The headlights have to meet DOT standards. There are certain limits they do set.
There are currently no HID conversion kits on the market anywhere that meets those DOT standards.
Have you ever driven a vehicle with those so-called "Enhanced or boosted" headlights before? If you did, you'd have a different perspective on them.
I have, and they're great. They're beyond great, they're awesome. I can understand how someone can quickly become thoroughly and completely unconcerned with any annoyance the glare of these lights can cause to other drivers. The only thing that prevents me from using them, or aircraft landing lights or railroad engine headlights, is getting a ticket for having them, not the concern of momentary annoyance of oncoming drivers (although, I do dim brights and even lower the aiming of the low beams when they're on someone's face).
The NHTSA has been doing studies since at least 2001 about the correlation of bright headlights and accidents caused by the glare, and so far has found no correlation at all. So while the glare is annoying, it ain't going away.
There are a handful of states with glare laws, but they don't go after HID or other bright lights specifically like they mention high beams, they just say you have to not have the glare in other driver's faces. Nebraska is one such state. There's maybe half a dozen others.
The thing is, the DOT standards
require some upward spill on headlights in order to illuminate overhead signs that are not lighted by themselves. They accomplish that by requiring a large reflector housing behind the bulb. In Europe, all overhead signs that are applicable at night must be self-lit, so there is no upward spill on the automotive lights in Europe, and it's why the HIS lights are so common over there. Instead of having to use a flood reflector housing like we have, they use a more focused beam which allows for more light throw down the road, and a brighter beam. Here, you put that bright beam in a floody reflector, and you blind everyone on the road.
Because 49 U.S.C. 30122 makes it illegal to render inoperative any equipment installed in accordance with a Federal motor vehicle safety standard, including the required reflector to achieve the necessary upward spill to illuminate signs, all HID conversion kits according to the DOT are illegal. It's why all those kits state "for off-road use only" or some other type of warning. Many of those kits state "DOT Approved", but if you look closely that approval only applies to the bulb or the ballast, and not the kit itself. The DOT doesn't even approve that stuff anyway, the manufacturer self-declares that it meets the DOT standards, and is therefore DOT approved. That's all "DOT Approved" means.
One interesting thing is, how objectionable the brighter lights are depends largely on the color of the light. The cooler the light is, the more objectionable it is, even if it's actually dimmer than a regular halogen light, as the cool blueish end of the spectrum has a greater effect on ruining someone's night vision. Warmer light, even a brighter one, doesn't seem as bright to an oncoming driver. If you go with a warmer light, even a brighter one, it's less objectionable, and therefore will greatly reduce the chances of getting ticketed for it.
be anymore creative ill kick your headlights in....