Over the past 4 days, I have been in contact with the the NHTSA discussing what type of light source is compliant, I have found the following info:

http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/rules/interps/files/maxzonenew.html

This states any vehicle that uses a light source other than OEM is non-compliant. My car uses 9005, 9006 bulbs, pathetic, and I could be fined according to NHTSA. APC got hit with a defective fine (poor light output quality). Funny, HID light source is compliant in a Mercedes, but not a Vette!

HID light source in a Corvette would be compliant if GM made one for sale with that option, and sent in the paperwork to NHTSA certifying the lights as being DOT-compliant. Anyway, HID lighting is not the be-all, end-all lighting source that some people seem to think it is. The problem with the lighting on your 'Vette is the cheap-assed headlight assemblies that are in there. The reflector material isn't much more than aluminum paint, and they're so small (swept reflector area) that not much of the bulb-produced light gets put onto the road. If you have a C5, you can put in the export H4 headlamps for a remarkable increase in lighting, or if you have an earlier model, you can put in custom headlights (some DOT-compliant, some not) made by Hella and a few others. Read the FAQ at http://faq.auto.light.tripod.com/ for all sorts of ideas to improve your night lighting.

Corvetteman,
These headlamps:
http://shop.store.yahoo.com/corvetteforum/c5eurhead.html
Of course, they're not DOT-compliant, but you'll be able to see at night with them!

P.S., forget the "blue bulbs" shown below the headlamps, they're just for show and no go.

What about hot rods? Are people allowed to built there own cars in your state?(hot rods) in canada you can often loophole through the law by classifying your vehicle as a hot rod of course you have to change your insurance type but it's one way around it.

The majority of US States aren't as critical about what type of headlights you use as NHTSA would seemingly like them (the States) to be. Currently there are only 5/50 States that still have mandatory annual vehicle inspection. Most States, for headlight checking, will just see if they turn on and off like they're supposed to. An exception is New Jersey, that reportedly will make a car owner with non-compliant headlights change them out for US DOT-compliant ones before granting an inspection sticker. In general, if you have headlights properly aimed, no weird colored bulbs, no super-bright glaring low beams, and use high beams properly, the cops won't bother you, whether you have e-code headlamps or whatever.

Cops dont know anything, even state troopers. You new York state people, did you know its illegal (by the book) to use OEM fog and driving lights in NY State? I talking about the fog lights that come with the vehicle off the showroom floor!! Few law enforcement people know and even fewer enforce it...

A number of States have regs on the books about the use of fog lights, and they usually state that the use of fog lights is only allowed when foggy conditions prevail: Clear night or daylight running of fog lights is prohibited in NY State, not prohibited altogether. I spent about a year around Albany, and that reg was completely ignored, of course.
BTW, it's also illegal in NY State to flash your highs to an oncoming vehicle as a signal for that driver to dim his/her lights. Surprisingly, THAT regulation seemed to be obeyed about 99% of the time.

Thanks for the clarification! I didnt know about the brights. I wonder is it illegal to flash slow moving vehicles?

I tried the "export" lights for about 2 mo., you are right they are better, but IMO, still pretty sad. I think HIDs are the way. Thats why I created a non pop up design using HID lows/Hella H9 highs...much better, now at 120 I can see well down the road, hell I might even shift it into 6th gear at night now!

So let me get this straight NHTSA governs MFG's of light asys, and anything other than OEM bulb/projectors are illegal. When I spoke to Mr. Cole at NHTSA, he said DOT certification meant nothing.

It sounds like I cannot sell my headlight design without getting NHTSA approval and DOT is a performance standard?

Can anyone shed light on this topic?

DOT-compliance is a performance standard, based on beam pattern, light output, vibration & weather testing, aiming mechanism, and a bunch of other stuff. To get compliance, you'd have to have X number of sets of the lights submitted for testing, and go thru a number of legal hoops. This could take years, and few aftermarket entrepreneurs would have the time, patience, money & connections to pull this off. DOT or NHTSA does not "approve" anything, it's just that lighting that has a DOT mark on it is considered legal for road use in the Several States that recognize FMVSS 108, which is just about all of them. I don't know who Mr. Cole is; Taylor Vinson or Frank Seales names are the ones I recognize as being the legal counsels for NHTSA. I do know that if you sell your "improved" headlights without them being pronounced DOT-compliant, and you are caught, you can be fined up to $10,000 for EACH occurrence of said sale(s). As far as seeing way down the road goes, HID doesn't have that much to do with it. Illuminated forward distance with adequate (or excessive) light output is pretty much controlled by vertical deflection aim (0.4 degrees down in the US) and the distance of the headlight centers from the ground. I'm not sure what the headlight centers are on the Corvette popup (speed brakes?) lights, but it's certainly more than a flush hood mount design. One reason that SUVs and light trucks are so popular is that they allow the drivers to be able to see way down the road at night with their high-mounted headlights. Of course, in doing this, they incite other drivers (of passenger cars) to drive faster than the passenger car lights will permit, and thereby cause nighttime driving accidents. I think if I had a 'Vette, I'd mount the headlights just above the windshield, and I'd still be within the legal "limit" of 54" headlight centers.