In a method and apparatus to regulate the illumination range of a motor vehicle in which, at a position on a front axle and at a position on a rear axle, signals are measured which are dependent upon the relative positions of a motor-vehicle body to the front axle and the rear axle, with a difference formation between the signal from the front axle and that of the rear axle being accomplished with a resulting difference signal, as a nominal-value signal, being filtered to a first average-value formation. The time for the first average-value formation is determined by a first filter (F1) time constant with positions of adjusting elements being regulated when the first filtered nominal-value deviates from a predetermined, or set, value. Simultaneously with the first average-value formation, a second average-value formation of the nominal-value signal with a second small, or short, filter (F2) time constant, and a third average-value formation of the nominal-value signal with a third, long, filter (F3) time constant takes place. The second, filtered, nominal-value signal is compared with the third, filtered, nominal-value signal, and upon the existence of a difference there between, a regulation from the first, filtered, nominal-value signal is switched over to the third, filtered, nominal-value signal and upon a termination of the difference is again switched over from the third, filtered, nominal-value signal to the first, filtered, nominal-value signal.