Headlight Restoration in Los Angeles, at Your Home or Office
MNG's mobile headlight restoration service comes to wherever your car is parked, at home, at work or on the street, across LA County outside the Antelope Valley, plus Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley. We wet-sand the failed factory coating off the lens, machine-polish it clear and seal it with a new UV-blocking coat. From $179 a pair.
- A new UV coat on every job
- The old coat fully off, never a polish-only job
- Not right? Tell us within 48 hours and we come back and fix it at no charge.
- Last updated September 15, 2026
Headlight restoration prices for a pair, by vehicle size. Every package takes the old coat fully off and puts a new UV coat on; no travel fee.
| Package (a pair) | Sedan / coupe | SUV / crossover | Truck / van / 3-row SUV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Headlight restorationSand, polish, UV-blocking sealant | $179 | $179 | $199 |
| Restoration + UV-cured hard coatWürth UVCure, cured on the lens with a UV lamp | $299 | $299 | $329 |
| One headlight only | $119 | $119 | $129 |
| Added to a full detail, paint correction or dent repair visit | $129 | $129 | $149 |
- Fog lights, a pair: $99.
- Taillights, a pair: $149.
- Clear headlight film after restoring, XPEL ULTIMATE PLUS: $249 on paint protection film. Clear film only, never tint or smoke.
What changes the price: lens size and shape (wrap-around truck and SUV lenses take longer); how far the coat has failed (deep crazing and pitting need a coarser first grit); the topcoat (a UV-cured hard coat costs more than a wipe-on sealant); and whether it is a visit of its own or added to another service. All our prices: car detailing prices in Los Angeles. Book headlight restoration.
Cloudy headlights and California law
- Two lit headlamps in darkness or inclement weather, which includes weather that needs the wipers in continuous use (Vehicle Code 24400).
- Beam reach: the low beam must reveal a person or vehicle at least 100 feet ahead and the high beam at least 350 feet, and the bright part of the low beam must not strike an approaching driver's eyes (24407).
- Maintenance: required lighting must "at all times be maintained in good working order" (24252). The Code sets no haze threshold.
- No periodic safety inspection for an ordinary registered car. BAR's safety systems inspection covers listed vehicle types (revived salvage and junk vehicles, specially constructed vehicles, motorcycles, heavier trailers, converted off-highway vehicles); a lamp fix-it ticket is signed off by a licensed station or by law enforcement (BAR).
- No headlight tint: other lamps may show any unlit color "except headlamps" (25950). We don't tint or smoke headlights.
Not legal advice.
What's included in headlight restoration
- 01
Check in the shade
Is the haze on the outside or the inside? Any cracks? Water inside that doesn't clear with the lamps on? If the problem is inside the lamp, we say so before we start, and the check costs nothing.
- 02
Wash the lens, mask the paint
Tape around the lens protects the paint and trim.
- 03
Wet-sand the failed coat completely off
Down to bare, even plastic, as in UV+EB's method ("until virgin PC is obtained", UV+EB) and the professional process in AAA's test, which ran 320, then 600, 1200 and 2000 grit. The water comes from a spray bottle filled from our own supply, never your hose, and the slurry is wiped up over our water-capture mat: in the City of LA, untreated wastewater from mobile commercial operations is barred from the storm drain (LAMC 64.70.02 B.1).
- 04
Machine-polish
The lens goes back to optical clarity.
- 05
Wipe to bare polycarbonate
So the new coat bonds.
- 06
A new UV coat
A UV-blocking sealant on the standard package; on the hard-coat package, Würth's UVCure hard coat, cured on the lens with a UV lamp.
- 07
Beam check and hand-over
We shine the low beams on a wall to check the pattern. In AAA's lab, restored lamps still failed mostly in the glare zones of the low-beam test, and AAA advises re-aiming whichever fix you choose (AAA); California requires that the bright part of the low beam not strike an approaching driver's eyes. If the aim looks off, we recommend a shop aim check. The care sheet says when the car can see rain or a wash; no solvents on the lens.
Read more
Before you book: is your headlight a restoration job?
| What you see | What it usually means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow or cloudy outside, rough to the touch | The factory UV coat has failed | Restoration (this page) |
| Restored before, yellow again soon after | No new UV coat went on (bare polycarbonate yellows under UV, AAA), or the old coat was only partly removed: most kits AAA looked at remove only the discolored surface | A full restoration with a new UV coat |
| Haze or yellowing on the inside of the lens | We can only sand and coat the outside | Not a restoration job; the check costs nothing |
| Light fog inside that clears after the lamps have been on a while | Normal condensation (HELLA) | Nothing |
| Water drops or pooled water inside that keep coming back | A failed seal or a blocked vent | A shop checks the seal and vents; if water still collects, HELLA says the lamp must be replaced |
| Cracks or holes through the lens, broken mounting tabs | Structural damage | A new headlamp from a body or repair shop |
In AAA's lab test, restored lamps reached about 70% of new OEM light output, against 100% for a new OEM lamp. AAA calls restoring "the most cost effective option" and says "AAA recommends replacement" for the most light, and its report adds: weigh your budget and how long you will keep the car (AAA report).
Why headlights turn yellow: sun and parking in LA
A lens parked at the curb or in an open lot takes sun all day, and UV is what wears away its factory coat; garage or covered parking helps most, and we still restore the lens right where it is parked. Why lenses yellow, and why restored ones yellow again: why restored headlights turn yellow again.
Headlights, paint and dents: related services
- Swirls and light scratches in the paint: paint correction.
- Door dings and small dents without paint: paintless dent repair.
- The whole car cleaned inside and out: full detail.
- Restored lenses kept from pitting: paint protection film, as clear headlight film.
Headlight restoration near you: areas we serve
West LA, Palms, Mid-City, Koreatown, Downtown, Hollywood and the Valley; Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood and Culver City; Glendale, Burbank and Pasadena; Torrance, Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach and Long Beach; Santa Clarita, Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley. We cover LA County outside the Antelope Valley, plus Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley, with no travel fee.
Headlight restoration FAQ
How much does headlight restoration cost in Los Angeles?
A pair is $179 with a new UV-blocking coat, or $299 with Würth's UV-cured hard coat; one lens is $119. Bigger truck and SUV lenses take longer, so the price goes by vehicle size (see the table), and there is no travel fee.
What does headlight repair cost when restoration won't fix it?
Restoration fixes haze on the outside of the lens. Haze on the inside, water that keeps collecting after the seal and vents are checked, or a cracked lens needs a new headlamp from a body or repair shop. In AAA's 2018 comparison, a dealer-installed OEM pair cost several times a professional restoration, before a re-aim (AAA). Restoration is $179 a pair, and our pre-check costs nothing.
How much does a headlight polish cost?
Polishing or sanding takes off the yellowed layer and what is left of the factory UV coat, and bare polycarbonate has no UV protection, so a lens left uncoated turns yellow again (AAA). That is why every job we do ends with a new UV coat: there is no polish-only price, and the pair price, $179, includes the coat.
Is your headlight restoration guaranteed?
Yes: not right? Tell us within 48 hours and we come back and fix it at no charge. We print no term in years; the coat's durability is its maker's. How long lenses stay clear depends on the coat, the sun and where the car is parked: in AAA's test, the maker of the professional UV-cured film claimed five years and the DIY kit's spray one year, makers' claims rather than AAA measurements.
Can you restore my headlights at my home, office or parking garage?
Yes, wherever the car is parked, the street included, with our own water and power, never your hose, and with no travel fee. Shade or a garage is best for the coat, and a pair usually takes one to two hours on site. Send a photo of the lenses when you book so we can pre-check them.
What should a professional headlight restoration include?
Hold any company to this: a pre-check for inside haze, trapped water and cracks; paint and trim masked; the failed coat sanded fully off, down to bare plastic; a polish to optical clarity; a new, named UV coat; a beam check on a wall; and a written guarantee. Every professional system AAA studied removed all of the original film and applied a UV-cured coat, while most DIY kits said to remove only the discolored surface.
Can cloudy headlights get me a ticket in California?
The Vehicle Code requires lit headlamps whose low beam reveals a person or vehicle 100 feet ahead, kept "in good working order". It sets no haze threshold, so a stop is at the officer's discretion. An ordinary registered car has no periodic safety inspection, and a lamp fix-it ticket is signed off by a licensed station or law enforcement. Not legal advice.
Can I put film on my headlights after restoration, or tint them?
Film, yes: clear film on the restored lenses, $249, is on paint protection film. Tint, no: California's Vehicle Code lets other lamps show any unlit color "except headlamps" (25950), and we don't tint or smoke headlights.
More about Headlight Restoration
Why book headlight restoration with MNG
- We come to you wherever the car is parked: home, office or the street.
- The old coat comes fully off and a new UV coat goes on, every time; never a polish-only job sold as restoration.
- An honest pre-check: we tell you before we start if the problem is inside the lamp.
- One visit alongside a full detail, paint correction or dent repair, useful before a lease return or a sale.
- Published prices by vehicle size, with no travel fee.
- Clean curbside work: paint masked, slurry wiped up over a water-capture mat, nothing into the storm drain.
- Not right? Tell us within 48 hours and we come back and fix it at no charge.
Why lenses yellow again, and what keeps them clear:
MNG Mobile Car Detailing Beverly Hills
Clear lenses, restored where you park.
Send a photo of the lenses so we can pre-check inside against outside haze. The quote comes back with the price per pair, and nothing is charged until you accept it.
Not right? Tell us within 48 hours and we come back and fix it at no charge.
Calls 8 am–10 pm daily