{"id":133740,"date":"2025-03-17T21:08:06","date_gmt":"2025-03-18T04:08:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogv2prod.wpenginepowered.com\/blog\/?p=133740"},"modified":"2026-04-29T02:51:30","modified_gmt":"2026-04-29T09:51:30","slug":"is-a-third-brake-light-required-should-you-replace-yours","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/is-a-third-brake-light-required-should-you-replace-yours\/","title":{"rendered":"Is a Third Brake Light Required? Should You Replace Yours?"},"content":{"rendered":"<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<html><body><span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 2<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span><style>.kadence-column133740_18b834-cf > .kt-inside-inner-col,.kadence-column133740_18b834-cf > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;}.kadence-column133740_18b834-cf > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column133740_18b834-cf > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}.kadence-column133740_18b834-cf > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kadence-column133740_18b834-cf > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column133740_18b834-cf{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column133740_18b834-cf > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kadence-column133740_18b834-cf > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column133740_18b834-cf inner-column-1 qk-look-widget\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-ultimate-post-row ultp-block-718280  qk-main-wrap\"><div class=\"ultp-row-wrapper\"><div class=\"ultp-row-content\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-ultimate-post-column ultp-block-323c3a\"><div class=\"ultp-column-wrapper\"><style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading133740_b717af-20, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading133740_b717af-20[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading133740_b717af-20\"]{text-align:center;font-size:20px;font-style:normal;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading133740_b717af-20 mark.kt-highlight, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading133740_b717af-20[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading133740_b717af-20\"] mark.kt-highlight{font-family:Inter;font-weight:500;font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;-webkit-box-decoration-break:clone;box-decoration-break:clone;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading133740_b717af-20 img.kb-inline-image, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading133740_b717af-20[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading133740_b717af-20\"] img.kb-inline-image{width:150px;vertical-align:baseline;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"kt-adv-heading133740_b717af-20 summary-title wp-block-kadence-advancedheading\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading133740_b717af-20\"><span>Summary<\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The federal government has mandated third brake lights to improve brake visibility and reduce the risk of rear-end collisions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Replacing a third brake light involves accessing the assembly, disconnecting the wiring harness, and replacing the faulty bulb or assembly. The replacement process will vary depending on the vehicle model.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Adding a third brake light involves properly wiring it to the vehicle&rsquo;s brake light wire circuit and ensuring it&rsquo;s properly mounted.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>The federal government has required third brake lights on cars in the US since 1986 to improve the brake light&rsquo;s visibility.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What&rsquo;s a Third Brake Light?&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The brake light is an additional brake light that&rsquo;s typically mounted high on the rear windshield of an SUV or van. On a sedan, the third brake light could be located above the trunk, at the bottom of the rear windshield.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Are the Benefits of a Third Brake Light?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/third-brake-light\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"third brake light\">third brake light<\/a> can help ensure other drivers know when you&rsquo;re braking. This is especially helpful when other vehicles obscure your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/tail-lights-vs-brake-lights-are-these-two-the-same\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"brake lights due to their location alongside the tail lights\">brake lights due to their location alongside the tail lights<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a congested or busy highway, third brake lights can allow drivers to see braking vehicles further up the road because the lights are elevated. This gives drivers more time to anticipate and brake.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The third brake light also only illuminates when the driver taps the brakes unlike traditional brake lights, which continuously illuminate and intensify when the brakes are applied.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A study conducted by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), found that Center High Mount Stop Lights (CHMSL) reduced rear-end accidents by 4.4%. While this might seem like a small percentage, it saves hundreds of millions of dollars worth of damage annually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>The federal government has required third brake lights on cars in the US since 1986 to improve the brake light&rsquo;s visibility.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What&rsquo;s a Third Brake Light?&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The brake light is an additional brake light that&rsquo;s typically mounted high on the rear windshield of an SUV or van. On a sedan, the third brake light could be located above the trunk, at the bottom of the rear windshield.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"rsi-card\">\n  <div class=\"rsi-thumb\">\n    <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cld.partsimg.com\/d_noimage.jpg\/b_white\/e_sharpen,e_auto_brightness,e_auto_contrast\/f_auto\/q_auto:eco,dpr_auto\/w_873,h_873,c_pad\/images\/rc73330001_1\">\n  <\/div>\n  <div class=\"rsi-info\">\n    <span class=\"rsi-title\">Ordering a Third Brake Light: A One-Job Checklist for the Right Fit <\/span>\n    <span class=\"rsi-desc\">Check out this practical guide to ordering the right third brake light to save time and money on repairs.<\/span>\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/ordering-a-third-brake-light-a-one-job-checklist-for-the-right-fit-quickref\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Discover Your Options\">Discover Your Options<\/a>\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Are the Benefits of a Third Brake Light?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A third brake light can help ensure other drivers know when you&rsquo;re braking. This is especially helpful when other vehicles obscure your brake lights due to their location alongside the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/tail-light\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"tail lights\">tail lights<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a congested or busy highway, third brake lights can allow drivers to see braking vehicles further up the road because the lights are elevated. This gives drivers more time to anticipate and brake.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The third brake light also only illuminates when the driver taps the brakes unlike traditional brake lights, which continuously illuminate and intensify when the brakes are applied.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A study conducted by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), found that Center High Mount Stop Lights (CHMSL) reduced rear-end accidents by 4.4%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While this might seem like a small percentage, it saves hundreds of millions of dollars worth of damage annually.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 2<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span>The federal government has required third brake lights on cars in the US since 1986 to improve the brake light&rsquo;s&#8230; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/is-a-third-brake-light-required-should-you-replace-yours\/\" rel=\"nofollow\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1651,"featured_media":134250,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3745,52],"tags":[1280],"ppma_author":[2607],"class_list":{"0":"post-133740","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-car-lights","8":"category-diy","9":"tag-third-brake-light","10":"entry"},"acf":{"adrotate_specific_mobile_ad":"","adrotate_specific_desktop_ad":""},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Is a Third Brake Light Required? Should You Replace Yours? - In The Garage with CarParts.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn the importance and safety benefits of a third brake light. Replacing your third brake light? Here are some tips.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/is-a-third-brake-light-required-should-you-replace-yours\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Is a Third Brake Light Required? Should You Replace Yours? - In The Garage with CarParts.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Learn the importance and safety benefits of a third brake light. Replacing your third brake light? Here are some tips.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/is-a-third-brake-light-required-should-you-replace-yours\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"In The Garage with CarParts.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/carpartscom\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/carpartscom\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-03-18T04:08:06+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-29T09:51:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/third-brake-light.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1001\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"CarParts.com Research Team\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@https:\/\/twitter.com\/CarPartscom\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@carpartscom\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"CarParts.com Research Team\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"1 minute\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/is-a-third-brake-light-required-should-you-replace-yours\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/is-a-third-brake-light-required-should-you-replace-yours\\\/\"},\"author\":[{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"$id\":\"1651\",\"name\":\"CarParts.com Research Team\",\"jobTitle\":\"Expert Automotive Writer\",\"description\":\"The CarParts.com Research Team is composed of experienced automotive and tech writers working with (ASE)-certified automobile technicians and automotive journalists to bring up-to-date, helpful information to car owners in the US. Guided by CarParts.com&#039;s thorough editorial process, our team strives to produce guides and resources DIYers and casual car owners can trust.\",\"knowsAbout\":\"Auto Repair, Car Maintenance, Auto Parts, Car Reviews\",\"publishingPrinciples\":\"\\\/blog\\\/our-team\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/thecpteam\\\/\",\"sameAs\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/carpartscom, https:\\\/\\\/twitter.com\\\/CarPartscom, https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/@CarPartscomOfficial\\\/, https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/carpartscom\\\/\"}],\"headline\":\"Is a Third Brake Light Required? Should You Replace Yours?\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-03-18T04:08:06+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-29T09:51:30+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/is-a-third-brake-light-required-should-you-replace-yours\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":524,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/is-a-third-brake-light-required-should-you-replace-yours\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/third-brake-light.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"third-brake-light\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Car Lights\",\"DIY\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/is-a-third-brake-light-required-should-you-replace-yours\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/is-a-third-brake-light-required-should-you-replace-yours\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/is-a-third-brake-light-required-should-you-replace-yours\\\/\",\"name\":\"Is a Third Brake Light Required? Should You Replace Yours? - In The Garage with CarParts.com\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/is-a-third-brake-light-required-should-you-replace-yours\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/is-a-third-brake-light-required-should-you-replace-yours\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/third-brake-light.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-03-18T04:08:06+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-29T09:51:30+00:00\",\"description\":\"Learn the importance and safety benefits of a third brake light. Replacing your third brake light? Here are some tips.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/is-a-third-brake-light-required-should-you-replace-yours\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/is-a-third-brake-light-required-should-you-replace-yours\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/third-brake-light.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/third-brake-light.jpg\",\"width\":1500,\"height\":1001,\"caption\":\"third brake light\"},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"In The Garage with CarParts.com\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"CarParts.com\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/cp-itg-logo.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/03\\\/cp-itg-logo.png\",\"width\":2048,\"height\":398,\"caption\":\"CarParts.com\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/carpartscom\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/carpartscom\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/carpartscom\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/@CarPartscomOfficial\\\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/9f8a8b00e1b9f62f86295617b525e1f0\",\"name\":\"CarParts.com Research Team\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/04\\\/thecpteam.jpg485c93be26f8b27acc17cbe4a2313397\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/04\\\/thecpteam.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/04\\\/thecpteam.jpg\",\"caption\":\"CarParts.com Research Team\"},\"description\":\"The CarParts.com Research Team is composed of experienced automotive and tech writers working with (ASE)-certified automobile technicians and automotive journalists to bring up-to-date, helpful information to car owners in the US. Guided by CarParts.com's thorough editorial process, our team strives to produce guides and resources DIYers and casual car owners can trust.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/thecpteam\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/carpartscom\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/carpartscom\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/https:\\\/\\\/twitter.com\\\/CarPartscom\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/@CarPartscomOfficial\\\/\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.carparts.com\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/thecpteam\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Is a Third Brake Light Required? Should You Replace Yours? - In The Garage with CarParts.com","description":"Learn the importance and safety benefits of a third brake light. Replacing your third brake light? Here are some tips.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/is-a-third-brake-light-required-should-you-replace-yours\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Is a Third Brake Light Required? Should You Replace Yours? - In The Garage with CarParts.com","og_description":"Learn the importance and safety benefits of a third brake light. Replacing your third brake light? Here are some tips.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/is-a-third-brake-light-required-should-you-replace-yours\/","og_site_name":"In The Garage with CarParts.com","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/carpartscom","article_author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/carpartscom","article_published_time":"2025-03-18T04:08:06+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-04-29T09:51:30+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1500,"height":1001,"url":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/third-brake-light.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"CarParts.com Research Team","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@https:\/\/twitter.com\/CarPartscom","twitter_site":"@carpartscom","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"CarParts.com Research Team","Est. reading time":"1 minute"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/is-a-third-brake-light-required-should-you-replace-yours\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/is-a-third-brake-light-required-should-you-replace-yours\/"},"author":[{"@type":"Person","$id":"1651","name":"CarParts.com Research Team","jobTitle":"Expert Automotive Writer","description":"The CarParts.com Research Team is composed of experienced automotive and tech writers working with (ASE)-certified automobile technicians and automotive journalists to bring up-to-date, helpful information to car owners in the US. Guided by CarParts.com&#039;s thorough editorial process, our team strives to produce guides and resources DIYers and casual car owners can trust.","knowsAbout":"Auto Repair, Car Maintenance, Auto Parts, Car Reviews","publishingPrinciples":"\/blog\/our-team\/","url":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/author\/thecpteam\/","sameAs":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/carpartscom, https:\/\/twitter.com\/CarPartscom, https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@CarPartscomOfficial\/, https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/carpartscom\/"}],"headline":"Is a Third Brake Light Required? Should You Replace Yours?","datePublished":"2025-03-18T04:08:06+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-29T09:51:30+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/is-a-third-brake-light-required-should-you-replace-yours\/"},"wordCount":524,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/is-a-third-brake-light-required-should-you-replace-yours\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/third-brake-light.jpg","keywords":["third-brake-light"],"articleSection":["Car Lights","DIY"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/is-a-third-brake-light-required-should-you-replace-yours\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/is-a-third-brake-light-required-should-you-replace-yours\/","url":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/is-a-third-brake-light-required-should-you-replace-yours\/","name":"Is a Third Brake Light Required? Should You Replace Yours? - In The Garage with CarParts.com","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/is-a-third-brake-light-required-should-you-replace-yours\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/is-a-third-brake-light-required-should-you-replace-yours\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/third-brake-light.jpg","datePublished":"2025-03-18T04:08:06+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-29T09:51:30+00:00","description":"Learn the importance and safety benefits of a third brake light. Replacing your third brake light? Here are some tips.","inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/is-a-third-brake-light-required-should-you-replace-yours\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/is-a-third-brake-light-required-should-you-replace-yours\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/third-brake-light.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/third-brake-light.jpg","width":1500,"height":1001,"caption":"third brake light"},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/","name":"In The Garage with CarParts.com","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"CarParts.com","url":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/cp-itg-logo.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/cp-itg-logo.png","width":2048,"height":398,"caption":"CarParts.com"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/carpartscom","https:\/\/x.com\/carpartscom","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/carpartscom","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@CarPartscomOfficial\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/9f8a8b00e1b9f62f86295617b525e1f0","name":"CarParts.com Research Team","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/thecpteam.jpg485c93be26f8b27acc17cbe4a2313397","url":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/thecpteam.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/thecpteam.jpg","caption":"CarParts.com Research Team"},"description":"The CarParts.com Research Team is composed of experienced automotive and tech writers working with (ASE)-certified automobile technicians and automotive journalists to bring up-to-date, helpful information to car owners in the US. Guided by CarParts.com's thorough editorial process, our team strives to produce guides and resources DIYers and casual car owners can trust.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/author\/thecpteam\/","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/carpartscom","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/carpartscom\/","https:\/\/x.com\/https:\/\/twitter.com\/CarPartscom","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@CarPartscomOfficial\/"],"url":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/author\/thecpteam\/"}]}},"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/third-brake-light.jpg","featured_image_src_square":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/third-brake-light.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"CarParts.com Research Team","author_link":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/author\/thecpteam\/"},"authors":[{"term_id":2607,"user_id":1651,"is_guest":0,"slug":"thecpteam","display_name":"CarParts.com Research Team","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/thecpteam.jpg","url2x":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/thecpteam.jpg"},"author_category":"","user_url":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/author\/thecpteam\/","last_name":"","first_name":"CarParts.com Research Team","job_title":"","description":"The CarParts.com Research Team is composed of experienced automotive and tech writers working with (ASE)-certified automobile technicians and automotive journalists to bring up-to-date, helpful information to car owners in the US. Guided by CarParts.com's thorough editorial process, our team strives to produce guides and resources DIYers and casual car owners can trust."}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/133740","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1651"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=133740"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/133740\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/134250"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=133740"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=133740"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=133740"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=133740"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}