Texas is a little more laid back than other states when it comes to headlight laws, but they still do have restrictions. Most importantly, the LED headlight restrictions are focused on the safety of the public at large, including the driver.
Therefore, to make sure you know what you can drive with when it comes to LED headlights and what you can’t, read this article to see what I learned!
Are LED Headlights Legal In Texas?
All LED headlights are legal in the state of Texas, with the exception of red and blue. That makes any headlight that came as an OEM feature on your vehicle legal. When it comes to aftermarket headlights, they must be DOT approved. Using show and off-road only headlights on public roads can get you ticketed or towed.
LED headlight laws are put in place to protect other drivers from being blinded, or your vehicle mistaken for an emergency vehicle. Read this article to make sure you stay in compliance with the law!
Are Aftermarket LED Headlights Legal in Texas?
Aftermarket LED headlights are illegal in Texas unless a vehicle comes standard with LED headlights from the factory.
Although there are few legal enforcements on this issue, it’s an easy way to get pulled over and receive a ticket.
However, since a lot of vehicles come with LED headlights as a standard, it’s hard for the police to know if your vehicle is breaking the law or not.
Are 6000k LED Headlights Legal?
When you go over 6000k with your headlights, they start to illuminate a blue color, which would make them illegal.
However, when you get to 12000k, your headlights will start to turn purple, and whether this is considered legal will depend on how bright they are and the officer’s discretion.
Are Blue LED Headlights Legal?
Not only are blue and red headlights illegal in Texas, but they are also illegal in all other states in the U.S. and most other countries.
Since the laws say that red and blue lights are reserved for emergency vehicles only, civilian lights are not allowed to have these types of LED headlight colors.
Are LED Light Bars Illegal in Texas?
LED light bars are legal in Texas under certain conditions. LED light bars can not be pointed too high in the air, they can’t be blue or red, can’t be too bright, and they can’t be a nuisance to other drivers.
Outside of the blue and red colors of the light bar, enforcing this law is up to the discretion of the police officer.
Are LED Tail Lights Illegal in Texas?
All LED tail lights that come from the factory as OEM stock are legal in the state of Texas.
If you’re looking to upgrade to an aftermarket LED tail light setup, you should make sure when you’re shopping for your setup, the LED light and or packaging says DOT approved.
If, however, the package doesn’t say DOT approved or at least ASE certified, you could be looking at a ticket and maybe even some insurance problems if you’re rear-ended.
Are Smoked Headlights Legal in Texas?
This is another area where the law is a little hazy, but if you follow some simple common sense regulations, you’ll find out that they’re pretty easy to follow.
If your smoked-out light covers cause your white headlights to illuminate a different color (i.e the color blue), then you could be driving in violation of the headlight law. You may also have a problem if your covers dim your headlights too much.
Are LED Headlights Worth the Upgrade?
For what LED headlights can offer you as a driver, they are an excellent upgrade. You can get a better line of sight during the nighttime, they last longer than average halogen headlights, and they put less drain on your battery.
Now, whether they are legal or not will most likely depend on the headlights features, like whether they’re DOT approved or if they illuminate at over 6000k.
In fact, not having DOT-approved headlights or having headlights above the recommended 6000k limit can put you in violation of the law.
When Do You Need to Use Your Headlights in Texas?
In Texas, the headlight laws are a little more relaxed than in other states. You only need to turn on your headlights 30-minutes after sunset and keep them on 30-minutes after sunrise.
The law also states that you should always turn your headlights on when your visibility is less than 1000-feet.
Are “Halo Lights” or “Angle Lights” Legal in Texas?
For the most part, these new styles of headlights are legal with a few stipulations.
If the headlights are still white on the inside, and the ring on the outside creating the halo effect doesn’t illuminate blue or red, these types of lights are legal in Texas.
Are LED Interior Lights Legal in Texas?
You’re not allowed to have a strip of LED lights like you would see in a limo, but you can have LED lights on your interior for the purpose of making it brighter or to change the color of your lights.
As well, since your interior lights only come on when you’re not driving, you can pick blue or red to be your colors, unlike LED headlights.
Is it Legal to Drive With LED Lights in Texas?
There’s no state law that says you can’t drive with LED lights on your vehicle, but that state law is limited only to colors that are not blue or red.
Blue and red LED lights are not illegal to install or use at a car show, but because of the federal law that prohibits blue and red lights only on emergency vehicles, you can’t have these lights on while you’re on a public roadway.
To know more, you can also see our posts on whether or not LED headlights are legal in California, how long do LED headlights last, and when to turn on headlights.
Conclusion
The LED headlight laws in Texas are a lot more relaxed than they’re in many other states, such as Arkansas and California.
However, there are still laws that have to be followed or you could wind up with a traffic citation or worse, your car could get towed.