El Paso cannot ban or tax single-use plastic bags after the Texas Supreme Court ruled in Laredo Merchants v. Laredo (2018) that the state Health and Safety Code preempts local container ordinances. Voluntary reuse programs remain available.
The 2018 Texas Supreme Court decision in City of Laredo v. Laredo Merchants Association struck down local plastic bag ordinances under Texas Health and Safety Code §361.0961, which preempts local rules adopted to regulate solid waste containers. El Paso has not enacted a bag ban or fee, and any prior ordinance language tied to bags is unenforceable. Retailers may voluntarily charge for bags or offer reusable options. Environmental groups along the US-Mexico border, including those concerned about Rio Grande litter and Ciudad Juarez bag drift, advocate state-level reform but cannot use El Paso ordinance authority. Plan El Paso sustainability goals encourage voluntary reduction.
There are no enforceable local violations because state preemption blocks El Paso from issuing citations for plastic bag use. Retailers may set their own internal bag policies.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
El Paso, TX
The City of El Paso does not regulate yard ornaments on private property. Statuary, religious displays, and decorative landscape elements are generally allow...
El Paso, TX
El Paso has no ordinance setting size, height, or hours limits for inflatable holiday displays on private residential property. Wind is the primary practical...
El Paso, TX
El Paso does not impose specific install-by or take-down-by dates for holiday lights on private property. Holiday-light regulation in El Paso is overwhelming...
El Paso, TX
Built-in outdoor kitchens in El Paso require permits from Planning and Inspections for gas-line installation, electrical work, plumbing, and any structural e...
El Paso, TX
El Paso has no smoker-specific ordinance for single-family use, but backyard smokers fall under Title 9.04 nuisance code if smoke or odor unreasonably affect...
El Paso, TX
El Paso adopts the International Fire Code through Title 18 with local amendments, including IFC Section 308 prohibiting open-flame cooking devices on combus...
See how El Paso's plastic bag rules rules stack up against other locations.
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