Can You Wrap Your Car in Christmas Lights in Texas?

I was driving home the other day through Sunland Park, New Mexico. Near the area, we call “The Green Mile”…where all the dispensaries are…I saw a Jeep literally COVERED in Christmas lights.

That reminded me that I’d heard somewhere that it is illegal to festoon your vehicle with Christmas lights. My second thought was, “Why would you give the police a pretext for stopping you and searching your car as you’re leaving a dispensary?”.

So, I had to read up and find out the truth: IS it illegal to put Christmas lights on your car?

Well, the answer to that question isn’t a straight yes or no. Here’s what I found out.

In some states they have laws that expressly state you may NOT put Xmas lights on a moving vehicle. I suppose you can dress your car in holiday style as long as you don’t take out on a street.

In Wyoming, you can’t put red or blue lights on your conveyance, as that might make people mistake you for a police car?!?  You can read more about that here.

In Pennsylvania and Massachusetts, they don’t have a specific law on the books but police there are “strongly urging” people to keep Christmas lights off their vehicles.

Enter your number to get our free mobile app

What is the story in Texas? According to an article Glenn Garza wrote, there isn’t a specific law on the books about Christmas lights on a car. But, according to Section 547.302 of the Texas Transportation Code, “not more than four of the following may be lighted at one time on the front of a motor vehicle: (1) a headlamp required by this chapter or (2) a lamp, including an auxiliary lamp or spot lamp, that projects a beam with an intensity brighter than 300 candlepower.” 

So, pursuant to that code, it sounds like you could get stopped and given a ticket in Texas for having too many lights even though there isn’t a law on the books.

So how about our merry friend in Sunland Park? Was he in danger of being pulled over?

‘Fraid so. In fact it sound like, in most states, there’s at least a chance you’ll be pulled over because of those pesky but non-specific traffic codes.

One final caveat here: car experts say the multiple twinkling and tinkling lights can do real damage to your paint job.