Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 17.04 · Chapter 17. BAIL
REQUISITES OF A PERSONAL BOND.
Text — Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
(a) A personal bond is sufficient if it includes the requisites of a bail bond as set out in Article 17.08, except that no sureties are required. In addition, a personal bond shall contain:
(1) the defendant's name, address, and place of employment;
(2) identification information, including the defendant's:
(A) date and place of birth;
(B) height, weight, and color of hair and eyes;
(C) driver's license number and state of issuance, if any; and
(D) nearest relative's name and address, if any; and
(3) except as provided by Subsection (b), the following oath sworn and signed by the defendant:
"I swear that I will appear before (the court or magistrate) at (address, city, county) Texas, on the (date), at the hour of (time, a.m. or p.m.) or upon notice by the court, or pay to the court the principal sum of (amount) plus all necessary and reasonable expenses incurred in any arrest for failure to appear."
(b) A personal bond is not required to contain the oath described by Subsection (a)(3) if:
(1) the magistrate makes a determination under Article 16.22 that the defendant has a mental illness or is a person with an intellectual disability, including by using the results of a previous determination under that article;
(2) the defendant is released on personal bond under Article 17.032; or
(3) the defendant is found incompetent to stand trial in accordance with Chapter 46B.
Notes and commentary — not statutory text
History
Acts 1965, 59th Leg., vol. 2, p. 317, ch. 722.
Amended by Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 623, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1987.
Amended by:
Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., Ch. 936 (S.B. 49), Sec. 3, eff. September 1, 2021.
Source of truth
- Edition
- Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
- Official file
- https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/CR/htm/CR.17.htm
- Text hash
- sha256 9da6d5f196c5df489399ab890ca7dec8f887e0735725401a3e8f671af15f0cd9
- Composed by
- compose_tx.py 2026-10-05: the Legislative Council's chapter files read in document order; verify_tx.py's independent reading (lxml DOM walk) agrees character for character
This section cites
Provisions in this library that the text above cites, as it prints each citation. A range cited as “ss. 61.13-61.16” links its first and last provisions.
Code of Criminal Procedure
- Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 16.22EARLY IDENTIFICATION OF DEFENDANT SUSPECTED OF HAVING MENTAL ILLNESS OR INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY.Printed as Article 16.22
- Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 17.032RELEASE ON PERSONAL BOND OF CERTAIN DEFENDANTS WITH MENTAL ILLNESS OR INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY.Printed as Article 17.032
- Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 17.08REQUISITES OF A BAIL BOND.Printed as Article 17.08
Cited by 1 provision
Provisions in this library whose text cites Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 17.04. Each shows the citation as that text prints it.
Procedural information only. Not legal advice and not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Confirm the current text with the official publisher before relying on it.