Is Selling Christmas Lights Really Illegal In El Paso?

Is the Grinch trying to steal the El Paso Christmas lights this year? Last August, Uncle Sam enacted a law banning certain types of incandescent light bulbs.

Incandescent bulbs emitting less than 45 lumens per watt can no longer me made or sold and many Christmas lights emit way less than that.

Don't worry if you already put up all your decorations though. You're perfectly free to use what you have and you'll also be able to replace any you break as Christmas lights are not included in the ban.

The law only applies to incandescent bulbs, any LED bulbs you have are totally fine as they typically produce around 75 lumens per watt, way over that 45 lumens per watt cut off.

Phillips recently got one to hit 200 lumens.

Don't know what the hell lumens and watts are?? Click here to find out.

What Bulbs Are Not Banned By This New Law?

This is really about everyday lights ... the ones you have screwed in to lamps and light fixtures all over the house. Christmas lights are safe.

In addition to Christmas lights, manufacturers can still produce these:

• Appliance lamps, including fridge and oven lights
• Black lights
• Bug lamps
• Colored lamps
• Infrared lamps
• Left-handed thread lamps
• Plant lights
• Flood lights
• Reflector lamps
• Showcase lamps
• Traffic signals
• Some other specialty lights, including marine lamps and some odd-sized bulbs

If you need any of those, no worries. Otherwise, time to drop a few extra bucks on some LED bulbage.

By the end of 2024, compact fluorescent light bulbs will meet the same fate as their incandescent brethren.