The Texas Transportation Code sets the headlight rules for every vehicle on a public road: lamps on from 30 minutes after sunset until 30 minutes before sunrise and whenever weather cuts visibility below 1,000 feet, white light only, beams that reach set distances, and lamps mounted between 24 and 54 inches off the ground. Breaking any of these rules is a misdemeanor, but most equipment tickets can be dismissed for a fee of up to $10 if you fix the problem before your first court date.
When Your Headlights Must Be On
Section 547.302 sets two triggers. The first is nighttime, defined in the Transportation Code as the period from 30 minutes after sunset until 30 minutes before sunrise.1State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code Chapter 541 – Definitions The second is any time visibility drops below 1,000 feet because of weather or other atmospheric conditions.2State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code 547-302 – Duty to Display Lights Fog, heavy rain, sleet, snow, dust — anything that shortens how far you can see ahead pulls the second trigger.
The statute doesn’t ask whether you personally feel comfortable driving without lights. If a person or vehicle isn’t clearly visible at 1,000 feet, your headlamps need to be on. Officers judge those conditions, so when in doubt, flip them on.
Color, Brightness, and Beam Distance
Texas Transportation Code Section 547.3215 requires all vehicle lighting to comply with the current federal standard in 49 CFR 571.108, commonly called FMVSS No. 108.3State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code Chapter 547 – Vehicle Equipment Under that standard, headlamps must emit white light.4eCFR. 49 CFR 571.108 – Standard No. 108 Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment Red, blue, green, and purple headlights are illegal on anything other than authorized emergency vehicles. The Texas Department of Public Safety advises checking that any replacement bulb carries a DOT or SAE stamp confirming compliance, and warns against bulbs marketed for off-road or show use only.5Department of Public Safety. Lighting
Section 547.333 governs how far your headlights must reach. High beams must illuminate a person or vehicle at least 450 feet ahead under all loading conditions. Low beams must do the same at 150 feet, and the high-intensity portion of the low beam cannot project into the eyes of an approaching driver on a straight, level road.6Texas Public Law. Texas Transportation Code 547.333 – Multiple-Beam Lighting Equipment Every vehicle with headlamps must give the driver a way to switch between high and low beams, manually or automatically. A bulb that produces plenty of light but can’t form a properly aimed low beam still violates the statute.
Texas also caps the number of bright forward lamps. Under Section 547.302(d), no more than four lamps brighter than 300 candlepower can be lit at once on the front of the vehicle, and that count includes the headlamps themselves.2State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code 547-302 – Duty to Display Lights
Mounting Height and Aim
Section 547.321 requires at least two headlamps, one on each side of the front. Each must sit between 24 and 54 inches off the ground.3State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code Chapter 547 – Vehicle Equipment The federal standard sets a similar range of roughly 22 to 54 inches.4eCFR. 49 CFR 571.108 – Standard No. 108 Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment
Suspension lifts and lowering kits are the usual culprits. A lift that pushes your headlamp centers above 54 inches puts the vehicle out of compliance, and a drop that sends them below 24 inches does the same. Aim matters too. Even at a legal mounting height, a headlamp aimed too high will blind oncoming drivers, and one aimed too low won’t light enough road to meet the 150-foot low-beam minimum. Misalignment often follows suspension work or collisions.
LED and HID Conversions
Swapping halogen bulbs for LEDs or HIDs is one of the most common headlight modifications, and one of the most misunderstood. NHTSA addressed it in a 2024 interpretation letter: LED light sources are permitted in integral beam headlamps, where the bulb and housing form a single sealed or semi-sealed unit, as long as the entire headlamp still meets FMVSS 108.7National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 571.108–NCC-230201-001 LED Headlights M. Baker
LEDs are not currently permitted in replaceable bulb headlamps. Those systems have specific bulb dimension and electrical requirements filed under Part 564, and as of that letter, no LED replacement bulb submission appears in the docket. If your housing was designed for a standard halogen bulb you can pop out and replace, dropping an LED bulb into it does not comply with the federal standard, and NHTSA said enforcement falls to the states.7National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 571.108–NCC-230201-001 LED Headlights M. Baker
Because Section 547.3215 pulls FMVSS 108 into Texas law, an LED or HID kit that produces uncontrolled glare because it wasn’t designed for your housing is a Texas violation, not just a federal one.3State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code Chapter 547 – Vehicle Equipment These are the modifications that draw enforcement attention at night.
Auxiliary Lamps, Light Bars, and Flashing Lights
Light bars and auxiliary driving lamps are legal to install but restricted in use. The four-lamp-at-300-candlepower cap in Section 547.302(d) means you can’t run every auxiliary lamp alongside your headlamps at the same time on a public road.2State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code 547-302 – Duty to Display Lights Federal law adds that no additional lamp may impair the effectiveness of required lighting equipment, and auxiliary lamps must be mounted far enough from required identification lamps to avoid confusing other drivers.4eCFR. 49 CFR 571.108 – Standard No. 108 Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment A large forward-facing light bar that washes out your turn signals fails that test. Wiring auxiliary lamps to a separate switch and leaving them off on public highways solves both problems.
Section 547.305 prohibits operating a vehicle with a red, white, or blue beacon, flashing light, or alternating light unless the vehicle is authorized. That authorization is narrow: emergency vehicles, school buses, properly marked church buses, and tow trucks operating under law enforcement direction or hooking up disabled vehicles on a roadway. The statute also bars any red light visible from directly in front of the vehicle, except on police vehicles.8State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code 547-305 – Restrictions on Use of Lights Aftermarket strobe kits, color-changing grille lights, and flashing headlight modules on ordinary passenger vehicles fall into this prohibition. Some motorcycle headlight modulators have narrow federal exemptions for daytime use; anything beyond those exemptions is illegal on Texas roads.
Tinting or covering your headlamp lenses is another modification that can create trouble. Any film, cover, or coating that pulls light output below the 150-foot low-beam or 450-foot high-beam minimums puts the vehicle out of compliance with Section 547.333. Heavily oxidized or yellowed lenses can produce the same shortfall over time.
Penalties and the $10 Compliance Dismissal
Operating a vehicle that doesn’t meet the lighting requirements in Chapter 547 is a misdemeanor under Section 547.004. The statute reaches vehicles that are unsafe, not equipped as required, or equipped in a prohibited way.3State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code Chapter 547 – Vehicle Equipment
Most equipment violations come with a built-in escape hatch. Section 547.004(c) allows a court to dismiss a headlight citation if you fix the problem before your first court appearance and pay a reimbursement fee of no more than $10.3State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code Chapter 547 – Vehicle Equipment The dismissal does not apply to commercial motor vehicles. And the timing is strict: miss your first court date and you lose eligibility for the dismissal, leaving you with the standard misdemeanor fine.
What Changed When Texas Dropped Safety Inspections
House Bill 3297 eliminated mandatory vehicle safety inspections for all non-commercial vehicles in Texas, effective January 1, 2025. Non-commercial vehicles still pay a $7.50 annual inspection replacement fee, and new vehicles purchased in Texas that haven’t been previously registered pay $16.75 upfront covering two years. Vehicles in emissions counties still need emissions testing. Commercial vehicles continue to undergo full safety inspections in every county.9Department of Public Safety. Vehicle Safety Inspection Program Changes Now in Effect
A burned-out headlamp, a misaligned beam, or an illegal bulb that used to get flagged during a $7 inspection now stays on the road until an officer notices it or the driver does. Walking around the vehicle with the lights on every few months is the simplest way to catch problems before a traffic stop does.