Side Marker Lights in New Zealand: Length Rules, Colours, Spacing and Trailers

Side marker lights are amber lamps along the sides of a long vehicle or trailer that show its length at night. In New Zealand, side marker lamps are required on longer vehicles and combinations under the Land Transport Rule: Vehicle Lighting 2004, and they are a sensible fit on any long farm trailer. Lamps should meet a recognised standard such as UN ECE (E-mark) approval.

This guide covers what side marker lights are, the New Zealand rules on when they are needed on tractors and agricultural trailers, the reflective marking rules that go with them, colours and spacing, end-outline marker lamps, wide and projecting agricultural loads, LED versus bulb units, and fitting.

What Is a Side Marker Light

A side marker light is a small lamp fitted to the side of a vehicle or its load to make the vehicle more visible to other road users. Side marker lights face outward from the flanks of a vehicle, not forward or rearward, and their purpose is passive visibility. They tell drivers approaching from a side road or a junction that a long vehicle is there and roughly where it ends.

Side marker lights are distinct from side repeater indicators. A side repeater flashes amber to signal a turn. A side marker light stays on steadily whenever the vehicle’s position lamps are lit. Some combined units perform both functions in a single housing, with separate circuits.

Typical vehicles fitted with side marker lights include HGVs and their trailers, flatbed and curtain-side trailers, coaches, and many agricultural trailers, low loaders and long implements.

New Zealand Rules: When Are Side Marker Lights Required

Vehicle lighting in New Zealand is governed by the Land Transport Rule: Vehicle Lighting 2004, administered by NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA). Agricultural vehicles have their own provisions within the Land Transport Rules, covering lighting, width and speed, and NZTA publishes plain-English guidance on how they apply to tractors, self-propelled machines and agricultural trailers.

Long Tractor and Trailer Combinations

Whether side marker lamps are required depends on the vehicle and its length, and for agricultural vehicles on the specific agricultural provisions:

• Side marker lamps are required on longer vehicles and trailers under the Vehicle Lighting rule. The exact length trigger and which agricultural vehicles it applies to are set out in the rule and in NZTA Waka Kotahi’s agricultural vehicle guidance, so check them for your combination.
• If you are unsure which sides need lamps, fit them to both. It costs little and gives far better protection at intersections and farm gateways.
• Any marker lamps fitted should meet a recognised standard, such as UN ECE (E-mark) approval.

This is different from the UK, where agricultural trailers are largely exempt from side marker lamps and the main farm trigger is an 18.3 m combination. In New Zealand a tractor with a long silage trailer or bale trailer quickly adds up once the tractor length is included, so most large farm trailers benefit from them.

Reflective Markings That Go With Them

Heavier and longer trailers can also need reflective markings:

• Rear reflectors and rear reflective markings, depending on the trailer.
• Side reflectors on longer vehicles and combinations.
• Extra markings or signs on long, wide or oversize combinations.

The exact thresholds, and how they apply to towed equipment such as effluent tankers, fertiliser or manure spreaders and chaser bins, are set out in NZTA Waka Kotahi’s guidance. Check it for your equipment.

Penalties

Using a trailer without required lamps, or with lamps that do not work, can lead to an infringement notice from NZ Police.

Even where the rule does not apply, side marker lights on a long farm trailer make a real difference at night when a car approaches a field entrance or a farmyard gate from the side. Many agricultural trailers are now built with them. For the official detail, see NZTA Waka Kotahi’s guidance on agricultural vehicles.

Side Marker Light Colours

Side marker lights are amber, as are side reflectors, although the rearmost one may be red in some cases.

White is not permitted on a modern vehicle’s side markers. The colour rule also applies to optional side marker lamps: any side marker you fit voluntarily should still be amber, or red at the very rear where allowed. The New Zealand rules also prohibit lamps that could dazzle or confuse other road users.

Side Marker Light Spacing and Height

We are not giving a legal spacing table here for agricultural trailers, so check the current rule and NZTA guidance if precise positions matter. New trailers built to UN ECE standards arrive with their marker lamps already positioned to the UNECE installation rules. When fitting or replacing markers on an older trailer, a layout widely used on European trailers is a sensible guide:

Point	Common practice
Foremost lamp	Within about 4 m of the front of the trailer, including any drawbar
Rearmost lamp	Within about 1 m of the rear of the trailer
Gap between lamps	No more than about 3 m
Height	Low enough to be seen by car drivers, typically no more than 2.3 m above the ground
Visibility	Clearly visible from the side, including at an angle from junctions
Colour	Amber, or red at the very rear where allowed

As an example, a trailer with a 2 m drawbar and a 10 m body is 12 m long measured from the drawbar eye. A layout that works is 1 lamp 3.5 m from the eye, 1 at 6.5 m, 1 at 9.5 m and 1 at 11.5 m, which keeps the gaps at 3 m or less and the last lamp within 1 m of the rear. Check your own trailer and the maker’s guidance rather than copying a layout. If precise positions matter, check NZTA Waka Kotahi’s guidance or ask the trailer manufacturer.

End-Outline Marker Lamps

End-outline marker lamps are a different lamp with a different job. They sit at the outer corners of a wide vehicle, as high as practicable, showing white to the front and red to the rear so other drivers can judge the vehicle’s width and height. Side marker lights show length; end-outline marker lamps show width. Front end-outline markers are white and rear end-outline markers red.

On new vehicles, end-outline markers are fitted at the factory. Don’t rely on UK width thresholds or exemptions for these lamps in New Zealand; check the NZ rules for your vehicle. Many units combine the white front lamp, red rear lamp and an amber side marker in 1 housing. Our guide to end-outline marker lamps covers them in full.

Wide Loads and Projecting Implements on Agricultural Vehicles

Side marker lights deal with long vehicles. Wide and projecting agricultural machinery is covered by the Land Transport Rule: Vehicle Dimensions and Mass and NZTA Waka Kotahi’s agricultural vehicle guidance. The general maximum width for a standard vehicle is 2.55 m, and agricultural vehicles have their own width bands above that, each with its own lighting, marking and travel conditions:

Vehicle	Width	What to check
Agricultural tractor	Up to 2.55 m	Standard road lighting
Large tractor	Over 2.55 m	Agricultural vehicle width band rules
Tractor on flotation tyres or dual wheels	Often over 2.55 m	Warning lamps, markings and travel conditions
Fully mounted and towed equipment	Varies	Overall width of the combination
Self-propelled agricultural machinery	Often over 2.55 m	Warning lamps, signs and pilot vehicles at greater widths
Agricultural trailer	Up to 2.55 m	Standard trailer lighting
Tractor and trailer combination	Up to 2.55 m	Length rules for the combination

Projecting Loads and Implements

New Zealand does not use the UK marker board distances (the 1 m, 2 m and 3 m projection rules). In general terms:

• Loads and implements that project beyond the vehicle need to be marked by day and lit at night, with the exact distances and requirements set by the Land Transport Rules. Check NZTA Waka Kotahi’s guidance for the figures that apply.
• A rear projection is usually marked with a flag by day and a red lamp or reflector at night, and side projections should show white to the front and red to the rear at night.
• Front loaders, forks and other front-mounted attachments should be lowered or faced down on public roads, because raised forks are a dangerous projection.
• Towed equipment without lights that hides the tractor’s lamps needs a lighting board.

For a front-mounted mower, a folded cultivator or a drill on a 3-point linkage, mark the projection clearly and follow the manufacturer’s and NZTA guidance. Marker boards with lamps are still good practice even where the rules do not use the UK distances.

Approval Marks on Side Marker Lights

New Zealand accepts lamps approved to a recognised standard, including UN ECE (E-mark) approval, and the safe approach is to replace lamps like for like with approved units showing the E or e mark. Lamps marked e1, e4 or E11, for example, are all approved European units. An approved side marker has been tested for colour and intensity. Buy approved units: the colour is reliable, the output is consistent, and there is no argument at the roadside.

LED vs Bulb Side Marker Lights

LED side marker lights last longer and draw less power than filament bulb units, which is why most new trailers and commercial vehicles now leave the factory with LED side markers.

Lifespan and Reliability

An LED side marker has no filament to break from vibration, and many are fully sealed with the lens bonded to the body. Bulb units need a new bulb now and again, and the bulb holder is the usual entry point for water and corrosion.

Power Draw

An LED side marker typically draws a small fraction of the current of a filament bulb unit. On a trailer with 8 side markers, the saving reduces load on the towing vehicle’s tail light circuit and minimises voltage drop over long wiring runs.

Voltage Options

Side marker lights are available in 12V and 24V versions. Most agricultural trailers and light commercial vehicles run 12V. HGVs and larger plant typically use 24V. Many LED side markers are rated for both (often labelled 10 to 30V or 12/24V), which suits trailers that may be towed by different vehicles. Browse our side marker lamps and the LED marker lamp range for 12V, 24V and multi-voltage units, shipped from the UK and priced in NZ dollars, with free delivery to New Zealand on orders over NZ$500 (any NZ GST, duty or Customs fees are paid on delivery).

How to Choose and Fit Side Marker Lights

Choosing the right side marker light depends on 3 factors: vehicle type, voltage system, and mounting style.

By Vehicle Type

• Trailer side marker lights: the most common application. Surface-mount LED units with screw fixings are the standard choice for flatbeds, grain and silage trailers and livestock trailers.
• Side marker lights for trucks: HGVs and rigid trucks use larger, brighter side marker lights, often with integrated reflectors. 24V units are typical.
• Implements and low loaders: bracket-mounted units or stalk markers keep the lamp clear of moving parts and away from wheels.

Mounting Styles

Side marker lights come in 3 main mounting configurations:

1. Surface mount: the lamp body sits flat against the vehicle panel or chassis rail, held by 2 screws. Best for flat-sided trailers and box bodies.
2. Bracket mount: a metal or rubber bracket spaces the lamp away from the chassis rail. Used where the vehicle side is not flat or where clearance from wheels and mudguards is needed.
3. Flush mount: the lamp body recesses into a hole cut in the panel, sitting flush with the surface. Common on coaches and box bodies.

Wiring

Side marker lights wire into the tail light (position lamp) circuit so they light whenever the sidelights or headlights are on. On a trailer, that means the tail light feeds in the plug: pin 5 (right-hand tail, brown) and pin 7 (left-hand tail, black) on both 7-pin 12N and 13-pin sockets, with pin 3 as the earth. Wire each side’s markers to that side’s tail feed so a single fault does not black out both sides. Our 7-pin trailer plug wiring guide has the full pin table.

Each side marker needs a positive feed and a good earth, either through a dedicated earth wire or the mounting bolts to the chassis. A dedicated earth wire is far more reliable on a painted or galvanised trailer.

For agricultural use, waterproof every connection. Heat-shrink crimp connectors or sealed junction boxes prevent corrosion from rain, mud and pressure washing. A side marker that works in the yard but fails on the road is usually a corroded earth.

IP Rating

For agricultural trailers and farm vehicles, choose side marker lights rated at least IP67, which means dust-tight and able to withstand temporary immersion. Units rated IP69K withstand high-pressure, high-temperature jet washing and suit livestock trailers that are washed and disinfected regularly.

Side Marker Lights and Roadworthiness Testing

Light vehicles take a Warrant of Fitness (WoF) and heavy vehicles and heavy trailers a Certificate of Fitness (CoF), where fitted lamps are checked and a non-working lamp is a failure item. Many agricultural vehicles and trailers have their own inspection treatment and may not need a regular WoF or CoF; check NZTA Waka Kotahi’s agricultural vehicle guidance for yours. On a farm the responsibility sits with the operator: the trailer must be roadworthy, required marker lamps must be fitted and working, and any lamp that is fitted must be kept clean and lit.

Keeping Side Marker Lights in Working Order

A side marker light requires very little maintenance. LED units in particular are fit-and-forget components for most of their service life. The 3 most common issues are:

1. Cracked or broken lenses: caused by hedges, loading equipment, or reversing into obstacles. Replace the whole unit rather than taping it, because a damaged lens lets water in and can show white light.
2. Corroded connections: farm vehicles are exposed to moisture, effluent and road grime. Check terminals before the winter and reapply dielectric grease.
3. Dim or flickering output: usually a failing bulb or a poor earth. LED replacements remove the bulb failure issue entirely.

A quick walk-around check before any road journey takes 2 minutes and catches failed side markers before they become a roadside problem. For the full set of lamps a farm trailer needs, read our agricultural trailer lighting requirements guide.

Frequently asked questions

When does a trailer need side marker lights in New Zealand?

Side marker lamps are required on longer vehicles and combinations under the Land Transport Rule: Vehicle Lighting 2004. Check the rule and NZTA Waka Kotahi’s agricultural vehicle guidance for the exact length trigger that applies to your trailer.

What colour should side marker lights be?

Side marker lights must be amber. The rearmost may be red in some cases. White side markers are not allowed on modern vehicles.

Do tractors and farm trailers need side marker lights?

Longer farm trailers and combinations often do. The exact length triggers, and the reflector and marking rules that go with them, are in NZTA Waka Kotahi’s agricultural vehicle guidance. Fitting approved side markers to any long trailer is good practice.

What is the difference between side marker lights and end-outline marker lamps?

Side marker lights are amber lamps along the sides that show a vehicle’s length. End-outline marker lamps sit at the upper outer corners, white to the front and red to the rear, and show a wide vehicle’s width.

Do side marker lights need to be E-marked?

Lamps should meet a recognised standard, and UN ECE (E or e mark) approval is accepted in New Zealand, as are some other standards such as SAE and the Australian Design Rules. Approved lamps are the better buy on any trailer because their colour and intensity have been tested.