Probably from the facets on the front glass, as the reflector was absolutely smoothly curved. So the transition would be more gradual, and weren’t as “strobey”.

Thanks for the explain. First time I saw it I thought there was trouble ahead or radar.

Yes both people aren’t bright! :innocent:

Agreed, that is usually what happens. Unfortunately some bozo will do something stupid with a high output flashlight and the regulations will start rolling in. Same thing happened with lasers and drones. A very small number of people will exercise poor judgment and the rest of us will be limited with overreaching legislation. :person_facepalming:

Glad I'm not a young person... we are rapidly hemorrhaging our rights and I hope I'm outta here before it all hits the fan.

Blinded by the light
Revved up like a ?
Another runner in the night

Some silicone sister
With a manager mister
Told me I got what it takes
She said
"I'll turn you on sonny to something strong
Play the song with the funky break"
And go-cart Mozart
Was checkin' out the weather chart
See if it was safe outside
And little early-pearly
Came by in his curly-wurly
And asked me if I needed a ride
The calliope crashed to the ground...
@ dorpmuller: Me too being outta here soon. God has not answered my prayer yet, 1Kings 19:4.

Lol, and the big question that always came up when that song came on “Did he say douche or deuce?”

Well “attached to a rifle” may be an issue depending on where you are. Other than that, unless you are actually bothering someone with it, I can’t see any problems.

I have thought randomly once or twice while I’m in my own house or visiting someone else’s, and I choose to use a flashlight instead of turning on a light like a normal person, if from the outside it looks like the place is getting robbed?

Has that ever happened to anyone here?

I am in VA and have had the same concerns. As far as my internet research has gone, the only knife I can tell is completely legal across the state is a non-locking single edged blade less than 3 inches long. So I would assume something like a fixed blade or slip-joint folder would be fine (like in the UK), and anything double edged like a dagger or stiletto is prohibited.

Didn’t have time to read all, but spotlighting wildlife can be illegal. Not only disturbing wildlife, but also could be considered signs of poaching. Hunting laws can be pretty strict about the use of portable lighting.

No need to wonder what to say to the police if they were called? “As I was using my brand new Olight Warrior X Pro to help look for a neighbor’s cat in the woods near where I live” should be your answer.

What would I say if a neighbor called to report a prowler ? “As I was using my brand new Olight Warrior X Pro to help look for a neighbor’s cat in the woods near where I live” should be your answer.

Could the police in Northern Virginia consider a flashlight with higher lumens to be brandishing a weapon ? Yes, if you are brandishing it as a weapon regardless of lumens.

Possibly attached to a rifle ? Yes, but it’s the rifle that would be brandishing. And what would your neighbor think with you looking for her cat with a rifle?

BEST ANSWER!!

Nuisance laws in Texas were recently made clear by the Texas Supreme Court “Condition that substantially interferes with the use and enjoyment of land by causing unreasonable discomfort or annoyance to persons of ordinary sensibilities attempting to use and enjoy it.”

So I checked a few other states. Most agree the a nuisance must substantially interfere with a person on their property as stated above. These are only civil issues and no ticket or arrest would be made. To file that civil suit, a claim for relief from damages caused, or wrongful conduct engaged in, by the defendant is filed. Courts are not required to accept, this weeds out frivolous lawsuits. Yes, I can sue some one for anything. A court accepting is an other matter and I still have to pay the filing fee even if not accepted.

Until I start finding civil or criminal cases being filed and accepted I’m not going to worry.

Now back to the original posted question. I am in law enforcement, someone else’s flashlight are the least of my concerns. I get called to complaints. The deciding factor when dealing with a call is does the complaint have an merit? Example, little old lady complains Johnny has a really bright flashlight, no merit. Next example, little old lady complains Johnny is crawling around her property with a bright flashlight. Complaint has merit, Johnny is crawling around her property. The bright flashlight is just part of his description along with what he is wearing. Now if Johnny is shining his light into peoples faces or being a legitimate nuisance then he has committed a breach of the peace.

What I’m doing is often as important to what I have. I have a baseball bat in my car, that could be considered an illegal weapon. Now same baseball bat but I also have a few balls, a glove and some cleats. That’s a litigate purpose. It’s dark outside, I’m carrying a flashlight. That’s a litigate purpose. I’m carrying a really bright flashlight at night helping to find my neighbor’s cat along with my neighbor. That’s a litigate purpose.

Yes we do. The blinding is not permanent or damaging and gives me two advantages. One, I can now see as best as I can what he has. Two, he can’t see me or run off very well. If it become violent I want all advantages. We even use handcuffs, pepper spray, Tasers and baton to add to those advantages. Not all or even many encounters have these elements but if they do it’s serious. I left one video still listed. This one was the most serious. It’s a dark alley way behind a public building. I see someone with a backpack in the alley at night and I don’t take a look, I’m negligent, lazy or incompetent.

The officer see activity and lights up the area. The individual shines a bright light back hiding himself in the light. The officer puts his car in reverse, why? For me to get some distance and place the car back into position as a shield. Had the officer drawn his weapon it would have been justified. Why, because the officer can no longer see the suspect hands or if a weapon is now present. We do not do fair fights. We use all advantages, we train, practice and God willing go home alive at the end of the shift. So just as a safety tip if you like to shine lights into officers faces you could get hurt. We don’t know why you want the confrontation or hamper our vision.

Fair fights are not a real world thing anyway, and anyone that thinks otherwise is naïve. Thanks for the insight, TS.

So the other issue is big flashlights or flashlights with crenelated bezels.

Like this incident

Just don't shine your lights at people or windows and I think you will remain within the law in most places.