DeSoto, TX

Texas Property Code Section 202.007 protects homeowner rights to install drought-resistant landscaping and xeriscape, limiting HOA restrictions. DeSoto encourages Texas-native and…

DeSoto forbids weeds or grass taller than twelve inches on any premises, occupied or unoccupied. Code Enforcement issues written notice; ignore it and the city cuts the lot, bills the…

DeSoto permits artificial turf in residential yards subject to design and drainage standards. Turf must allow proper drainage to prevent water accumulation on-site or runoff onto…

Texas strongly encourages rainwater harvesting. Under Texas Water Code Chapter 11 and Texas Property Code Section 202.007, HOAs cannot prohibit rainwater harvesting systems, though…

DeSoto lets residents keep hens with no numeric cap, but any livestock coop must sit 150 feet from a neighbor's home, stay sanitary, and hold no more than one rooster for every two…

Texas Health and Safety Code Section 822.047 prohibits Texas municipalities from enacting breed-specific legislation. DeSoto therefore does not ban or restrict any specific dog breeds…

DeSoto requires all dogs to be on a leash no longer than 6 feet when off the owner's property or outside a secure enclosure. Dogs at large (running loose) can be impounded by DeSoto…

Dallas County outright bans keeping any dangerous wild animal, as that term is defined under Texas Health and Safety Code chapter 822, subchapter E, anywhere in the county. Owning…

Texas has no statewide spay-neuter mandate, and Dallas County does not require sterilization. Cities choose their own rules: Dallas requires intact-pet permits, while many suburbs and…

No county beekeeping restrictions. TX Agriculture Code Chapter 131 governs apiary registration statewide. Beekeepers must register hives with the Texas Apiary Inspection Service. No…

Native birds are protected by the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act and Texas Parks and Wildlife Code Chapter 64. Dallas County has no separate bird ordinance. Removing nests, eggs, or…

Dallas County has no dedicated cat ordinance. Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 826 mandates rabies vaccination for cats over four months. Dallas County HHS oversees rabies control…

Texas does not prohibit retail pet sales statewide, and Dallas County imposes no countywide pet-store sourcing ban. Dallas City Code Section 7-3.1 limits retail sales to rescue and…

Dallas County has no county-specific hoarding ordinance. Texas Penal Code 42.092 governs cruelty to non-livestock animals; Dallas County Sheriff investigates in unincorporated areas…

Texas lets hunters bait and feed game animals, including deer, on private property statewide. Baiting is unlawful on most public land, for wild turkey in the East Zone, and for all…

DeSoto restricts construction noise to 7:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. Monday-Saturday under Chapter 42 and the adopted International Building Code. Sunday and holiday construction requires a…

DeSoto sets no decibel meter test for vehicles. Section 8.402 instead bans sounding a car horn except as a danger signal, playing a stereo loud enough to disturb persons of ordinary…

Industrial and commercial noise is regulated under Chapter 42 and DeSoto's zoning code (Chapter 54). Operations in I-1 and I-2 zones must keep sound below 75 dBA at residential…

DeSoto Code of Ordinances Chapter 42 (Offenses/Nuisances) establishes nighttime quiet hours from 10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. on weekdays and until 8:00 a.m. on weekends. Sound audible at a…

DeSoto does not impose decibel caps or gas-blower bans. Leaf blowers fall under the general Chapter 42 noise ordinance and may be used during the 7:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. daytime window.

Amplified sound from speakers, DJs, bands, or vehicles is regulated under Chapter 42 Article III. Sound plainly audible at 50 feet during day or 30 feet after 10 p.m. is prohibited…

STR operators must provide one off-street parking space per bedroom. On-street parking is prohibited overnight (2 a.m.-5 a.m.) under Chapter 78 and cars cannot block sidewalks or fire…

DeSoto does not impose an annual cap on the number of nights an STR may be rented. However, non-owner-occupied STRs must remain in compliance year-round with permit, tax, and occupancy…

STR operators must post quiet hours (10 p.m.-7 a.m. weekdays, 11 p.m.-8 a.m. weekends), respond to noise complaints within 30 minutes, and maintain a zero-tolerance policy for…

DeSoto STR operators must carry a minimum of $500,000 in commercial general liability insurance naming the City as an additional insured, plus proof of adequate property coverage…

Dallas County imposes no platform-liability requirements on Airbnb, Vrbo, or similar STR hosting sites. Texas has no statewide platform mandate. City rules vary. Dallas Chapter 42B…

TX state Hotel Occupancy Tax of 6% applies to all rentals under 30 consecutive days per TX Tax Code Chapter 156. Hosts must register with TX Comptroller. Platforms may collect state…

No Dallas County STR registration requirement for unincorporated areas. Texas has no state-level STR permit or registration requirement. Counties generally lack authority to regulate…

Texas is a traditional fence-law state, meaning DeSoto does not require neighbors to share fence costs unless they voluntarily agree. The finished or 'good' side of a fence…

DeSoto generally permits wood, vinyl, wrought iron, chain link, masonry, and composite fences in residential zones, but each district has specific rules. Front yard fences in most…

No county fence height restrictions. Texas counties cannot zone or regulate fence heights. No permit required for residential fences. HOA/deed restrictions are the primary constraint…

DeSoto requires a building permit for installation of any in-ground or above-ground swimming pool, spa, or hot tub with a water depth of 24 inches or more or containing 5,000 gallons…

DeSoto enforces pool barrier requirements under the International Swimming Pool and Spa Code and Texas Health & Safety Code Chapter 757. All residential pools and spas with water depth…

DeSoto treats any vehicle left on public streets for more than 72 hours, or any inoperable/unregistered vehicle on private residential property visible from the street, as abandoned or…

DeSoto allows on-street parking on most residential streets, but vehicles must park in the direction of traffic, at least 15 feet from a fire hydrant, 20 feet from a crosswalk, and not…

DeSoto restricts parking of commercial vehicles in residential zoning districts. Commercial vehicles over one ton rated capacity, semi-tractors, trailers over a specified length, dump…

Texas Transportation Code Section 544.011 gives official painted curb markings the force of regulatory signs across all of Dallas County. Red curbs prohibit stopping; yellow indicates…

No county overnight parking restrictions. Texas counties cannot enact parking ordinances for public roads beyond state law. Overnight parking on private property is unrestricted…

Texas Occupations Code chapter 2308 sets the statewide rules for nonconsent towing and vehicle booting. A vehicle owner has 14 business days to demand a hearing in the justice court…

Burning combustible material outside a spark-containing enclosure is a misdemeanor in unincorporated Dallas County under Sec. 38-1, fined up to $1,000. On state ozone-alert days, Sec…

Unincorporated Dallas County bans burning combustible material outside an enclosure that contains all flames and sparks, so an open fire pit without a screen or containment violates…

Outdoor burning is prohibited in unincorporated Dallas County unless a daily burn permit is issued by the Dallas County Fire Marshal. Burns must be at least 300 ft from any building…

TX Local Government Code Section 352.051 allows county commissioners to restrict fireworks in unincorporated areas during drought or disaster. TX Occupations Code Chapter 2154 governs…

Selling, transporting, dispensing, or storing propane (LP-gas) in Texas requires a license from the Railroad Commission of Texas under Natural Resources Code Chapter 113. Only the…

No county signage ordinance for home businesses. Texas counties cannot regulate signs through zoning. TX Transportation Code restricts signs on state highway rights-of-way. HOA…

Dallas County does not license or zone home daycares: child-care regulation is handled by Texas DFPS / HHSC under Tex. Human Resources Code Ch. 42. Care for up to 3 unrelated children…

Texas does not license cottage food at all. Health and Safety Code Section 437.0191(a) declares that a cottage food production operation is not a food service establishment, and…

Texas has no tiny-home-specific statute. Any transportable, chassis-mounted dwelling that reaches 320 square feet is manufactured housing under Occupations Code Chapter 1201, built to…

DeSoto residents can legally prohibit solicitors from their property by posting a conspicuous 'No Solicitors' or 'No Trespassing' sign at the entrance. Solicitors who ignore such…

DeSoto requires door-to-door solicitors, peddlers, and commercial canvassers to obtain a permit from the city before operating. Applicants typically submit personal identification…

DeSoto bars operating any food establishment, mobile food units included, without a permit from the DeSoto Health Department. Each unit passes a pre-permit inspection for compliance…

Under Texas Health & Safety Code Section 437.0045, a county, city, or public health district may require a food truck permit only if the Department of State Health Services would…

Texas does not have a just-cause eviction law, and DeSoto has not adopted local just-cause protections. A Texas landlord may terminate a month-to-month tenancy without providing a…

DeSoto does not have rent control, and Texas law prohibits any Texas city from adopting rent control. Texas Local Government Code Section 214.902 preempts local rent control…

DeSoto has implemented a rental property registration program to ensure rental dwellings meet safety and habitability standards. Owners of single-family homes, duplexes, and…

Texas has no statewide source of income protection, and Dallas County has not adopted a county-level rule covering its 25 cities. Only the City of Dallas, through 2020 Chapter 46…

Texas has no statewide tenant relocation assistance law, and Dallas County has no county-level relocation ordinance. Tenants displaced by no-fault terminations, condemnation, or sale…

Dallas County does not regulate cash-for-keys voluntary buyout agreements. Texas Property Code Chapter 92 governs landlord-tenant relations and allows landlords and tenants to…

Texas allows landlords to end fixed-term leases at expiration and to terminate month-to-month tenancies with at least 30 days' written notice for any lawful reason. Dallas County has…

Texas Property Code Sections 92.101 through 92.110 set statewide security-deposit rules for all Dallas County rentals. Landlords must return the deposit within 30 days of move-out with…

Dallas County has not adopted a comprehensive tenant anti-harassment ordinance. Tenants countywide rely on Texas Property Code Section 92.331 retaliation rules and Section 92.0081…

Under Tex. Prop. Code § 24.005, a Texas landlord must give a defaulting or holdover tenant at least three days' written notice to vacate before filing a forcible detainer (eviction)…

Under Tex. Prop. Code § 92.052 a landlord must make a diligent effort to repair conditions that materially affect an ordinary tenant's health or safety after proper notice. Section…

Under Tex. Prop. Code § 92.019 a residential late fee must be reasonable and may be charged only if written in the lease and the rent stays unpaid two full days after due. A fee is…

Under Tex. Prop. Code § 91.001, either party may end a month-to-month tenancy by giving notice, and the tenancy ends on the later of the date in the notice or one month after notice is…

In Texas a squatter can claim title only through adverse possession, with periods that shorten as the claim strengthens: 3 years under title or color of title (§ 16.024), 5 years with…

DeSoto requires owners of vacant lots and undeveloped parcels to maintain their properties under the same property maintenance standards applied to improved lots. Vegetation must be…

DeSoto enforces a property maintenance code to prevent blight, protect public health and safety, and preserve neighborhood property values. The code prohibits accumulation of junk…

DeSoto requires a building permit before construction under Article 3.100 of its Code of Ordinances, which adopts the 2021 International Building Code. No permit issues unless the work…

Texas amended IRC R313 to make residential fire sprinklers optional for one- and two-family homes. Dallas County does not require home sprinklers in unincorporated areas, but…

Daycare centers in Dallas County must be licensed by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission Child Care Regulation division. Dallas County HHS handles local sanitation…

Every residential rental in DeSoto, single-family, duplex, multifamily, townhome, or manufactured home, must be registered with the city and inspected annually. Registration costs $10…

DeSoto requires a city-issued license for each sexually oriented business and makes it an offense to operate one within 1,000 feet of a church, school, residential or historical…

Tobacco, cigar, and e-cigarette retailers in Dallas County must hold a Texas Comptroller permit under Tax Code Chapters 154 and 155 and Health & Safety Code Chapter 161. Dallas County…

Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1956 governs crafted-metal dealers (gold and silver buyers) statewide with DPS registration. Dallas County does not license general secondhand dealers…

Texas Occupations Code Chapter 455 makes massage therapy a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation program; Dallas County does not issue its own massage licenses. The Dallas…

Texas Occupations Code Chapter 2308 makes the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation the sole licensing authority for tow operators and vehicle storage facilities in Dallas…

Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 146 requires every tattoo and body-piercing studio in Dallas County to hold a Texas Department of State Health Services license. Dallas County HHS…

Pawnbrokers in Dallas County are licensed under Texas Finance Code Chapter 371 by the Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner (OCCC). The county adds no parallel license, but the Dallas…

DeSoto requires building and electrical permits for installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems on residential and commercial properties. Applications are submitted to Development…

Texas Property Code Chapter 202 (Section 202.010) strongly protects homeowners' rights to install solar energy devices on their property regardless of HOA deed restrictions. Under…

DeSoto operates no red-light cameras. Texas outlawed photographic traffic-signal enforcement statewide in 2019, so the city cannot ticket you by camera at any intersection.

Dallas County does not operate a countywide bicycle network. Bike lanes are designed and maintained by individual cities and TxDOT on state highways. DART runs regional transit, and…

Texas lets golf carts onto public roads in four defined situations rather than by general permission: inside a platted master planned community, on a beach open to vehicular traffic…

In DeSoto's FEMA special flood hazard areas, new and substantially improved homes must set the lowest floor, including basement, two feet above the base flood elevation, certified by a…

DeSoto requires grading and drainage plan review for new construction, major additions, and significant site modifications. Drainage plans must demonstrate that post-development runoff…

In unincorporated Dallas County, filling, blocking, or letting a drainage easement clog with debris, sediment, or vegetation is a public nuisance under Sec. 34-93(10). County nuisance…

Any new construction, alteration, or land-use change inside Dallas County's mapped Special Flood Hazard Area needs a Development Permit from the Floodplain Administrator, the Director…

Dallas County sits within the Dallas-Fort Worth ozone nonattainment area, where TCEQ Rule 30 TAC 114.512 limits commercial heavy-duty vehicle idling to five minutes. Locally adopted by…

Texas has no statewide cool roof mandate, and Dallas County applies cool roof specifications only to its own facilities through capital project standards. Private buildings follow the…

Texas prohibits damaging, destroying, or removing a sand dune or its vegetation seaward of a dune protection line or within a critical dune area unless a permit authorizes the work…

DeSoto's political sign regulations must comply with the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Reed v. Town of Gilbert, which requires content-neutral sign rules, and with Texas Election…

No county ordinance restricting garage sale signs on private property. TX Transportation Code prohibits signs on state highway ROW. Signs on county road ROW may be removed. HOA rules…

No county regulation on holiday displays. TX Property Code Section 202.011 limits HOA authority over religious displays (25 sq ft per door). First Amendment protects seasonal…

Recreational and medical marijuana dispensaries as understood in other states do not exist in Texas and cannot operate in DeSoto. Texas permits only a very limited form of medical…

Cannabis home cultivation is illegal in Texas. TX HSC Chapter 481 classifies marijuana as a Schedule I substance. No county exception. Possession of any amount is a criminal offense…

Dallas County has no recreational cannabis dispensary buffer-zone rules because Texas does not allow recreational dispensaries. Compassionate Use Program (CUP) sites face no…

Texas has no recreational cannabis program, so no social-equity licensing exists in Dallas County. The state's narrow Compassionate Use Program (CUP) licenses three dispensing…

Texas prohibits all personal cannabis cultivation. Growing even one plant violates TX Health and Safety Code Section 481.120, treated as possession with intent to deliver based on…

Texas prohibits all recreational cannabis delivery. Compassionate Use Program low-THC products may be delivered to qualifying patients only by the three licensed dispensing…

DeSoto collects garbage twice a week - homes west of Hampton Road on Tuesday and Friday, east of Hampton Road on Monday and Thursday - with recycling every Wednesday citywide…

Discarding refuse on county-owned land, utility easements, or any property not authorized for it is a public nuisance under Sec. 34-93. Nuisance Abatement staff investigate and can…

No county bulk pickup service. Private haulers may offer bulk pickup for additional fee. Illegal dumping of bulk items prohibited under TX HSC Section 365.012 with penalties scaling by…

Texas Health and Safety Code Section 361.425 orders every county, municipality, school district, university, and state agency to run a recycling program that separates and collects at…

DeSoto limits the number of garage sales a single household may hold per calendar year: commonly three to four sales, with each sale lasting no more than two to three consecutive days…

DeSoto's noise ordinance applies to HVAC compressors, pool pumps, and mechanical equipment installed on residential property. Such equipment must not exceed the city's residential…

No county generator noise ordinance. No time-of-use restrictions or decibel limits. TX Penal Code Section 42.01 applies to unreasonable noise. Generators unregulated at county level.

Texas allows open carry of holstered handguns by adults 21 and older without a permit. House Bill 1927 (2021) ended the License to Carry requirement. Long guns may also be openly…

House Bill 1927 (2021) lets most Texans 21 and older carry a handgun concealed without a permit anywhere in Dallas County. The optional License to Carry through Texas DPS still…

Texas Penal Code section 46.02(a-1), the Motorist Protection Act expanded by HB 1927, lets any adult legally entitled to possess a firearm carry a handgun inside their motor vehicle or…

Texas Local Government Code Section 229.001 broadly preempts municipal regulation of firearms, ammunition, knives, and related accessories. Cities cannot adopt or enforce ordinances…

Texas counties cannot generally zone land. Dallas County regulates only subdivision plats, floodplains, and on-site sewage facilities in unincorporated areas under Local Government…

Texas HB 2127, the Texas Regulatory Consistency Act effective September 2023, broadly preempts local labor regulation including paid sick leave. Dallas County cannot mandate paid leave…

Texas HB 2127 (2023) preempts local predictable scheduling laws. Dallas County has no scheduling ordinance and is barred from adopting one. Federal FLSA overtime is the only floor.

Texas Labor Code Section 62.0515 preempts any city or county from setting a minimum wage above the federal $7.25 per hour floor. Dallas County cannot enact a higher local wage.

Filming inside a Dallas County building requires written approval from the commissioners court, plus a copy of the film script submitted with the rental request. Productions pay a…

Dallas County's Nuisance Abatement Division enforces a set list of public nuisances in the unincorporated area: overgrown weeds, accumulated junk, unsanitary conditions, unsafe…

Dallas County residents can report a suspected public nuisance verbally or in writing to the Nuisance Abatement Division, or the county can catch it during a routine field inspection…

Dallas County must investigate a reported nuisance within seven days under Sec. 34-141(b). Once a violation is confirmed, the owner gets 30 days to abate it, and the county reinspects…

Dallas County's outdoor-burning ban under Sec. 38-1 expressly exempts charcoal grills, so grilling is allowed without the enclosure requirement that applies to open fires. The county…

Texas Health and Safety Code section 361.0961 preempts cities and counties from regulating containers and packages, which the Texas Supreme Court Laredo case extends to polystyrene…

Texas Health and Safety Code section 361.0961 and the 2018 Laredo Supreme Court decision preempt city and county regulation of single-use packaging, which restaurant lawyers extend to…

The Texas Supreme Court ruling in City of Laredo v. Laredo Merchants Association (2018) invalidated municipal plastic-bag bans under Health and Safety Code section 361.0961. Dallas…

FAA regulations govern recreational drone use. Texas Government Code Chapter 423 preempts local drone ordinances. Counties cannot create separate drone rules. FAA TRUST test required…

Dallas County does not run a turf replacement rebate, but member cities and water utilities including Dallas, Frisco, and Plano offer SmartScape and turf-conversion incentives…

Texas has no statewide E-Verify requirement for private employers. State agencies and contractors must use E-Verify under a 2014 executive order. Dallas County requires it for its own…

Texas SB 4 (2017) prohibits any county, city, or sheriff from adopting sanctuary policies or refusing ICE detainers. Dallas County is not a sanctuary jurisdiction and the Sheriff…

Dallas County Health and Human Services Vector Control monitors rodents and mosquitoes countywide, while Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 343 lets the county abate rodent harborage…

Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 438 requires food handlers to complete an accredited course within sixty days of hire. DCHHS verifies cards and Certified Food Manager credentials…

Texas Property Code Chapter 92 makes landlords statewide responsible for habitable rentals including bed bug remediation. DCHHS responds to complaints in unincorporated Dallas County…

Texas Transportation Code 552.005 requires pedestrians crossing outside marked crosswalks to yield right-of-way to vehicles in Dallas County. There is no specific jaywalking offense…

Passive panhandling is constitutionally protected speech in Texas after Reed v. Town of Gilbert. Aggressive panhandling that touches, blocks, or threatens a person can be charged as…

Texas has no statewide outdoor smoking ban; the Smoke-Free Workplace framework reaches indoor public places only. Dallas County does not regulate outdoor smoking countywide. Cities…

Texas Local Government Code 250.008 lets counties regulate noise only in unincorporated areas. Dallas County's Sheriff enforces state Penal Code 42.01 disorderly conduct (unreasonable…

Texas does not have a stand-alone public urination statute, but Penal Code 42.01 disorderly conduct and 21.08 indecent exposure cover the conduct in Dallas County. The Dallas County…

Dallas County designates historic markers and monuments through its 15-member Historical Commission, not through a zoning or landmarks board. A state historical marker cannot be…

California's Mills Act does not exist in Texas. Texas Tax Code Section 11.24 lets cities and counties exempt part or all of designated historic property's appraised value from local…

TX Property Code Chapter 209 governs HOA assessments. Liens allowed for unpaid assessments but foreclosure requires specific procedures including notice and payment plan offers. County…

Texas law requires HOAs to provide written architectural guidelines and fair review procedures, with statutory protections for solar, flags, and xeriscape.

Texas HOAs must follow strict notice, hearing, and fine procedures before enforcing covenants, with mandatory cure periods for most violations.

TX Property Code Chapters 202 and 209 govern POA procedures statewide. HOAs must provide open board meetings, annual meetings, and financial reports. County has no role in HOA…

Property Code Section 202.007 voids any homeowners association rule that bans drought-resistant landscaping or water-conserving natural turf, and Section 202.008 bars fines for a brown…

Texas Property Code section 202.012 stops homeowners associations from banning display of the U.S. flag, the Texas flag, or an official U.S. armed forces flag. An association can…

Texas Property Code Chapter 209 governs HOA fines, but only for mandatory-membership subdivisions; condos fall under Chapter 82 instead. State law sets no dollar cap on a fine, only a…

A Texas property owners' association cannot sell your home at a trustee's sale the way a mortgage lender can. Tex. Prop. Code Section 209.0092 requires the association to obtain a…

Texas Property Code Section 209.016 sets no cap on how much of a subdivision an association can rent out, no minimum lease term, and no grandfather clause: a declaration can still ban…

Dallas County's 7% Hotel Occupancy Tax under Texas Tax Code Chapter 352 applies only to lodging in unincorporated Dallas County. City hotels in Dallas, Irving, Garland, and other…

Federal Tobacco 21 (PL 116-94) and Texas Health and Safety Code section 161.082 ban sale of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, vapor products, and any tobacco to anyone under 21 in Dallas…

Texas House Bill 1771 (2023), codified at Health and Safety Code section 161.0876, preempts cities and counties from restricting flavored tobacco, menthol cigarettes, or vape flavors…

Texas does not grant counties general Euclidean zoning authority. Dallas County has minimal unincorporated land, so agricultural zoning decisions largely fall to cities. Local…

Texas Agriculture Code Chapter 251, the Right to Farm Act, protects established agricultural operations from nuisance suits when neighbors arrive after farming began. Dallas County…

Texas Tax Code Chapter 171 imposes a single state franchise tax on most businesses operating in Dallas County. Texas does not allow city or county business gross-receipts taxes, so…

Texas is a one-party consent state. Under Texas Penal Code §16.02, only one party to a conversation must consent to recording. This applies to both in-person conversations and phone…

Texas HB 1819 (88th Legislature, 2023), codified at Local Government Code 370.008 (originally 370.007), prohibits all Texas municipalities and counties from adopting or enforcing…

Texas nonprofits can conduct bingo only under a license from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, which absorbed the Texas Lottery Commission's charitable bingo program on…

Texas Local Government Code Chapter 234, Subchapter E lets any county's commissioners court license, zone, and inspect "game rooms": for-profit businesses with six or more skill or…

Texas Penal Code § 47.02(a) makes betting at cards, dice, or any game of chance a Class C misdemeanor. Section 47.02(b) supplies a defense: gambling that happens in a private place…

Texas licenses no retail sportsbook and no betting app. Placing a wager on the outcome of a game, contest, or a player's performance is a criminal offense under Penal Code §…

The Texas Legislature has authorized exactly one vehicle checkpoint program, and it has nothing to do with alcohol. Government Code Section 411.0095 lets the Department of Public…

Texas has never enacted an express statutory right to film police, so the legal boundary for a bystander with a phone is set by the offense of Interference with Public Duties, Texas…

Texas Penal Code Section 38.02 makes it a crime to refuse your name, residence address, or date of birth only after a peace officer has already lawfully arrested you. Being detained on…

No Texas statute obliges a driver to consent to a vehicle search, and none requires an officer to warn you that you may refuse. What Texas law does require is a paper trail: Article…

Texas regulates extra lighting by color, count, height and aim rather than by naming underglow. Transportation Code Section 547.305 bars any lamp showing red from directly in front of…

Texas grants no square inches of windshield to a camera. Transportation Code Section 547.613(a)(1) makes it a misdemeanor to operate a vehicle with an object or material placed on or…

Texas banned motorcycle lane splitting in plain words on September 1, 2023. Transportation Code Section 545.0605(a)(3)(B), added by House Bill 4122 of the 88th Legislature, says the…

Texas outlaws license plate covers in Transportation Code Section 504.945(a)(7), which makes it an offense to display a plate carrying a coating, covering, protective substance or…

Texas does not prohibit owning, mounting or using a radar detector in a private passenger vehicle. The one radar offense in the vehicle equipment chapter, Transportation Code Section…

Texas is one of the states that never wrote a studded tire calendar. Transportation Code Section 547.612(c) is the whole of the law: a tire on a moving vehicle may not carry a block…

Texas allows film down to 25 percent light transmission on both front side windows and on the windshield strip, with a matching ceiling of 25 percent luminous reflectance, and it sets…