Texas state statutes are the written laws enacted by the Texas Legislature, organized into 27 subject-matter codes that cover criminal offenses, family matters, business formation, property, taxes, and most other areas of state law. The free, official source for the current text of every statute is the Texas Constitution and Statutes website at capitol.texas.gov, maintained by the state and updated after each legislative session.1State of Texas. Texas Constitution and Statutes – Home If you need to check a penalty, a deadline, or your rights under a particular law, that is where to start.
The 27 Codes and What Each One Covers
Texas used to keep its laws in a loosely organized collection called the Revised Civil Statutes, sorted largely by the year each law passed. Finding anything meant knowing when it was enacted. In the 1960s the state began reorganizing those scattered laws into topic-based codes. The Texas Legislative Council runs this project under Government Code Section 323.007, with the stated goal of making the statutes “more accessible, understandable, and usable.”2Texas Legislative Council. Code Projects When the work is complete, all general and permanent statutes will sit in one of 27 codes.3Legislative Reference Library of Texas. Statutory Revision
Each code groups laws by subject. The Penal Code defines criminal offenses and their punishments. The Family Code handles marriage, divorce, child custody, and parent-child matters. The Business Organizations Code covers corporations, partnerships, and LLCs. The Property Code, Tax Code, Health and Safety Code, and Education Code each do what their names suggest. The practical payoff: a landlord-tenant question sends you to the Property Code rather than through decades of session laws.
The reorganization is not finished. Some older provisions still sit in the Revised Civil Statutes because they have not been moved into a topical code yet. A citation to “Vernon’s Texas Civil Statutes,” or the abbreviation “VATS,” points to that older, shrinking collection. Most laws you will come across day to day have already been codified into the 27-code system.
How To Read a Texas Statute Citation
Texas citations follow a predictable pattern. A typical one looks like this: Tex. Penal Code § 12.35. The first part names the code. The section symbol and number point to a specific provision inside that code. The number before the decimal is generally the chapter; the number after it is the section within that chapter.
You will also see citations with “Ann.” (for annotated) and a publisher name, such as “Tex. Occ. Code Ann. § 2158.001 (West 2015).” The annotated version is a commercially published edition that bundles the statute text with editorial notes, case summaries, and cross-references. “Vernon’s” is still a common shorthand for that annotated set. The free version on capitol.texas.gov gives you the current statute text without the extras, which is what most people need.
Looking Up a Statute Online
Start at capitol.texas.gov. As of this writing, the site is current through the 89th Legislature’s second called special session in 2025.1State of Texas. Texas Constitution and Statutes – Home You can browse by picking a code from a dropdown, jump straight to a specific chapter and section, or run a keyword search. The site also carries the full text of the Texas Constitution and historical versions of statutes, which lets you see how language has shifted over time.
If what you need is a bill still working its way through the Legislature rather than a law already on the books, the Texas Legislature Online system is the other half of the site. The “My TLO” portal lets you build a watch list of bills, sign up for alerts on committee hearings and calendar postings, and save searches by topic.4Texas Legislature Online. My TLO Those tools matter most during a session, when bills move quickly.
When a New Law Takes Effect
A bill the governor signs is not immediately enforceable. Under Article III, Section 39 of the Texas Constitution, most new laws cannot take effect until at least 90 days after the legislative session adjourns.5Tarlton Law Library. Constitution of Texas 1876 – Article III Legislative Department The 90 days run from adjournment, not from the governor’s signature. In practice, September 1 is the usual effective date for new Texas laws after a regular session. For the 89th Legislature’s regular session, September 1, 2025, was the 91st day following final adjournment.6Legislative Reference Library of Texas. Post-Session FAQ and Bill Statistics, 89th RS
There is one notable exception. If a bill passes both chambers with a two-thirds vote, the Legislature can declare an emergency and make the law effective immediately or on a specific earlier date.6Legislative Reference Library of Texas. Post-Session FAQ and Bill Statistics, 89th RS If you are trying to work out whether a recent law applies to your situation, check the bill’s effective date rather than assuming September 1.
The Texas Legislature meets in regular session every two years, during odd-numbered years. Sessions start at noon on the second Tuesday in January and last 140 calendar days.7Legislative Reference Library of Texas. Frequently Asked Questions Between regular sessions, the governor can call special sessions capped at 30 days and limited to topics the governor designates.5Tarlton Law Library. Constitution of Texas 1876 – Article III Legislative Department Laws passed in special sessions have their own effective dates, so again, read the bill.
How Statutes Fit With the Constitution and Agency Rules
Every Texas statute must be consistent with the Texas Constitution of 1876, which remains the state’s governing document after many amendments. If a statute conflicts with the constitution, a court can strike it down. That is the hierarchy: the constitution sits above all statutes, and statutes sit above administrative rules.
Article III creates the Legislature and defines its authority. Section 1 vests all legislative power in the Senate and House of Representatives. Other sections set specific limits on taxing power, requirements to fund public schools, prohibitions on certain types of legislation, and rules about how and when bills can take effect.5Tarlton Law Library. Constitution of Texas 1876 – Article III Legislative Department The full text of the Constitution is available alongside the 27 codes on capitol.texas.gov, current through the amendments voters approved in November 2025.1State of Texas. Texas Constitution and Statutes – Home
Statutes are not the only binding rules. State agencies write detailed regulations to carry out the broad directives the Legislature puts in statute. Those regulations are collected in the Texas Administrative Code, maintained by the Secretary of State since 1977. The TAC organizes agency rules into 17 subject-matter titles covering areas like insurance, education, and environmental quality.8Office of the Texas Secretary of State. Texas Administrative Code
An agency rule cannot exceed the authority granted by the statute that created it. A rule that goes beyond what the Legislature authorized can be challenged in court and invalidated. In practice, the TAC fills in large amounts of detail that statutes leave open. A statute might say the state will regulate a particular industry; the administrative code spells out the licensing requirements, inspection schedules, and reporting forms. If you are dealing with a regulated profession or industry, you will usually need to read both the statute and the matching TAC provisions.
Why One Section Rarely Tells the Whole Story
Statutes connect to each other, and a single section usually leaves things out. Take the state jail felony, a Texas punishment category that sits below a third-degree felony and above a misdemeanor. Under Penal Code Section 12.35, a state jail felony carries 180 days to two years of confinement in a state jail facility, plus a possible fine of up to $10,000. The punishment can escalate to the third-degree felony range if the offense involved a deadly weapon or if the person has certain prior felony convictions.9State of Texas. Texas Penal Code 12.35 – State Jail Felony Punishment
Reading Section 12.35 alone will not tell you which offenses actually carry that punishment. Those are scattered across different chapters of the Penal Code and across other codes entirely. Statutory research almost always works that way: you need the offense definition, the punishment provision, and any enhancement or exception sections together before you have the full picture. When a question has real stakes, read the surrounding sections too, and consider talking with a lawyer who works in that area.