Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 4.14 · Chapter 4. COURTS AND CRIMINAL JURISDICTION
JURISDICTION OF MUNICIPAL COURT.
Text — Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
(a) A municipal court, including a municipal court of record, shall have exclusive original jurisdiction within the territorial limits of the municipality in all criminal cases that:
(1) arise under the ordinances of the municipality; and
(2) are punishable by a fine not to exceed:
(A) $2,000 in all cases arising under municipal ordinances that govern fire safety, zoning, or public health and sanitation, other than the dumping of refuse;
(B) $4,000 in cases arising under municipal ordinances that govern the dumping of refuse; or
(C) $500 in all other cases arising under a municipal ordinance.
(b) The municipal court shall have concurrent jurisdiction with the justice court of a precinct in which the municipality is located in all criminal cases arising under state law that:
(1) arise within the territorial limits of the municipality and are punishable by fine only, as defined in Subsection (c) of this article; or
(2) arise under Chapter 106, Alcoholic Beverage Code, and do not include confinement as an authorized sanction.
(c) In this article, an offense which is punishable by "fine only" is defined as an offense that is punishable by fine and such sanctions, if any, as authorized by statute not consisting of confinement in jail or imprisonment.
(d) The fact that a conviction in a municipal court has as a consequence the imposition of a penalty or sanction by an agency or entity other than the court, such as a denial, suspension, or revocation of a privilege, does not affect the original jurisdiction of the municipal court.
(e) The municipal court has jurisdiction in the forfeiture and final judgment of all bail bonds and personal bonds taken in criminal cases of which the court has jurisdiction.
(f) A municipality with a population of 1.19 million or more and another municipality contiguous to that municipality may enter into an agreement providing concurrent jurisdiction for the municipal courts of either jurisdiction for all criminal cases arising from offenses under state law that are:
(1) committed on the boundary of those municipalities or in one or both of the following areas:
(A) within 200 yards of that boundary; or
(B) within 2.25 miles of that boundary on a segment of highway in the state highway system that traverses a major water supply reservoir; and
(2) punishable by fine only.
(g) A municipality may enter into an agreement with a contiguous municipality or a municipality with boundaries that are within one-half mile of the municipality seeking to enter into the agreement to establish concurrent jurisdiction of the municipal courts in the municipalities and provide original jurisdiction to a municipal court in which a case is brought as if the municipal court were located in the municipality in which the case arose, for:
(1) all cases in which either municipality has jurisdiction under Subsection (a) or (b); and
(2) cases that arise under Section 821.022, Health and Safety Code.
Notes and commentary — not statutory text
History
Acts 1965, 59th Leg., vol. 2, p. 317, ch. 722.
Amended by Acts 1983, 68th Leg., p. 3840, ch. 601, Sec. 3, eff. Sept. 1, 1983; Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 329, Sec. 3, eff. Sept. 1, 1985; Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 641, Sec. 2, eff. Sept. 1, 1987; Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 680, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1987; Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 449, Sec. 3, eff. Sept. 1, 1995; Subsec. (b) amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1013, Sec. 39, eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Subsec. (c) amended by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 533, Sec. 2, eff. Sept. 1, 1997.
Amended by:
Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 230 (S.B. 1504), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2009.
Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 76 (H.B. 984), Sec. 2, eff. May 19, 2011.
Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 680 (H.B. 274), Sec. 3, eff. September 1, 2015.
Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 935 (H.B. 2398), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2015.
Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1154 (S.B. 631), Sec. 1, eff. June 19, 2015.
Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1004 (H.B. 1264), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2017.
Acts 2021, 87th Leg., R.S., Ch. 934 (H.B. 3774), Sec. 3.01, 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.4.htm
- Text hash
- sha256 32b20881b8dc194c049d249c896ee1e5f57068b29c298c27bb9aaf457be524a6
- 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.
Cited by 6 provisions
Provisions in this library whose text cites Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 4.14. Each shows the citation as that text prints it.
Code of Criminal Procedure
- Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 13A.053OFFENSE COMMITTED ON OR NEAR BOUNDARY.Printed as Article 4.14(f)
- Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 45A.401DISMISSAL OF MISDEMEANOR CHARGE ON COMPLETION OF TEEN COURT PROGRAM.Printed as Article 4.11 or 4.14
- Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 45A.453CHILD TAKEN INTO CUSTODY.Printed as Article 4.11 or 4.14
- Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 45A.457FINDING THAT OFFENSE COMMITTED.Printed as Article 4.11 or 4.14
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.