The Texas Transportation Code is the state’s consolidated body of law covering driver’s licenses, vehicle titles and registration, insurance minimums, rules of the road, commercial trucking, aviation, marine navigation, and railroads. It came out of the Texas Legislative Council’s statutory revision program, which pulled scattered transportation laws into one place.1State of Texas. Texas Government Code 323.007 – Statutory Revision Program The code is organized into numbered Titles by subject, then broken into Subtitles, Chapters, and Sections, so a citation like Texas Transportation Code § 545.060 points to one specific rule — in that case, staying within a marked lane.2Texas Constitution and Statutes. Texas Transportation Code Section 545.060 – Driving on Roadway Laned for Traffic
How the Code Is Organized
Most people who look up the code want something in Title 7, which covers vehicles and traffic: licensing, registration, rules of the road, vehicle safety, commercial trucking, and traffic law enforcement.3Justia. Texas Transportation Code Title 7 – Vehicles and Traffic Title 6 sets out the authority of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) over state highways, county roads, municipal streets, and toll projects.4Justia. Texas Transportation Code Title 6 – Roadways The remaining Titles reach beyond road vehicles: Title 2 governs common carriers generally,5Justia. Texas Transportation Code Title 2 – General Provisions Relating to Carriers Title 3 handles aviation,6Justia. Texas Transportation Code Title 3 – Aviation Title 4 marine navigation, and Title 5 railroads.7State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code
Vehicle Titles, Registration, and Insurance
Three pieces of paperwork have to be in order before you can legally drive in Texas: a certificate of title under Chapter 501, current registration under Chapter 502, and proof of liability insurance meeting state minimums under Chapter 601.
Selling or Buying a Vehicle
The certificate of title is the state’s official record of ownership. When you sell a car, you have 30 days from handing over possession to notify the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles. Filing that notice on time creates a complete defense against civil or criminal liability for anything the buyer does with the vehicle after the sale.8State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code 501.147 – Vehicle Transfer Notification Sellers who skip the step sometimes end up with red-light camera tickets or toll bills for a car they no longer own.
Registration is annual, and the general penalty for a registration violation is a fine of up to $200.9State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code 502.471 – General Penalty
Minimum Liability Insurance in 2026
Texas raised its minimum auto insurance requirements effective January 1, 2026. Policies delivered, issued, or renewed on or after that date must carry at least $50,000 for bodily injury or death of one person, $100,000 for bodily injury or death of two or more people in a single collision, and $40,000 for property damage. In shorthand: 50/100/40. Policies issued before that date remain governed by the old 30/60/25 minimums until renewal.
Driving without insurance is a misdemeanor. A first conviction carries a fine of $175 to $350; a second or subsequent conviction runs $350 to $1,000.10State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code 601.191 – Operation of Motor Vehicle in Violation of Motor Vehicle Liability Insurance Requirement; Offense
Inspections and Emissions
The annual safety inspection for non-commercial vehicles ended on January 1, 2025. In its place, the state charges a $7.50 inspection program replacement fee at registration. New vehicles pay a one-time $16.75 fee covering their first two years.11Texas Department of Public Safety. Vehicle Safety Inspection Changes Take Effect
Emissions testing still applies in certain counties. As of 2026, annual emissions inspections are required in Brazoria, Collin, Dallas, Denton, El Paso, Ellis, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Johnson, Kaufman, Montgomery, Parker, Rockwall, Tarrant, Travis, and Williamson. Bexar County joins the list on November 1, 2026.12Texas Department of Public Safety. Inspection Criteria for Emission Inspection In those counties, your vehicle must pass emissions before you can renew registration.
Driver’s Licenses
Chapter 521 makes it illegal to drive on a Texas highway without a valid license, subject to limited exemptions listed in that chapter.13State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code 521.021 – License Required If you move or change your name, you have 30 days to notify the Department of Public Safety and apply for a duplicate license showing your current information. The same 30-day deadline applies to commercial driver’s license holders.14Texas Public Law. Texas Transportation Code 521.054 – Notice of Change of Address or Name
Suspension for Repeat Violations
Texas does not use a formal point system. The old Driver Responsibility Program was repealed in 2019. DPS still tracks moving violations, though, and too many in a short period triggers a suspension: four moving violation convictions within 12 months, or seven within 24 months.15Texas Department of Public Safety. Traffic Offenses
Rules of the Road
Title 7, Subtitle C sets the traffic rules that apply to everyone using a public road — drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians.16Justia. Texas Transportation Code Title 7 Subtitle C – Rules of the Road Where no other penalty is specified, a misdemeanor traffic violation under this subtitle carries a fine of $1 to $200.17State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code 542.401 – General Penalty
Speed Limits
When no sign is posted, the code sets default (“prima facie”) limits based on the type of road:
- Urban streets: 30 mph
- Alleys: 15 mph
- State- or U.S.-numbered highways outside urban areas: 70 mph
- Unnumbered highways outside urban areas: 60 mph
An “urban district” here means a stretch of road with buildings used for business or housing at intervals of less than 100 feet for at least a quarter mile on either side.18State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code 545.352 – Prima Facie Speed Limits A posted limit, higher or lower, always overrides the default.
Turn Signals, Emergency Vehicles, and Pedestrians
You must signal continuously for at least the last 100 feet before making a turn.19State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code 545.104 – Signaling Turns; Use of Turn Signals When an emergency vehicle approaches with lights or sirens active, yield the right-of-way, pull to the right edge of the road, and stop until it passes.20State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code 545.156 – Vehicle Approached by Authorized Emergency Vehicle
Pedestrians crossing outside a marked crosswalk (or an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection) must yield to vehicles, and the same rule applies where a pedestrian tunnel or overhead crossing is provided.21State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code 552.005 – Crossing at Point Other Than Crosswalk
Move Over or Slow Down
When you approach a stationary emergency vehicle, tow truck, or TxDOT vehicle with its warning lights active, the code requires you to either move into a lane farther from the vehicle or slow down. If you can’t change lanes, reduce your speed to at least 20 mph below the posted limit, or 5 mph if the limit is under 25. Penalties scale with harm caused: the standard fine of $1 to $200 for a base violation, up to $500 if property is damaged, and a Class B misdemeanor if someone suffers bodily injury.22Texas Department of Public Safety. Texas Transportation Code 545.157 – Passing Certain Vehicles
Texting While Driving
Reading, writing, or sending electronic messages on a handheld wireless device while your vehicle is in motion is prohibited. A first offense carries a fine of $25 to $99; a repeat offense runs $100 to $200. If texting causes someone’s death or serious bodily injury, the offense becomes a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to $4,000 and up to a year in jail.23Texas Public Law. Texas Transportation Code 545.4251 – Use of Portable Wireless Communication Device
DWI and Implied Consent
The DWI offense itself sits in the Texas Penal Code, but it works hand in hand with the Transportation Code. A first-offense DWI is a Class B misdemeanor carrying a minimum of 72 hours in jail. The minimum climbs to six days if the driver had an open container of alcohol. A blood alcohol concentration of 0.15 or higher elevates the charge to a Class A misdemeanor.24State of Texas. Texas Penal Code 49.04 – Driving While Intoxicated A second DWI is a Class A misdemeanor with a 30-day minimum. A third offense, or a second where the driver has a prior intoxication manslaughter conviction, becomes a third-degree felony.25State of Texas. Texas Penal Code 49.09 – Enhanced Offenses and Penalties
Chapter 724 of the Transportation Code sets out Texas’s implied consent rule. By driving on a public road, you have already consented to give a breath or blood sample if arrested for a DWI-related offense. In certain serious situations, a peace officer can require a blood draw even over your refusal, particularly when the arrest involves a crash that caused death or serious bodily injury.26State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code 724.012 – Taking of Specimen
Whether you refuse the test or fail it, the state starts an Administrative License Revocation (ALR) process. You have 15 days from the date you’re served notice to request a hearing to contest the suspension.27Texas Department of Public Safety. Administrative License Revocation (ALR) Program Miss that window and the suspension takes effect automatically. Many people lose their license through ALR without ever seeing a judge, simply because they didn’t know the deadline existed.
Commercial Vehicles and Overweight Loads
Separate chapters regulate commercial trucking, including driver qualifications under Chapter 522 and vehicle weight limits under Chapter 621. Penalties for operating an overweight vehicle scale steeply with the excess:
- Less than 2,500 lbs over: $100 to $500
- 2,500 to 5,000 lbs over: $500 to $1,000
- 5,001 to 10,000 lbs over: $1,000 to $2,500
- 10,001 to 20,000 lbs over: $2,500 to $5,000
- 20,001 to 40,000 lbs over: $5,000 to $7,000
- More than 40,000 lbs over: $7,000 to $10,000
A third overweight conviction within a single year doubles the maximum fine for that weight category. Operating at a weight that would require a permit you don’t hold adds another $500 to $1,000, and a repeat conviction for that particular violation adds $2,500 to $5,000 on top.28State of Texas. Texas Transportation Code 621.506 – Offense of Operating or Loading Overweight Vehicle; Penalty; Defense
Reading the Code Yourself
The full, current text of the Texas Transportation Code is free on the Texas Constitution and Statutes website. Select “Transportation Code” from the list of codes on the home page to see every Title and Chapter, then browse by topic or search for a section number or keyword.29State of Texas. Texas Constitution and Statutes – Home The statutes are available in both HTML and PDF.