SUBCHAPTER A GENERAL PROVISIONS
- Texas Section 547.001 - Definitions
In this chapter: (1) "Air-conditioning equipment" means mechanical vapor compression refrigeration equipment used to cool a motor vehicle passenger or operator compartment. (2) "Explosive cargo...
- Texas Section 547.002 - Applicability
Unless a provision is specifically made applicable, this chapter and the rules of the department adopted under this chapter do not apply to: (1) an...
- Texas Section 547.003 - Equipment Not Affected
This chapter does not prohibit and the department by rule may not prohibit the use of: (1) equipment required by an agency of the United...
- Texas Section 547.004 - General Offenses
(a) A person commits an offense that is a misdemeanor if the person operates or moves or, as an owner, knowingly permits another to operate...
SUBCHAPTER B ADOPTION OF RULES AND STANDARDS
- Texas Section 547.005 - Offense Relating To Violation Of Special-use Provisions
(a) A person may not use a slow-moving-vehicle emblem on a stationary object or a vehicle other than a slow-moving vehicle. (b) A person may...
- Texas Section 547.101 - Rules And Standards In General
(a) The department may adopt rules necessary to administer this chapter. (b) The department may adopt standards for vehicle equipment to: (1) protect the public...
- Texas Section 547.102 - School Bus Equipment Standards
The department may adopt standards and specifications that: (1) supplement the standards and specifications provided by this chapter; (2) apply to lighting and warning device...
- Texas Section 547.103 - Air-conditioning Equipment Standards
The department may adopt safety requirements, rules, and specifications that: (1) apply to air-conditioning equipment; and (2) correlate with and conform as closely as possible...
- Texas Section 547.104 - Slow-moving-vehicle Emblem Standards
The director shall adopt standards and specifications that: (1) apply to the color, size, and mounting position of a slow-moving-vehicle emblem; and (2) at the...
SUBCHAPTER C PROVISIONS RELATING TO THE OFFER, DISTRIBUTION, AND SALE OF VEHICLE EQUIPMENT
- Texas Section 547.105 - Maintenance And Service Equipment Lighting Standards
(a) The Texas Department of Transportation shall adopt standards and specifications that: (1) apply to lamps on highway maintenance and service equipment, including snow-removal equipment;...
- Texas Section 547.201 - Offenses Relating To The Offer, Distribution, And Sale Of Vehicle Equipment
(a) A person may not offer or distribute for sale or sell an item of vehicle equipment for which a standard is prescribed by this...
- Texas Section 547.202 - Department Certification Or Approval Of Vehicle Equipment
(a) When or after an item of vehicle equipment is sold in this state, the department shall determine whether a department standard is prescribed for...
- Texas Section 547.203 - Vehicle Equipment Testing: Department Standards
(a) The department shall prescribe standards for and approve testing facilities to: (1) review test data submitted by a manufacturer to show compliance with a...
- Texas Section 547.204 - Vehicle Equipment Testing: Federal Standards
(a) For a vehicle or item of vehicle equipment subject to a motor vehicle safety standard of the United States, the department may, on or...
- Texas Section 547.205 - Initiation Of Compliance Proceeding
(a) The department may initiate a proceeding to determine whether an item of vehicle equipment complies with a department standard if the department reasonably believes...
- Texas Section 547.206 - Compliance Proceeding Hearing
The department shall conduct a hearing on the issue of compliance if a person required by Section 547.205 to be notified requests a hearing in...
- Texas Section 547.207 - Compliance Proceeding Issues
(a) In a hearing under Section 547.206 or in the absence of a request for a hearing, the department may make a determination of the...
SUBCHAPTER D GENERAL PROVISIONS REGARDING LIGHTING REQUIREMENTS
- Texas Section 547.208 - Judicial Review And Judicial Enforcement
(a) A person may appeal an order entered under Section 547.207 to a district court in Travis County only if a hearing was held by...
- Texas Section 547.301 - General Provisions Relating To Measurements
(a) Unless expressly stated otherwise, a visibility distance requirement imposed by this chapter for a lamp or device applies when a lighted lamp or device...
- Texas Section 547.302 - Duty To Display Lights
(a) A vehicle shall display each lighted lamp and illuminating device required by this chapter to be on the vehicle: (1) at nighttime; and (2)...
- Texas Section 547.303 - Color Requirements
(a) Unless expressly provided otherwise, a lighting device or reflector mounted on the rear of a vehicle must be or reflect red. (b) A signaling...
- Texas Section 547.304 - Applicability
(a) A provision of this chapter that requires a vehicle to be equipped with fixed electric lights does not apply to a farm trailer or...
- Texas Section 547.305 - Restrictions On Use Of Lights
(a) A motor vehicle lamp or illuminating device, other than a headlamp, spotlamp, auxiliary lamp, turn signal lamp, or emergency vehicle, tow truck, or school...
SUBCHAPTER E GENERAL LIGHTING REQUIREMENTS FOR VEHICLES
- Texas Section 547.306 - Led Ground Effect Lighting Equipment On Motorcycle
(a) In this section, "LED ground effect lighting equipment" means light emitting diode (LED) technology that is attached to the underbody of a motorcycle for...
- Texas Section 547.321 - Headlamps Required
(a) A motor vehicle shall be equipped with at least two headlamps. (b) At least one headlamp shall be mounted on each side of the...
- Texas Section 547.3215 - Use Of Federal Standard
Unless specifically prohibited by this chapter, lighting, reflective devices, and associated equipment on a vehicle or motor vehicle must comply with: (1) the current federal...
- Texas Section 547.322 - Taillamps Required
(a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), a motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, pole trailer, or vehicle that is towed at the end of a combination...
- Texas Section 547.323 - Stoplamps Required
(a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), a motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer shall be equipped with at least two stoplamps. (b) A...
- Texas Section 547.324 - Turn Signal Lamps Required
(a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), a motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer shall be equipped with electric turn signal lamps that indicate...
- Texas Section 547.325 - Reflectors Required
(a) Except as provided by Subchapter F, a motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, or pole trailer shall be equipped with at least two red reflectors on...
- Texas Section 547.326 - Minimum Lighting Equipment Required
(a) A vehicle that is not specifically required to be equipped with lamps or other lighting devices shall be equipped at the times specified in...
- Texas Section 547.327 - Spotlamps Permitted
(a) A motor vehicle may be equipped with not more than two spotlamps. (b) A spotlamp shall be aimed so that no part of the...
- Texas Section 547.328 - Fog Lamps Permitted
(a) A motor vehicle may be equipped with not more than two fog lamps. (b) A fog lamp shall be: (1) mounted on the front...
- Texas Section 547.329 - Auxiliary Passing Lamps Permitted
(a) A motor vehicle may be equipped with no more than two auxiliary passing lamps. (b) An auxiliary passing lamp shall be mounted on the...
- Texas Section 547.330 - Auxiliary Driving Lamps Permitted
(a) A motor vehicle may be equipped with no more than two auxiliary driving lamps. (b) An auxiliary driving lamp shall be mounted on the...
- Texas Section 547.331 - Hazard Lamps Permitted
(a) A vehicle may be equipped with lamps to warn other vehicle operators of a vehicular traffic hazard that requires unusual care in approaching, overtaking,...
- Texas Section 547.332 - Other Lamps Permitted
A motor vehicle may be equipped with: (1) not more than two side cowl or fender lamps that emit an amber or white light without...
- Texas Section 547.333 - Multiple-beam Lighting Equipment Required
(a) Unless provided otherwise, a headlamp, auxiliary driving lamp, auxiliary passing lamp, or combination of those lamps mounted on a motor vehicle, other than a...
- Texas Section 547.334 - Single-beam Lighting Equipment Permitted
(a) In lieu of the multiple-beam lighting equipment required by Section 547.333, a headlamp system that provides a single distribution of light and meets the...
SUBCHAPTER F ADDITIONAL LIGHTING REQUIREMENTS FOR CERTAIN LARGE VEHICLES
- Texas Section 547.335 - Alternative Road Lighting Equipment Permitted
In lieu of the multiple-beam or single-beam lighting equipment otherwise required by this subchapter, a motor vehicle that is operated at a speed of not...
- Texas Section 547.351 - Applicability
The color, mounting, and visibility requirements in this subchapter apply only to equipment on a vehicle described by Section 547.352. Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch....
- Texas Section 547.352 - Additional Lighting Equipment Requirements
In addition to other equipment required by this chapter: (1) a bus, truck, trailer, or semitrailer that is at least 80 inches wide shall be...
- Texas Section 547.353 - Color Requirements
(a) A clearance lamp, identification lamp, side marker lamp, or reflector mounted on the front, on the side near the front, or in the center...
- Texas Section 547.354 - Mounting Requirements
(a) A reflector shall be mounted: (1) at a height from 24 to 60 inches; or (2) as high as practicable on the permanent structure...
SUBCHAPTER G ALTERNATIVE LIGHTING REQUIREMENTS FOR FARM TRACTORS, FARM EQUIPMENT, AND IMPLEMENTS OF HUSBANDRY
- Texas Section 547.355 - Visibility Requirements
(a) A clearance lamp, identification lamp, or side marker lamp shall be visible and recognizable under normal atmospheric conditions at all distances from 50 to...
- Texas Section 547.371 - General Lighting Equipment Requirements
(a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), a farm tractor, self-propelled unit of farm equipment, or implement of husbandry shall be equipped with: (1) at...
SUBCHAPTER H LIGHTING REQUIREMENTS IN SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES
- Texas Section 547.372 - Lighting Requirements For Combination Vehicles
(a) If a unit of farm equipment or implement of husbandry is towed by a farm tractor and the towed object or its load extends...
- Texas Section 547.381 - Obstructed Lights On Combination Vehicles
(a) A motor vehicle when operated in combination with another vehicle is not required to display a lighted lamp, other than a taillamp, if the...
- Texas Section 547.382 - Lighting Equipment On Projecting Loads
(a) A vehicle transporting a load that extends to the rear at least four feet beyond the bed or body of the vehicle shall display...
SUBCHAPTER I PROVISIONS RELATING TO BRAKE REQUIREMENTS ON VEHICLES
- Texas Section 547.383 - Lighting Requirements On Parked Vehicles
(a) A vehicle, other than a motor-driven cycle, shall be equipped with at least one lamp, or a combination of lamps, that: (1) emits a...
- Texas Section 547.401 - Brakes Required
(a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), a motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, pole trailer, or combination of those vehicles shall be equipped with brakes that...
- Texas Section 547.402 - Operation And Maintenance Of Brakes
(a) Required brakes shall operate on each wheel of a vehicle except: (1) special mobile equipment; (2) a vehicle that is towed as a commodity...
- Texas Section 547.403 - Service Brakes Required
(a) A vehicle required to have brakes by this subchapter, other than special mobile equipment, shall be equipped with service brakes that: (1) comply with...
- Texas Section 547.404 - Parking Brakes Required
(a) A vehicle required to have brakes by this subchapter, other than a motorcycle or motor-driven cycle, shall be equipped with parking brakes adequate to...
- Texas Section 547.405 - Emergency Brakes Required
(a) A vehicle used to tow another vehicle equipped with air-controlled brakes shall be equipped with the following means, together or separate, for applying the...
- Texas Section 547.406 - Brake Reservoir Or Reserve Capacity Required
(a) A bus, truck, or truck-tractor equipped with air brakes shall be equipped with at least one reservoir that: (1) is sufficient to ensure that...
- Texas Section 547.407 - Brake Warning Devices Required
(a) A bus, truck, or truck-tractor that uses air to operate its brakes or the brakes of a towed vehicle shall be equipped with: (1)...
SUBCHAPTER J PROVISIONS RELATING TO WARNING DEVICE REQUIREMENTS ON VEHICLES
- Texas Section 547.408 - Performance Requirements For Brakes
(a) A motor vehicle or combination of vehicles shall be equipped with service brakes capable of: (1) developing a braking force that is not less...
- Texas Section 547.501 - Audible Warning Devices
(a) A motor vehicle shall be equipped with a horn in good working condition that emits a sound audible under normal conditions at a distance...
- Texas Section 547.502 - Visible Warning Devices Required
(a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), a person who operates, outside an urban district or on a divided highway, a truck, bus, or truck-tractor...
- Texas Section 547.503 - Display Of Hazard Lamps
(a) The operator of a vehicle that is described by Subsection (b) and that is stopped on a roadway or shoulder shall immediately display vehicular...
- Texas Section 547.504 - Display Of Devices When Lighted Lamps Required
(a) Unless sufficient light exists to reveal a person or vehicle at a distance of 1,000 feet, the operator of a vehicle described by Section...
- Texas Section 547.505 - Display Of Devices When Lighted Lamps Are Not Required
(a) The operator of a vehicle described by Section 547.503(b) or an explosive cargo vehicle that is disabled, or stopped for more than 10 minutes,...
- Texas Section 547.506 - Display Of Devices: Vehicles Off Roadway
The operator of a vehicle described by Section 547.503(b) or an explosive cargo vehicle that is stopped entirely on the shoulder at a time and...
- Texas Section 547.507 - Display Of Devices When View Of Vehicle Obstructed
Unless sufficient light exists to reveal a person or vehicle at a distance of 1,000 feet, the operator of a vehicle described by Section 547.503(b)...
SUBCHAPTER K PROVISIONS RELATING TO OTHER VEHICLE EQUIPMENT
- Texas Section 547.508 - Offense Relating To Warning Devices
(a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), a person may not remove, damage, destroy, misplace, or extinguish a warning device required under Sections 547.502-547.507 when...
- Texas Section 547.601 - Safety Belts Required
A motor vehicle required by Chapter 548 to be inspected shall be equipped with front safety belts if safety belt anchorages were part of the...
- Texas Section 547.602 - Mirrors Required
A motor vehicle, including a motor vehicle used to tow another vehicle, shall be equipped with a mirror located to reflect to the operator a...
- Texas Section 547.603 - Windshield Wipers Required
A motor vehicle shall be equipped with a device that is operated or controlled by the operator of the vehicle and that cleans moisture from...
- Texas Section 547.604 - Muffler Required
(a) A motor vehicle shall be equipped with a muffler in good working condition that continually operates to prevent excessive or unusual noise. (b) A...
- Texas Section 547.605 - Emission Systems Required
(a) The engine and power mechanism of a motor vehicle shall be equipped and adjusted to prevent the escape of excessive smoke or fumes. (b)...
- Texas Section 547.606 - Safety Guards Or Flaps Required
(a) A road tractor, truck, trailer, truck-tractor in combination with a semitrailer, or semitrailer in combination with a towing vehicle that has at least four...
- Texas Section 547.607 - Fire Extinguisher Required
A school bus or a motor vehicle that transports passengers for hire or lease shall be equipped with at least one quart of chemical-type fire...
- Texas Section 547.608 - Safety Glazing Material Required
(a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), a person who sells or registers a new passenger-type motor vehicle, including a passenger bus and school bus,...
- Texas Section 547.609 - Required Label For Sunscreening Devices
A sunscreening device must have a label that: (1) is legible; (2) contains information required by the department on light transmission and luminous reflectance of...
- Texas Section 547.610 - Safe Air-conditioning Equipment Required; Sale Of Noncomplying Vehicle
(a) Air-conditioning equipment: (1) shall be manufactured, installed, and maintained to ensure the safety of the vehicle occupants and the public; and (2) may not...
- Texas Section 547.611 - Use Of Certain Video Equipment And Television Receivers
(a) A motor vehicle may be equipped with video receiving equipment, including a television, a digital video disc player, a videocassette player, or similar equipment,...
- Texas Section 547.612 - Restrictions On Use And Sale Of Tires
(a) A solid rubber tire used on a vehicle must have rubber on the traction surface that extends above the edge of the flange of...
- Texas Section 547.613 - Restrictions On Windows
(a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), a person commits an offense that is a misdemeanor: (1) if the person operates a motor vehicle that...
- Texas Section 547.614 - Restrictions On Airbags
(a) In this section, "counterfeit airbag" means an airbag that does not meet all applicable federal safety regulations for an airbag designed to be installed...
- Texas Section 547.615 - Recording Devices
(a) In this section: (1) "Owner" means a person who: (A) has all the incidents of ownership of a motor vehicle, including legal title, regardless...
- Texas Section 547.616 - Radar Interference Devices; Offense
(a) In this section, "radar interference device" means a device, a mechanism, an instrument, or equipment that is designed, manufactured, used, or intended to be...
SUBCHAPTER L ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS FOR SCHOOL BUSES, AUTHORIZED EMERGENCY VEHICLES, AND SLOW-MOVING VEHICLES
- Texas Section 547.617 - Motorcycle Footrests And Handholds Required
(a) A motorcycle that is designed to carry more than one person must be equipped with footrests and handholds for use by the passenger. (b)...
- Texas Section 547.701 - Additional Equipment Requirements For School Buses And Other Buses Used To Transport Schoolchildren
(a) A school bus shall be equipped with: (1) a convex mirror or other device that reflects to the school bus operator a clear view...
- Texas Section 547.7011 - Additional Equipment Requirements For Other Buses
(a) A bus, other than a school bus, that provides public transportation and that was acquired on or after September 1, 1997, shall be equipped...
- Texas Section 547.7012 - Requirements For Multifunction School Activity Buses
A multifunction school activity bus may not be painted National School Bus Glossy Yellow. Added by Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 923 (H.B. 3190),...
- Texas Section 547.7015 - Rules Relating To School Buses
(a) The department shall adopt and enforce rules governing the design, color, lighting and other equipment, construction, and operation of a school bus for the...
- Texas Section 547.702 - Additional Equipment Requirements For Authorized Emergency Vehicles
(a) An authorized emergency vehicle may be equipped with a siren, exhaust whistle, or bell: (1) of a type approved by the department; and (2)...
SUBCHAPTER M ADDITIONAL OR ALTERNATIVE EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS FOR MOTORCYCLES AND MOTOR-DRIVEN CYCLES
- Texas Section 547.703 - Additional Equipment Requirements For Slow-moving Vehicles
(a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), a slow-moving vehicle shall display a slow-moving-vehicle emblem that: (1) has a reflective surface designed to be clearly...
- Texas Section 547.801 - Lighting Equipment
(a) A motorcycle, including a motor-driven cycle, shall be equipped with: (1) not more than two headlamps mounted at a height from 24 to 54...
- Texas Section 547.802 - Brake Equipment
(a) If a motorcycle, including a motor-driven cycle, complies with the performance requirements of Section 547.408, brakes are not required on the wheel of a...