Title AG, Agriculture Code

Sec. 143.024. EFFECT OF ELECTION; ADOPTION OF SUBCHAPTER. (a) If a majority of the votes in an election are cast against the proposition, this subchapter is adopted and, after the 30th day following the date on which the proclamation of results is issued, a person may not permit …

Sec. 143.025. SUBSEQUENT ELECTIONS TO ADOPT SUBCHAPTER. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b) of this section, if this subchapter is not adopted at an election, another election for that purpose may not be held in the county or area in which the election was held earlier than …

Sec. 143.026. REPEAL. (a) The freeholders of a county or an area in which this subchapter has been adopted may petition the commissioners court to conduct an election for repeal of that adoption. The petition must be signed by a majority of the freeholders who are qualified voter…

Sec. 143.027. EXTENSION OF SUBCHAPTER TO ADJOINING AREA BY ORDER. A commissioners court by order shall extend application of this subchapter to territory that is between two areas of the county that have adopted this subchapter or is adjacent to an area, in that county or in anot…

Sec. 143.028. FENCES. (a) A person is not required to fence against animals that are not permitted to run at large. Except as otherwise provided by this section, a fence is sufficient for purposes of this chapter if it is sufficient to keep out ordinary livestock permitted to run…

Sec. 143.033. INJURY TO TRESPASSING ANIMAL. If a person whose fence is insufficient under this subchapter maims, wounds, or kills a head of cattle or a horse, mule, jack, jennet, sheep, or goat, or procures the maiming, wounding, or killing of one of those animals, by any means, …

Sec. 143.034. PENALTY. (a) A person commits an offense if the person knowingly: (1) turns out or causes to be turned out on land that does not belong to or is not under the control of the person an animal that is prohibited from running at large under this subchapter; (2) fails o…

Sec. 143.051. PETITION FOR ELECTION. (a) The freeholders of a county or an area that has adopted Subchapter B of this chapter or the freeholders of an area that is between two areas of a county that have adopted Subchapter B of this chapter may petition the commissioners court to…

Sec. 143.052. ELECTION ORDERS. (a) After receiving a petition under this subchapter, the commissioners court shall order an election to be held throughout the county or in the petitioning area, as determined by the petition. The order may be entered at a regular or special meetin…

Sec. 143.053. ELECTION. (a) Except as provided by this section, the election shall be conducted, the returns made, and the results declared in accordance with Section 143.023 of this code and the laws regulating general elections. (b) The ballots for the election shall be printed…

Sec. 143.054. EFFECT OF ELECTION. If a majority of the votes cast are for the limited period of free range for hogs, after the 10th day following the date on which the proclamation is issued a person may permit hogs to run at large in the county or area in which the election was …

Sec. 143.055. SUBSEQUENT ELECTIONS TO ADOPT OR REPEAL FREE RANGE. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b) of this section, if an election is held under this subchapter another election for the purpose of adopting or repealing the limited period of free range may not be held in t…

Sec. 143.056. COMBINED ELECTIONS. An election under this subchapter may be held at the same time as an election under Subchapter B of this chapter, but the propositions must be submitted and voted on as separate issues and the returns and proclamations of results must be separate…

Sec. 143.071. PETITION FOR ELECTION. (a) In accordance with this section, the freeholders of a county or an area within a county may petition commissioners court to conduct an election for the purpose of determining if cattle are to be permitted to run at large in the county or a…

Sec. 143.072. EXCEPTIONS; COUNTYWIDE ELECTIONS. The following counties may not conduct a countywide election on the running at large of cattle: Andrews, Coke, Culberson, Hardin, Hemphill, Hudspeth, Jasper, Jefferson, Kenedy, Kinney, LaSalle, Loving, Motley, Newton, Presidio, Robe…

Sec. 143.073. ELECTION. (a) Except as provided by this section, the election is governed by Sections 143.022 and 143.023 of this code. (b) The ballot shall be printed to provide for voting for or against the proposition: "Adoption of the stock law." (c) The county judge shall ope…

Sec. 143.074. EFFECT OF ELECTION; ADOPTION OF SUBCHAPTER. (a) If a majority of the votes cast in an election are for the proposition, this subchapter is adopted and, after the 30th day following the date on which the proclamation of results is issued, a person may not permit any …

Sec. 143.075. SUBSEQUENT ELECTIONS TO ADOPT SUBCHAPTER. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b) of this section, if this subchapter is not adopted at an election, no other election for that purpose may be held in the county or area in which the election was held within one year …

Sec. 143.076. REPEAL. (a) In accordance with this section, the freeholders of a county or an area in which this subchapter has been adopted may petition the commissioners court to conduct an election for repeal of that adoption. (b) A petition for a countywide election must be si…

Sec. 143.077. FENCES. A fence is sufficient for purposes of this chapter if it is sufficient to keep out the classes of animals not affected by this subchapter. Acts 1981, 67th Leg., p. 1349, ch. 388, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1981.

Sec. 143.082. PENALTY. (a) A person commits an offense if the person knowingly permits a head of cattle or a domestic turkey to run at large in a county or area that has adopted this subchapter. (b) An offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor. Acts 1981, 67th Leg., p. …

Sec. 143.101. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "highway" means a U.S. highway or a state highway in this state, but does not include a numbered farm-to-market road. The term includes the portion of Recreation Road Number 255 that is located in Newton County between State Highway N…

Sec. 143.102. RUNNING AT LARGE ON HIGHWAY PROHIBITED. A person who owns or has responsibility for the control of a horse, mule, donkey, cow, bull, steer, hog, sheep, or goat may not knowingly permit the animal to traverse or roam at large, unattended, on the right-of-way of a hig…

Sec. 143.103. IMMUNITY FROM LIABILITY. A person whose vehicle strikes, kills, injures, or damages an unattended animal running at large on a highway is not liable for damages to the animal except as a finding of: (1) gross negligence in the operation of the vehicle; or (2) wilful…

Sec. 143.104. HERDING OF LIVESTOCK ALONG HIGHWAY. This subchapter does not prevent the movement of livestock from one location to another by herding, leading, or driving the livestock on, along, or across a highway. Acts 1981, 67th Leg., p. 1350, ch. 388, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 19…

Sec. 143.106. ENFORCEMENT. Each state highway patrolman or county or local law enforcement officer shall enforce this subchapter and may enforce it without the use of a written warrant. Acts 1981, 67th Leg., p. 1350, ch. 388, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1981.

Sec. 143.107. CONFLICT WITH OTHER LAW. This subchapter prevails to the extent of any conflict with another provision of this chapter. Acts 1981, 67th Leg., p. 1350, ch. 388, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1981.

Sec. 143.108. PENALTY. (a) A person commits an offense if the person violates Section 143.102 of this code. (b) An offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor. (c) A person commits a separate offense for each day that an animal is permitted to roam at large in violation o…

Sec. 143.121. PROHIBITION. Except as provided by this subchapter or by mutual consent of the parties, a person may not remove a fence that is: (1) a separating or dividing fence in which the person is a joint owner; or (2) attached to a fence owned or controlled by another person…

Sec. 143.122. REMOVAL OF FENCE BY OWNER. A person who owns an interest in a fence attached to a fence owned in whole or in part by another person is entitled to withdraw his or her fence from the other fence after giving six months' notice of the intended separation. The notice m…

Sec. 143.123. REQUIRING REMOVAL OF FENCE BY ANOTHER PERSON. A person who is the owner of a fence that is wholly on that person's land may require the owner of an attached fence to disconnect and withdraw the attached fence by giving six months' notice of the required disconnectio…

Sec. 144.001. OWNER'S MARKS AND BRANDS. (a) Each person who has cattle, hogs, sheep, or goats shall have and may use one or more earmarks, brands, tattoos, electronic devices, or other generally accepted identification methods differing from the earmarks, brands, tattoos, electro…

Sec. 144.002. BRANDS OF MINORS. A minor who owns cattle, hogs, or one or more horses may have one or more marks or brands, but the parent or guardian of the minor is responsible for the proper use of the mark or brand. Acts 1981, 67th Leg., p. 1353, ch. 388, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1,…

Sec. 144.003. AGE FOR MARKING OR BRANDING. (a) Cattle shall be marked with the earmark or branded with the brand of the owner on or before the date they are one year old. (b) Hogs, sheep, and goats shall be marked with the earmark of the owner on or before the date they are six m…

Sec. 144.041. MARKS AND BRANDS TO BE RECORDED. (a) Each person who owns cattle, hogs, sheep, or goats shall record that person's earmarks, brands, tattoos, electronic devices, and other generally accepted identification methods with the county clerk of the county in which the ani…

Sec. 144.042. RECORDING. In recording a mark, electronic device, tattoo, brand, or other generally accepted identification method, the person recording the mark shall note the date on which the mark, electronic device, tattoo, brand, or other generally accepted identification met…

Sec. 144.043. EFFECT OF RECORDING. (a) Any dispute about an earmark or brand shall be decided by reference to the mark and brand records of the county clerk, and the mark or brand of the oldest date prevails. (b) A recorded mark or brand is the property of the person causing the …

Sec. 144.044. RERECORDING. (a) Not later than six months after September 1 of 2031 and every 10th year thereafter, each person who owns livestock mentioned in this chapter shall have that person's marks and brands recorded or rerecorded with the county clerk, regardless of whethe…

Sec. 144.101. DEFINITION. In this subchapter, "commission" means the Texas Animal Health Commission. Added by Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 3 (S.B. 503), Sec. 5, eff. September 1, 2025.

Sec. 144.102. ELECTRONIC REGISTRY OF MARKS AND BRANDS. (a) The commission shall establish and maintain on its Internet website a publicly available and searchable registry of marks and brands recorded with a county clerk under Subchapter C. (b) The electronic registry of marks an…

Sec. 144.121. USE OF UNRECORDED MARK OR BRAND. (a) A person commits an offense if the person marks or brands any unmarked or unbranded livestock with a mark or brand that is not recorded under this chapter. (b) An offense under this section is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine n…

Sec. 144.122. ALTERING MARK OR BRAND. (a) A person commits an offense if the person alters or changes a mark or brand on livestock owned or controlled by that person without first having changed the recorded mark or brand. (b) An offense under this section is a misdemeanor punish…

Sec. 144.124. IMPROPERLY RECORDING BRAND. (a) A person commits an offense if, as county clerk, the person records a brand for which the person recording the brand fails to designate the part of the animal on which the brand is to be placed. (b) An offense under this section is a …

Sec. 144.125. COUNTERBRANDING WITHOUT OWNER'S CONSENT. (a) A person commits an offense if the person violates Section 144.074(c) of this code. (b) An offense under this section is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than $10 nor more than $50 for each animal counterbra…

Sec. 144.127. REPRODUCTION OR DESTRUCTION OF TATTOO MARK. (a) A person commits an offense if the person, without the consent of the owner, reproduces, counterfeits, copies, adds to, takes from, imitates, destroys, or removes a registered tattoo mark on livestock or aids in the co…

Sec. 144.128. PURCHASE, SALE, OR TRANSPORTATION OF TATTOOED LIVESTOCK WITHOUT CONSENT. (a) A person commits an offense if the person: (1) without consent of the owner, buys, sells, or barters, for that person or another person, any livestock on which a registered tattoo mark has …