Our full headlight restoration process, at your driveway
A full restoration removes the UV damaged layer from your lenses. Then we seal them with a ceramic coating that bonds to the plastic itself. It costs $220 per pair and takes about an hour, wherever your car is parked. If your headlights are not perfectly clear, you do not pay.
Drag to compare. Our own work.
Why headlights fail so fast in St. Petersburg
The sun. St. Petersburg averages 361 days of sunshine a year. The city even holds the Guinness World Record for consecutive sunny days: 768 straight. Headlight lenses are polycarbonate with a thin factory UV coating. That much sun breaks the coating down years earlier than it would up north, and salt air off the bay speeds it up. Once the coating fails, the plastic itself oxidizes. First a light haze, then yellowing, then a lens that scatters light instead of throwing it down the road.
That is a legal problem as much as a cosmetic one. Florida Statute 316.220 requires low beams to reveal objects 150 feet ahead, and Florida Statute 316.217 requires headlights whenever it rains, which in a St. Pete summer means every afternoon. Dim, hazy lenses fail both tests exactly when you need them. The full science is in our post on why the Florida sun ruins headlights in 2 to 3 years.
What a full restoration actually involves
Five steps, three core stages: decontamination, correction, and protection. Every step happens at your location, and the whole job takes about an hour.
Mask and Inspect
We tape off the paint and trim around each lens and read the depth of the UV damage. Zero risk to your finish, and the damage depth decides which sanding grits we start with.
Chemical Decontamination
Decontamination wipes strip the surface oxidation and any old sealant residue so we are working on bare polycarbonate, not on top of failed coatings.
Grit Matched Wet Sanding
We wet sand each lens with grits selected for its damage depth, removing the yellowed, UV damaged layer entirely. This is the step DIY kits and quick polish jobs skip or rush.
Machine Polish
Machine polishing refines the sanded lens back to true optical clarity, so light passes through instead of scattering.
Ceramic Coating
A true ceramic coating chemically bonds to the polycarbonate and blocks UV. It does not sit on the surface like a sprayed clearcoat or wipe on sealant. That is why the results last for years, and why our warranty is possible.
Why our results last when DIY kits fail
Because of what happens after the sanding. DIY kits and quick polish shops finish with a wipe on sealant or a sprayed clearcoat. Those sit on the surface and wear away in months. That is why hazy headlights come back the same summer. We finish with a true ceramic coating that chemically bonds to the polycarbonate itself. There is no film to peel or wear off. The UV barrier becomes part of the lens surface. That bond is why we can put a 3 year warranty on every job, and lifetime coverage on Crystal Clear for Life.
Taillights and other lenses
The same UV that clouds headlights clouds taillights, and a dim taillight is what the driver behind you does not see in the rain. We restore taillights and other exterior polycarbonate lenses with the same process and the same guarantee. Mention them when you book and we will quote both in one visit.
What it costs
$220 per pair for Full Restoration with a 3 year warranty, or $320 for Crystal Clear for Life with a lifetime yearly inspection and touch up. Both carry the Perfectly Clear or It's Free guarantee, and both include mobile service. Full details on the pricing page, and the exact guarantee terms are on the guarantee page.
Headlight restoration questions, answered
How long does headlight restoration take?
Most vehicles take about an hour for both headlights. Heavily damaged lenses can add 20 to 30 minutes. You do not need to be present once we have access to the vehicle.
How long do the results last?
Our ceramic coating chemically bonds to the polycarbonate lens instead of sitting on top of it. That is why we back Full Restoration with a 3 year warranty and Crystal Clear for Life with a lifetime yearly inspection and touch up. DIY kits typically haze back within months because their sealants wear off.
Is restoration as good as replacing the headlights?
For UV oxidation, the cause of nearly all cloudy headlights, yes. Restoration removes the damaged layer and returns near factory clarity at a fraction of the $400 to $1,200+ per side that replacement costs. Cracked or internally damaged housings are the exception, and we will tell you upfront if that is what we find.
Do you restore taillights too?
Yes. Taillights and other exterior polycarbonate lenses oxidize the same way headlights do, and the same process restores them. Ask for a taillight quote when you book and we will handle both in one visit.
Can cloudy headlights really get you a ticket in Florida?
They can contribute to one. Florida Statute 316.220 requires low beams to reveal objects at 150 feet, and heavily oxidized lenses can fail that standard. Florida Statute 316.217 also requires headlights whenever your wipers are on, so every summer storm puts dim lenses to the test.
What if my headlights are not perfectly clear afterward?
Then you do not pay. That is our Perfectly Clear or It's Free guarantee, and it applies to every job at every price tier. The full terms are on our guarantee page.
Book your restoration, any hour
Mobile service across St. Petersburg & Pinellas County, FL. Open 24/7, and most jobs take about an hour.