The Texas rules of the road require you to hold a valid license, carry at least 30/60/25 liability insurance, obey posted and conditional speed limits, yield according to right-of-way rules, buckle everyone in, keep your phone out of your hands when the law says so, stay well under a 0.08 blood alcohol concentration, and stop and exchange information after any crash. The specifics live in the Transportation Code and the Penal Code, and the penalties range from a $25 seat belt ticket to felony prison time for a repeat DWI.
Licensing and Insurance You Must Have Before You Drive
Texas uses graduated licensing. A learner’s permit is available at 15 after the classroom portion of a state-approved driver education course, a provisional license at 16 after six months on the permit, and a full unrestricted license at 18.1Department of Public Safety. Texas Learners License as a Teen Every applicant must show proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful presence and two documents proving Texas residency, such as a utility bill, lease, or mortgage statement. Non-citizens can qualify for a limited-term license using visa or immigration documents.2Texas.gov. What to Bring With You When Applying for a Texas Driver License or Identification Card DL-15
Moving here with an out-of-state license? You must surrender it and show Texas registration and insurance for every vehicle you own. The usual 30-day residency waiting period is waived. A suspension or revocation in another state has to be resolved before Texas will issue you a license.2Texas.gov. What to Bring With You When Applying for a Texas Driver License or Identification Card DL-15
The minimum liability insurance is 30/60/25: $30,000 for bodily injury to one person, $60,000 for bodily injury to two or more people in one crash, and $25,000 for property damage.3State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code TRANSP Section 601.072 Many drivers buy more, and many add uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage for the times the at-fault driver has too little of their own. You need proof of insurance at registration, at licensing, and any time you’re pulled over; a physical or electronic card both work, and officers can also check TexasSure.4Legal Information Institute. 28 Texas Admin Code 5.204 – Motor Vehicle Safety Responsibility Texas is an at-fault state, so the driver who caused the crash pays for the other party’s damages, whether through the insurer, a negotiated settlement, or a lawsuit.5Texas Department of Insurance. Auto Insurance Guide
If your license gets suspended after a crash, a second conviction for driving without insurance, or a civil judgment from an accident, you’ll have to file an SR-22 certificate with the Department of Public Safety and keep it in force for two years from the conviction or judgment date.6Department of Public Safety. Financial Responsibility Insurance Certificate (SR-22)
Speed Limits and the Basic Speed Rule
Default limits are 30 mph on urban streets, 15 mph in alleys, and 70 mph on highways unless signs say otherwise.7State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code TRANSP Section 545.352 A few rural stretches are posted at 85 mph, the highest legal speed anywhere in the country.
The number on the sign isn’t the whole rule. Texas also has a basic speed rule: you must drive at a speed reasonable for the conditions. Doing 75 in a blinding rainstorm can get you ticketed even if the sign says 75. School zones drop to 20 mph during posted hours, and construction zones carry reduced limits with significantly higher fines. Some congested corridors in the major metros use variable speed limit signs that change with real-time traffic.
Speeding fines scale with how far over you were, and mandatory court costs typically add $50 to $150 on top of the base fine.
Right-of-Way at Stops, Signals, and Roundabouts
At a stop sign, come to a complete stop and yield to cross traffic. At a four-way stop, the first vehicle to arrive goes first; when two arrive at the same time, the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right.
At signals, green means proceed, red means a full stop. Left turns yield to oncoming traffic unless you have a green arrow. Right on red is legal unless a sign prohibits it, and you still yield to pedestrians and cross traffic. A flashing yellow means proceed with caution and yield to anyone already in the intersection. A flashing red works exactly like a stop sign.
Pedestrians have the right-of-way in crosswalks at intersections, marked or unmarked. Drivers must stop for them, especially in school zones. Pedestrians in turn aren’t supposed to step in front of a vehicle that cannot reasonably stop in time.
Roundabouts
Entering traffic always yields to vehicles already circulating inside a roundabout, and that yield applies to every lane, not just the one closest to you. Pick your lane before you enter based on where you plan to exit, and follow the pavement markings out.8Federal Highway Administration. Do You Know the Rules of the Roundabout
Lane Use and Passing
Texas enforces a keep-right rule on highways. Stay in the right lane unless you’re actively passing. Blocking the left lane can cost you up to $200.9Texas Department of Transportation. Tips for Highway Driving
Pass on the left, keep a safe distance, and don’t return to the right lane until you’ve clearly cleared the other vehicle. Passing on the right is only allowed when the other vehicle is turning left or when there are two or more lanes going the same direction. Solid yellow center lines and no-passing signs mean no. A bad pass carries fines and creates serious liability if a crash follows.
Seat Belts and Child Restraints
Everyone in the vehicle must be buckled. An unbuckled adult faces a fine of $25 to $50. A driver who lets a child under 17 ride without a seat belt faces a fine of $100 to $200.10Department of Public Safety. Texas Occupant Restraint Laws
Children under eight must ride in an appropriate child safety seat unless they are taller than 4 feet 9 inches. The type of seat matches the child’s age and size: rear-facing for infants, forward-facing for toddlers, boosters for older children. A child safety seat violation carries a fine of $25 to $250.11State of Texas. 2025 Texas Statutes Transportation Code Section 545.412
Phones and Texting
Reading, writing, or sending an electronic message while your vehicle is in motion is a misdemeanor. A first offense costs $25 to $99; a repeat offense goes up to $200. If a texting-caused crash seriously injures or kills someone, it becomes a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $4,000.12State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code TRANSP Section 545.4251
Drivers under 18 cannot use any handheld wireless device while driving. Every driver, at every age, is banned from handheld phone use in school zones unless the system is hands-free.13Texas Department of Transportation. Texting and Cellphone Laws – Distracted Driving These are primary enforcement laws, so an officer can pull you over for the phone violation alone.
Impaired Driving
You’re legally intoxicated at a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 or higher, or at any level where alcohol or drugs impair your normal mental or physical abilities.14State of Texas. Texas Penal Code Chapter 49 – Intoxication Offenses Penalties climb fast:
- First offense: Class B misdemeanor, minimum 72 hours in jail (up to 180 days), fine up to $2,000, license suspension up to a year, and a separate $3,000 state fine at sentencing.15Texas Department of Transportation. Impaired Driving and Penalties – DUI/DWI
- First offense with a BAC of 0.15 or higher: Class A misdemeanor, up to a year in jail, fine up to $4,000, and a $6,000 state fine at sentencing.14State of Texas. Texas Penal Code Chapter 49 – Intoxication Offenses
- Second offense: Class A misdemeanor with a 30-day minimum in jail.
- Third offense: third-degree felony, 2 to 10 years in prison, fine up to $10,000.
Driving while intoxicated in a school crossing zone during active hours is a state jail felony, even on a first offense.14State of Texas. Texas Penal Code Chapter 49 – Intoxication Offenses
By driving on Texas roads, you’ve already given implied consent to a breath or blood test after a DWI arrest. Refusing doesn’t spare you from prosecution and triggers an automatic 180-day license suspension on a first refusal. Any prior alcohol-related enforcement contact in the past 10 years pushes the refusal suspension to two years.16State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code Chapter 724 – Implied Consent That suspension is administrative, separate from the criminal case.
After a Crash
If a crash injures anyone or damages a vehicle that someone is in or near, you must stop and exchange information. That means your name, address, vehicle registration number, and insurance company, and your driver’s license if the other person asks to see it. If someone is visibly injured, you must render reasonable aid, including arranging transportation to a hospital when treatment appears necessary.17State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code Section 550.023 – Duty to Give Information and Render Aid
When a crash causes injury, death, or property damage that appears to reach $1,000 or more, the investigating officer must file a written collision report with the Texas Department of Transportation within 10 days.18State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code Chapter 550 – Collisions If you hit an unattended vehicle, locate the owner or leave a written note with your contact information and what happened.
Leaving the scene of a crash with injury or death is a serious felony. Even a property-damage-only hit-and-run is a criminal offense. Driving away turns a civil matter into a criminal one.
Move Over, Slow Down
When you approach a stationary emergency vehicle, tow truck, or TxDOT vehicle with flashing lights, you must move into a lane not directly next to it or slow to at least 20 mph under the posted limit if you can’t safely change lanes. The rule covers law enforcement, fire trucks, ambulances, and highway maintenance. Injuring an emergency worker in a violation carries substantially heavier penalties.
Motorcycles and Commercial Vehicles
Motorcycle riders and passengers must wear a helmet meeting Department of Public Safety standards. Riders 21 or older can ride without one if they’ve completed an approved motorcycle safety course or carry a health insurance plan covering motorcycle-crash injuries; the statute does not set a minimum coverage amount.19State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code Chapter 661 – Protective Headgear Motorcycle headlights must be on at all times, including daylight.
Commercial drivers need a Commercial Driver’s License and must follow federal hours-of-service rules that cap driving time before mandatory rest.20Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Hours of Service (HOS) Overweight trucks face fines that can climb into the thousands. Some farm vehicles are exempt from CDL requirements but still must meet lighting and equipment standards for public roads.