Requirements For Lighting and Reflective Devices

Below are all of the requirements for Lighting and Reflective devices when driving in Texas.

All vehicles driven on Texas roads must have signals, reflectors, and other non-white lights that meet standards set by Texas law. Unless otherwise stated by Texas law, a lighting device or reflector mounted on the rear of a vehicle must be or reflect red. A reflector must be mounted at a height from 15 to 60 inches and be visible at night at all distances from 100 to 600 feet when directly in front of lawful lower beams of headlamps or from 100 to 350 feet when directly in front of lawful upper beams of headlamps if the vehicle was manufactured or assembled before January 1, 1972.

A lighting device on a motor vehicle, other than a headlamp, spot lamp, auxiliary lamp, turn signal lamp, or emergency vehicle or school bus warning lamp, that projects a beam with an intensity brighter than 300 candlepower must be directed so that no part of the high-intensity portion of the beam strikes the roadway at a distance of more than 75 feet from the vehicle.

A vehicle may be equipped with alternately flashing lighting equipment only if the vehicle is a school bus, an authorized emergency vehicle, a church bus that has the words "church bus" printed on the front and rear of the bus so as to be clearly discernible to other vehicle operators, or a tow truck while under the direction of a law enforcement officer at the scene of an accident or while hooking up to a disabled vehicle on a roadway or a tow truck with a mounted light bar which has turn signals and stop lamps.

Except as provided by Texas law, a motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, pole trailer, or vehicle that is towed at the end of a combination of vehicles must be equipped with at least two tail lamps. A passenger car or truck that was manufactured or assembled before the model year 1960 must be equipped with at least one tail lamp.

Tail lamps shall be mounted on the rear of the vehicle at a height from 15 to 72 inches and at the same level and spaced as widely apart as possible if a vehicle is equipped with more than one lamp. A tail lamp must emit a red light plainly visible at a distance of 1,000 feet from the rear of the vehicle.

The rear license plate must be illuminated by a white tail lamp or separate lamp so that the rear plate is clearly legible at a distance of 50 feet from the rear. These lamps must also emit a light when a headlamp or auxiliary driving lamp is lighted.

Except as provided by the Texas law, a motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer must be equipped with at least two stop lamps. A passenger car manufactured or assembled before the model year 1960 must be equipped with at least one stop lamp. A stop lamp must be mounted on the rear of the vehicle.

A stop lamp must emit a red or amber light, or a color between red and amber, which is visible in normal sunlight at a distance of at least 300 feet from the rear of the vehicle and displayed when the vehicle service brake is applied. A stop lamp may be included as a part of another rear lamp.