A method is provided for actuating the headlights of a motor vehicle with a manual mode, in which the headlights can be transferred into a first illuminating state by manually actuating a selector lever in a first actuating direction and by actuating the selector lever in a second actuating direction can be transferred into a second illuminating state, and with an automatic mode, in which an external lighting situation is detected by sensors and evaluated by an evaluation device so that, according to the results of the evaluation, the headlights are automatically displaced into the first or into the second illuminating state. In the automatic mode, an override possibility is provided so that, independently of the results of the evaluation, the headlights can be transferred into the respective illuminating state by manually actuating the selector lever in the first or the second actuating direction. An additional override mode is provided, which is switched on by manually actuating the selector lever in the automatic mode, whereby in the event that the headlights are in the first illuminating state, an actuation of the selector lever in the first actuating direction causes a switching between the automatic mode and the override mode.