Tex. Penal Code § 21.15 · Chapter 21. SEXUAL OFFENSES
INVASIVE VISUAL RECORDING.
Text — Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
(a) In this section:
(1) "Female breast" means any portion of the female breast below the top of the areola.
(2) "Intimate area" means the naked or clothed genitals, pubic area, anus, buttocks, or female breast of a person.
(3) "Changing room" means a room or portioned area provided for or primarily used for the changing of clothing and includes dressing rooms, locker rooms, and swimwear changing areas.
(3-a) "Place in which a person has a reasonable expectation of privacy" means a place in which a reasonable person would believe that the person could disrobe in privacy, without being concerned that the act of undressing would be photographed or visually recorded by another or that a visual image of the person undressing would be broadcasted or transmitted by another. The term includes a bathroom, bedroom, and changing room.
(4) "Promote" has the meaning assigned by Section 43.21.
(b) A person commits an offense if, without the other person's consent and with intent to invade the privacy of the other person, the person:
(1) photographs or by videotape or other electronic means records, broadcasts, or transmits a visual image of an intimate area of another person if the other person has a reasonable expectation that the intimate area is not subject to public view;
(2) photographs or by videotape or other electronic means records, broadcasts, or transmits a visual image of another person in a place in which a person has a reasonable expectation of privacy; or
(3) knowing the character and content of the photograph, recording, broadcast, or transmission, promotes a photograph, recording, broadcast, or transmission described by Subdivision (1) or (2).
(c) An offense under this section is a state jail felony.
(d) If conduct that constitutes an offense under this section also constitutes an offense under any other law, the actor may be prosecuted under this section or the other law.
(e) For purposes of Subsection (b)(2), a sign or signs posted indicating that the person is being photographed or that a visual image of the person is being recorded, broadcast, or transmitted is not sufficient to establish the person's consent under that subdivision.
Notes and commentary — not statutory text
History
Added by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 458, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 2001. Amended by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 500, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.
Amended by:
Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 306 (H.B. 1804), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2007.
Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 955 (S.B. 1317), Sec. 1, eff. June 18, 2015.
Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 955 (S.B. 1317), Sec. 2, eff. June 18, 2015.
Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 248 (H.B. 1465), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2025.
Acts 2025, 89th Leg., R.S., Ch. 248 (H.B. 1465), Sec. 3, eff. September 1, 2025.
Source of truth
- Edition
- Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
- Official file
- https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/PE/htm/PE.21.htm
- Text hash
- sha256 49db160a7457add752502b5e7a7f0d7fa822435eba665989ddb3b13cba0e2c0e
- 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 10 provisions
Provisions in this library whose text cites Tex. Penal Code § 21.15. Each shows the citation as that text prints it.
Civil Practice and Remedies Code
Code of Criminal Procedure
- Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 38.451EVIDENCE DEPICTING INVASIVE VISUAL RECORDING.Printed as Section 21.15(b), Penal Code | Section 21.15, Penal Code
- Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 39.151DISCOVERY OF EVIDENCE DEPICTING INVASIVE VISUAL RECORDING OF CHILD.Printed as Section 21.15(b), Penal Code
- Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 39.152DISCOVERY OF EVIDENCE DEPICTING INVASIVE VISUAL RECORDING OF PERSON 14 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER.Printed as Section 21.15(b), Penal Code
- Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 58.151DEFINITION.Printed as Section 21.15, Penal Code
Health and Safety Code
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