Employment Preemption in Texas (2026)
22 rules on the books across Texas, 13 cities and counties. Select a rule to read the full details.
Severity: Few Restrictions · Light Restrictions · Some Restrictions · Significant Restrictions · Heavy Restrictions
Minimum Wage Preemption
Whether your state prevents cities from setting a higher local minimum wage, and what the statewide wage floor is.
Texas: statewide
StatewideFew RestrictionsTexas Labor Code Section 62.0515 expressly preempts municipal and county minimum wage ordinances. The state minimum…
Read full rule →Arlington
Few RestrictionsArlington cannot set a local minimum wage. Texas Labor Code Section 62.0515 preempts cities from raising wages above…
Read full rule →Bexar County
Few RestrictionsTexas Local Government Code Section 229.001 preempts Bexar County from setting a minimum wage above state law. The…
Read full rule →Corpus Christi
Few RestrictionsCorpus Christi cannot set a local minimum wage above 7.25 dollars per hour because Texas Local Government Code Chapter…
Read full rule →Dallas County
Few RestrictionsTexas Labor Code Section 62.0515 preempts any city or county from setting a minimum wage above the federal $7.25 per…
Read full rule →El Paso
Few RestrictionsEl Paso cannot set a local minimum wage above the federal floor of $7.25 per hour because Texas Local Government Code…
Read full rule →Fort Worth
Few RestrictionsTexas Labor Code Chapter 62 reserves minimum-wage authority to the state and ties Texas to the federal $7.25 floor…
Read full rule →Frisco
Few RestrictionsTexas preempts cities including Frisco from setting a minimum wage above the federal $7.25 hourly floor under Local…
Read full rule →Harris County
Few RestrictionsTexas Labor Code Section 62.0515 preempts any city or county from setting a minimum wage above the federal $7.25 per…
Read full rule →Houston
Few RestrictionsHouston cannot set its own minimum wage. Tex. Lab. Code § 62.0515 preempts municipalities from regulating…
Read full rule →Lubbock
Few RestrictionsTexas Labor Code 62.0515 preempts cities from setting a minimum wage above the federal $7.25 per hour. Lubbock cannot…
Read full rule →Plano
Few RestrictionsTexas Local Government Code 229.001 preempts Plano from setting a local minimum wage, leaving the federal floor of 7.25…
Read full rule →San Antonio
Few RestrictionsTexas Labor Code Chapter 62 reserves minimum-wage authority to the state and ties Texas to the federal $7.25 floor. San…
Read full rule →Travis County
Few RestrictionsTexas preempts local minimum wage laws under Local Government Code Chapter 229, leaving the federal $7.25 per hour rate…
Read full rule →Paid Leave Preemption
Whether your state blocks cities from mandating paid sick leave or paid family leave for private employers.
Texas: statewide
StatewideFew RestrictionsTexas appellate courts have struck down municipal paid sick leave ordinances in Austin, Dallas, and San Antonio as…
Read full rule →Arlington
Few RestrictionsArlington cannot require employers to provide paid sick leave. Texas HB 2127 (the Texas Regulatory Consistency Act…
Read full rule →Corpus Christi
Few RestrictionsCorpus Christi has no paid sick leave ordinance, and the Texas Regulatory Consistency Act passed as HB 2127 in 2023…
Read full rule →Dallas County
Few RestrictionsTexas HB 2127, the Texas Regulatory Consistency Act effective September 2023, broadly preempts local labor regulation…
Read full rule →Harris County
Few RestrictionsTexas HB 2127, the Texas Regulatory Consistency Act effective September 2023, broadly preempts local labor regulation…
Read full rule →Lubbock
Few RestrictionsTexas HB 2127 (the Death Star bill) and prior court rulings preempt Lubbock from mandating private-sector paid sick…
Read full rule →Worker Scheduling Preemption
State limits on local "predictive scheduling" or "fair workweek" ordinances that would require advance notice of shifts.
Arlington
Few RestrictionsArlington cannot mandate predictive scheduling, advance shift notice, or predictability pay. Texas HB 2127 preempts…
Read full rule →Dallas County
Few RestrictionsTexas HB 2127 (2023) preempts local predictable scheduling laws. Dallas County has no scheduling ordinance and is…
Read full rule →