The Wrangler JL comes with ready-made mounting points for extra lighting: the hood hinges, the windshield hinges, the mirror mounts and the spare tire carrier. Most lights bolt on without drilling. The hard part is elsewhere: matching the light to the location, knowing which hood and bumper your JL has, and staying inside the legal limit for driving beams before an inspector points it out.
Contents
- JL lighting map
- Headlights: stay at 9 inches or go 7
- Fog lights: check your bumper first
- Fender turn signals
- A-pillar and mirror mounts: ditch lights
- Windshield light bars: the 50-inch slot
- Cowl and hood mounts
- Bumpers and bull bars
- Rear: EU-spec tail lights and the third brake light
- Power and switching
- Road legality under ECE rules
- Pre-order checklist
- FAQ
- A-pillar and bull bar light catalogue (part 2)
JL lighting map
There are nine places to mount lights on a JL. Each one has a different job and different constraints, from approval marks to hood variants.
- 9″ headlights
- Bumper: fogs, bull bar, light bars
- Fender flare turn signals
- Cowl: hood hinge light bar
- A-pillar: ditch lights
- Windshield: 50″ light bar
- Mirror mounts: small work lights
- Tail lights
- Third brake light on the spare
Headlights: stay at 9 inches or go 7
The JL uses 9-inch headlight buckets from the factory, where the JK used 7-inch units. So the first decision is simple: keep the 9-inch format or step down to 7 inches with an adapter.
9-inch: direct replacement
The easiest route is a pair of Nomadtech NOM-99109 9″ LED headlights. Each unit has twin projectors and a daytime running light ring, and the box includes bolts, springs and quick-connect harnesses. The set fits the JL, the JL 4xe and the Gladiator JT. The listing states SAE/ECE approval; check for the E-mark on the lens when the lights arrive, because that is what an inspector looks for.
 | Nomadtech NOM-99109 9″ LED headlights (pair) |
7-inch: a wider choice of E-marked lights
To go 7-inch, use our NEXT 7″ headlight mounting rings, a pair of rings that seat a 7-inch light in the factory 9-inch bucket. The JL headlight connector differs from the H4 plug on 7-inch lights (Wesem and J.W. Speaker, for example), so each light needs an H4 harness for the JL. It is sold singly, so a pair of headlights needs two.
 | Szekla4x4 NEXT 7″ headlight mounting rings for the JL |
 | Szekla4x4 H4 harness for the JL (1 pc) |
With that done, the JL takes headlights designed for the JK and other vehicles with 7-inch buckets:
 | Galenda NEXT2 7″ Bi-LED, as a pair or single: low beam, high beam, position light and DRL, E4 approval, 12–24 V, IP67. |
 | Wesem 7″ EGC1.55402.00: made in Poland, E20 approval, IP67/IP69K, H4 plug, 12–24 V. |
 | J.W. Speaker 8790 Adaptive 2: cornering function, H4 plug, 9–16 V, 2,250 lm raw on high beam and 2,025 lm on low beam. The listing describes it as a motorcycle headlight with DOT/ECE approval, so check the marking on the lens with us before fitting it to a car. |
The conversion is reversible: remove the rings and you are back to the stock 9-inch layout. Headlights are easy to break on a tight trail, and Nomadtech NOM-AC050H aluminium guards fit the JL from 2018, the JL 4xe from 2021 and the Gladiator JT from 2020.
 | Nomadtech NOM-AC050H aluminium headlight guards |
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Fog lights: check your bumper first
The JL left the factory with either a steel bumper (Rubicon) or a plastic one (Sport and Sahara, among others). The fog pockets differ, so a kit for one bumper will not fit the other.
 | Baja Designs Squadron-R SAE Amber fog pocket kit (447723): for the factory Rubicon Premium steel bumper (JL from 2018, Gladiator JT from 2020) and anniversary-style bumpers with OE-size pockets, covered below. Baja Designs quotes 2,420 lm and 29 W per light and compliance with the US fog lamp standard SAE J583. |
 | Nomadtech NOM-LT311: a replacement for the stock fogs with 30 W and 2,000 lm per light, an aluminium housing, a projector lens and an LED position ring. It plugs into the factory connectors with no cutting. The listing states DOT/SAE markings. |
SAE and DOT are US standards. On European roads, lights need a European approval mark: a letter E in a circle with a country number. Front fog lamps are approved under UN Regulation No. 19 or the newer No. 149. A light that carries only SAE/DOT markings does not have that mark, so whether it passes is the inspector's call.
Fender turn signals
The JL's front turn signals sit in the fender flares. A pair of TXJL 1218 turn signals with smoked lenses and amber output fits the JL, JLU and JT. If you are moving to wider flares, the signals go with them: Nomadtech NOM-FL105JL flares have LED turn signals built into the lower edge and wire into the vehicle's indicator circuit.
 | TXJL 1218 fender turn signals |
 | Nomadtech NOM-FL105JL fender flares with LED |
A-pillar and mirror mounts: ditch lights
A pair of small lights at the base of the windshield covers what the headlights miss: the verge, the ditch, the inside of a trail corner. On the JL they bolt to the factory points at the windshield hinges.
 | TXNW JP 491: aluminium, one light per side, JL/JLU/JT. |
 | TXNW JP-145: black, left and right pair, JL/JLU/JT. |
 | TXJL PJ 19-28: aluminium, two lights per side; on the Gladiator, US-spec trucks only and not the Mojave. |
 | OMU Genesis: aluminium alloy with a carbon fibre overlay, two lights per side, adjustable upper shelf on a rail. Bolts on with three factory bolts per side. Fits the JL and the US-spec Gladiator; not the 4xe, 392, Mojave or the European Gladiator. |
 | DV8 Offroad LBJL-06: Wrangler JL 392 and Gladiator Mojave only; 4 mm steel, two 3″ pods per bracket, no drilling. |
 | Nomadtech NOM-LB216: an anodised aluminium arm at the mirror mount; the mirror stays in place. |
A-pillar lights
Two kinds of light go on the A-pillar. Small 3–6-inch driving lights reach further down the road; wide-beam work lights cover the verge and the area around the vehicle. Work lights are not driving beams and do not replace them in traffic.
The full list of A-pillar lights with output, approval and Ref values is in part two of this guide.
Windshield light bars: the 50-inch slot
A bar above the windshield is the highest light on the vehicle. On the JL it bolts to factory points at the A-pillars or the windshield hinges, and the standard size is 50 inches.
Start with your hood
The 4xe, the 392 and the Gladiator Mojave need their own brackets. KC HiLiTES 7327 overhead brackets (5-gauge steel, bolt-on to factory points) do not fit the 4xe, 392, Mojave, Sand Runner or vehicles with the OEM Performance Hood. For the 392 and Mojave, KC offers bracket 7328. Complete KC Gravity Pro6 50″ kits come in three versions: 91336 for the standard JL and JT, 91340 for the JL 4xe and 91339 for the 392 and Mojave.
 | KC HiLiTES 7327 (50″) |
 | KC HiLiTES Gravity Pro6 50″ — kit 91336 |
 | KC HiLiTES Gravity Pro6 50″ — kit 91340 (4xe) |
 | KC HiLiTES Gravity Pro6 50″ — kit 91339 (392/Mojave) |
Lower-cost brackets include Nomadtech NOM-AC114HS (powder-coated steel, uses the existing A-pillar holes, no drilling) and OFD OFJLMLB383. OFD notes that a bar above the windshield can add wind noise at speed and that the bracket does not fit the Mojave hood. For the JL 4xe there is the TXJL 3003 bracket for a 52″ bar.
 | Nomadtech NOM-AC114HS (50″) |
 | OFD OFJLMLB383 (50″) |
 | TXJL 3003 (52″, JL 4xe) |
Choosing the bar
| Photo | Light bar | Location on the JL | Output | Power | Road approval | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | OSRAM LEDriving VX1250-CB DR SM | windshield, 1,272 mm | 13,700 lm | 138 W | ECE R149 | 20 + 20 |
 | LAZER Linear-24 Elite | cowl, 682 mm | 18,000 lm | 188 W | ECE R149, double E-mark | 2 × 30 |
 | LAZER Linear-36 Double E-mark | cowl, 982 mm | 13,500 lm | 126 W | ECE R112, double E-mark | 2 × 30 |
 | LAZER Linear-36 Elite | cowl, 982 mm | 29,700 lm | 308 W | none, off-road light | — |
| KC HiLiTES Gravity Pro6 50″ (kit) | windshield | 18,400 lm | 160 W | not as a whole: 670,000 cd | — |
The OSRAM LEDriving VX1250-CB DR SM is 1,272 mm long, which puts it in the 50-inch class. OSRAM quotes 13,700 lm, 138 W, 410 m to 1 lux and ECE R149 approval with a reference value of 20 + 20. Wired correctly, it is a bar you can use on public roads. Before ordering, ask us whether its mounting pattern matches the bracket you have chosen.
The KC HiLiTES Gravity Pro6 50″ is eight 20 W lights linked into one bar: 18,400 lm, 160 W, 14.67 A. The kit includes the windshield brackets, ditch light brackets (the lights themselves are sold separately) and a harness with a switch. Its rated 670,000 cd is above the 430,000 cd ceiling for all of a vehicle's driving beams combined, so treat it as off-road lighting.
Cowl and hood mounts
A bar on the rear edge of the hood, just ahead of the windshield, sits lower than a roof bar and stays inside the vehicle's outline. LAZER makes two JL-specific kits from 4 mm A2 stainless steel that locate in the factory hood hinge points: VIFK-JWJL-01K for the Linear-24 Elite and VIFK-JWJL-02K for the Linear-36 and Linear-36 Elite. Each bar length has its own brackets.
 | LAZER VIFK-JWJL-01K (for Linear-24) |
 | LAZER VIFK-JWJL-02K (for Linear-36) |
The LAZER Linear-24 Elite puts out 18,000 lm at 188 W and 13.1 A, is 682 mm wide, rated IP68 and approved under ECE R149 with a double E-mark (Ref 2 × 30). A double E-mark means the bar has two separately approved modules and counts as a pair of lamps. With the E-Mark Cap fitted it runs in R112 mode at Ref 2 × 17.5.
The Linear-36 Double E-mark delivers 13,500 lm at 126 W with ECE R112 approval. The Linear-36 Elite (29,700 lm, 308 W) is brighter but carries no road approval.
A short bar can also sit on the front of the hood: Go Rhino GR732020T brackets in 3/16″ steel hold a 10″ bar at the centre of the hood and only fit hoods without a centre bulge.
 | Go Rhino GR732020T (10″, centre of hood) |
Bumpers and bull bars
The front end we fit most often on the JL is an aluminium anniversary-style bumper with a bull bar. The forged aluminium bumper weighs about 14 kg and has a steel winch plate, a fairlead guard, sensor provision and OE-size fog light mounts.
 | Viking Overlanders Aluminium anniversary-style front bumper JL/JLU |
Fog lights in the bumper
The fog pockets take lights made for the anniversary-style bumper, for example the Baja Designs Squadron-R SAE Amber kit (447723) described in the fog light section.
Bull bar and clamps
The OFD OFJLSB314 bull bar in black steel bolts onto the bumper. Lights attach to its tube with 45–50 mm tube clamps, a pair of reinforced polymer clamps with an 8 mm mounting hole.
 | OFD OFJLSB314 bull bar |
 | Light clamps for 45–50 mm tube (2 pcs) |
Lights for the bull bar
Bull bars usually carry 7–9-inch round lights or short light bars. Most current models have two modes: a road-approved mode and a stronger off-road mode (Boost, Xperience, full power). The Ref value applies to the road mode, which on the LAZER Sentinel and some Linear bars is a reduced-power mode.
Bull bar lights — OSRAM LEDriving, Strands, LAZER Sentinel and LAZER Linear 12″ and 18″ bars — with road mode, off-road mode and Ref values are listed in part two of this guide.
Other bumpers
 | Factory steel bumper: MetalCloak MC3189 bull bar, 1¾″ tube on 3/16″ brackets with room for auxiliary lights. MetalCloak labels it Off Road Use Only. |
 | Factory plastic bumper (EU version): BB-JL-OR bull bar, 60 mm tube with fog light mounts, for the JL, 4xe and JT, not type-approved. |
 | New bumper with integrated lighting: Rival 2D.2701.2, 6 mm aluminium with built-in LEDs, for the JK, JL and JT (not Mojave). |
 | Modular bumper: the MetalCloak Frame-Built 2400 does not accept the lights from the factory steel bumper, so plan the lighting from scratch. |
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Rear: EU-spec tail lights and the third brake light
EU-spec tail lights
In Europe, rear turn signals must be amber. Many tail lights built for the US market use red turn signals, so pick European versions when you replace them.
 | TXJL LS 19-02: LED, European version, plugs into the factory harness of an EU-market JL, fits in place of the original lights. |
 | Oracle Flush Mount 5884-504: sits flush with the body and has 12 reverse LEDs; our kit includes the 5915-JL-023 module with an amber turn signal. Oracle notes that the blind-spot sensor stays in place but its performance may be reduced. |
 | MetalCloak Lo-Profile MC6435: impact-resistant ASA housings that stick out less than stock. They carry no E-mark and disable blind-spot monitoring, so they are for off-road builds. |
Rugged Ridge Elite 11226.12 tail light guards fit factory LED tail lights only and work with blind-spot monitoring.
 | Rugged Ridge Elite 11226.12 guards |
Third brake light
The JL's factory third brake light sits on the spare tire mount, and a larger spare hides it. The MetalCloak 6962 mount lifts the original light above the tire. It is 1/8″ steel and takes about an hour to fit, but it requires a MetalCloak SportGate tire carrier (6950 or 6951). It also gives you a spot for a CB antenna, a flag or a light. The simpler option is the Nomadtech NOM-LT211 third brake light mounted under the spare.
 | MetalCloak 6962 mount (SportGate) |
 | Nomadtech NOM-LT211 third brake light |
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Power and switching
A serious light draws well over ten amps: 14.67 A for the KC Gravity Pro6 50″ kit, 13.1 A at 14.4 V for the LAZER Linear-24 Elite. That current should not run through a dash switch. You need a relay or a power module with a fuse on every circuit.
For a single pair of lights, the manufacturer's harness does the job, for example the LAZER 2L-LP-120 two-lamp harness or the OSRAM LEDriving AX 2LS.
 | LAZER 2L-LP-120 harness (2 lamps) |
 | OSRAM LEDriving AX 2LS |
With several accessories, a VoSwitch panel with an under-hood power module is tidier:
 | JL500: next to the headlight switch on the lower dash, JL from 2018 and JT from 2020, 100 A total. |
 | JL120: twelve switches on the lower dash, JL from 2018. |
 | JL400 (4 buttons): in the passenger grab handle, 2018–2023 model years only. |
 | JL800 (8 buttons): in the passenger grab handle, 2018–2023 model years only. |
 | JL410: in the passenger grab handle, for the 2024-on facelifted JL. |
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Road legality under ECE rules
A summary of the rules, not legal advice. Based on UN Regulations No. 48, 112 and 149; national rules and inspection practice vary.
- E-mark. On public roads, use only lights with a European approval mark. Auxiliary driving lights are approved under Regulation No. 112 or the newer No. 149.
- High beam only. Auxiliary driving lights switch on together with the vehicle's high beams, and dipping to low beam must switch all driving beams off at once.
- The 100 limit. The reference values (Ref) of all driving beams that can be on at the same time, factory and auxiliary, must not add up to more than 100. That equals 430,000 cd.
- Colours. Turn signals are amber; the rear fog light is red.
- Off-road lights, meaning no E-mark or over the limit, are for use off public roads. Whether the installation passes is up to the inspector.
How to count Ref
The Ref value is printed on the lamp housing next to the approval mark. Add the factory high beams to the total. Two-mode lights are approved only in road mode, and that is the mode the Ref applies to. Examples from the tables above:
| Pair of LAZER Sentinel 7″ (road mode) | 25 | |
| OSRAM VX1250-CB DR SM | 40 | |
| Pair of OSRAM Cube MX180-CB Amber Extreme | 40 | |
| LAZER Linear-24 Elite | 60 | |
| OSRAM VX1250 + pair of Sentinel 7″ | 65 | |
| OSRAM VX1250 + LAZER Linear-24 Elite | 100 — limit used up |
The OSRAM bar above the windshield plus a pair of Sentinel 7″ lights on the bull bar leave 35 for the factory high beams. The OSRAM bar and the Linear-24 Elite together already reach 100, with nothing left for the headlights. In practice you choose one road-legal set and treat the rest as off-road lighting.
Pre-order checklist
- Model year: 2018–2023 or 2024-on, because the VoSwitch grab handle panels differ.
- Variant: standard, 4xe, 392 or Gladiator Mojave, because the windshield brackets differ.
- Front bumper: steel or plastic, because the fog lights and bull bars differ.
- Light and bracket as a pair: the 50″ class above the windshield, separate LAZER brackets for Linear-24 and Linear-36.
- E-mark and Ref value on the housing if the light will be used on the road; on two-mode lights, only the approved mode on the road.
- Current: a harness with a relay or a panel with a power module, and a fuse on every circuit.
- Tail lights: European version and blind-spot monitoring compatibility.
- Larger spare tire: a plan for the third brake light.
FAQ
Is a windshield LED light bar road legal?
Only if it is approved as a driving lamp (E-mark, Regulation 112 or 149), switches with the high beams and, together with the factory headlights, stays within Ref 100. The OSRAM VX1250-CB DR SM is Ref 20 + 20. The KC Gravity Pro6 50″ kit, rated at 670,000 cd, is not for public roads.
7-inch or 9-inch headlights?
The JL has 9-inch buckets from the factory. You can run 7-inch lights on the NEXT 7″ mounting rings with the H4 harness for the JL, which opens up a wider range of E-marked headlights like the Galenda NEXT2 (E4) and the Wesem (E20).
I have a JL 4xe. Which KC kit do I need?
91340. The standard 91336 kit does not fit the 4xe, and the JL 392 and Gladiator Mojave use the 91339 kit.
Will new tail lights disable blind-spot monitoring?
It depends on the model. MetalCloak Lo-Profile lights are not compatible with it. With Oracle lights the sensor stays, but Oracle warns that performance may be reduced. Rugged Ridge Elite guards are compatible.
Do I need to drill?
Not for most JL kits. KC 7327, the Nomadtech brackets, the LAZER VIFK-JWJL kits and the DV8 LBJL-06 all use factory mounting points.
A bigger spare hides the third brake light. What now?
Raise the factory light with the MetalCloak 6962 mount (needs the SportGate carrier) or add a light under the tire, such as the Nomadtech NOM-LT211.
Where to start
Lighting and accessories for the JL are collected in our Jeep Wrangler JL parts and accessories section. Brackets are under lighting mounting brackets and bars under light bars. If you are not sure which hood, bumper or switch panel matches your vehicle, send us your VIN and we will confirm fitment before you order.
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