Tex. Transp. Code § 601.191 · Subchapter G. FAILURE TO MAINTAIN MOTOR VEHICLE LIABILITY INSURANCE OR OTHERWISE ESTABLISH FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY; CRIMINAL PENALTIES
OPERATION OF MOTOR VEHICLE IN VIOLATION OF MOTOR VEHICLE LIABILITY INSURANCE REQUIREMENT; OFFENSE.
Text — Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
(a) A person commits an offense if the person operates a motor vehicle in violation of Section 601.051.
(b) Except as provided by Subsections (c) and (d), an offense under this section is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than $175 or more than $350.
(c) If a person has been previously convicted of an offense under this section, an offense under this section is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than $350 or more than $1,000.
(d) If the court determines that a person who has not been previously convicted of an offense under this section is economically unable to pay the fine, the court may reduce the fine to less than $175.
(e) A citation issued for an offense under this section must include an affirmative indication that the peace officer was unable at the time of the alleged offense to verify financial responsibility for the vehicle through the verification program established under Subchapter N.
Notes and commentary — not statutory text
History
Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.
Amended by:
Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 399 (S.B. 1187), Sec. 2, eff. June 1, 2017.
Source of truth
- Edition
- Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
- Official file
- https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/TN/htm/TN.601.htm
- Text hash
- sha256 2e25be440ab4593b5958e4cbb79af34e1d58ec9fc6d8f807467f6fd00dfcf55b
- 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 9 provisions
Provisions in this library whose text cites Tex. Transp. Code § 601.191. Each shows the citation as that text prints it.
Transportation Code
- Tex. Transp. Code § 521.025LICENSE TO BE CARRIED AND EXHIBITED ON DEMAND; CRIMINAL PENALTY.Printed as Section 601.191
- Tex. Transp. Code § 521.457DRIVING WHILE LICENSE INVALID.Printed as Section 601.191
- Tex. Transp. Code § 545.305AUTHORIZED REMOVAL OF CERTAIN MOTOR VEHICLES.Printed as Section 521.021, 521.457, 601.191, or 729.002
- Tex. Transp. Code § 601.053EVIDENCE OF FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY.Printed as Section 601.191
- Tex. Transp. Code § 601.193DEFENSE: FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IN EFFECT AT TIME OF ALLEGED OFFENSE.Printed as Section 601.191 or 601.195
- Tex. Transp. Code § 601.194DEFENSE: POSSESSION OF MOTOR VEHICLE FOR MAINTENANCE OR REPAIR.Printed as Section 601.191
- Tex. Transp. Code § 601.231SUSPENSION OF DRIVER'S LICENSE.Printed as Section 601.191
- Tex. Transp. Code § 601.233NOTICE OF POTENTIAL SUSPENSION.Printed as Section 601.191
- Tex. Transp. Code § 601.261IMPOUNDMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLE.Printed as Section 601.191
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.