SUBCHAPTER A GENERAL PROVISIONS
- Texas Section 601.001 - Short Title
This chapter may be cited as the Texas Motor Vehicle Safety Responsibility Act. Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995.
- Texas Section 601.002 - Definitions
In this chapter: (1) "Department" means the Department of Public Safety. (2) "Driver's license" has the meaning assigned by Section 521.001. (3) "Financial responsibility" means...
- Texas Section 601.003 - Judgment; Satisfied Judgment
(a) For purposes of this chapter, judgment refers only to a final judgment that is no longer appealable or has been finally affirmed on appeal...
- Texas Section 601.004 - Accident Report
(a) The operator of a motor vehicle that is involved in an accident in this state shall report the accident to the Texas Department of...
- Texas Section 601.005 - Evidence In Civil Suit
On the filing of a report under Section 601.004, a person at a trial for damages may not refer to or offer as evidence of...
- Texas Section 601.006 - Applicability To Certain Owners And Operators
If an owner or operator of a motor vehicle involved in an accident in this state does not have a driver's license or vehicle registration...
- Texas Section 601.007 - Applicability Of Chapter To Government Vehicles
(a) This chapter does not apply to a government vehicle. (b) The provisions of this chapter, other than Section 601.004, do not apply to an...
- Texas Section 601.008 - Violation Of Chapter; Offense
(a) A person commits an offense if the person violates a provision of this chapter for which a penalty is not otherwise provided. (b) An...
SUBCHAPTER B ADMINISTRATION BY DEPARTMENT
- Texas Section 601.009 - Report From Other State Or Canada
(a) On receipt of a certification by the department that the operating privilege of a resident of this state has been suspended or revoked in...
- Texas Section 601.021 - Department Powers And Duties; Rules
The department shall: (1) administer and enforce this chapter; and (2) provide for hearings on the request of a person aggrieved by an act of...
SUBCHAPTER C FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY; REQUIREMENTS
- Texas Section 601.023 - Payment Of Statutory Fees
The department may pay: (1) a statutory fee required by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles for a certified abstract or in connection with suspension...
- Texas Section 601.051 - Requirement Of Financial Responsibility
A person may not operate a motor vehicle in this state unless financial responsibility is established for that vehicle through: (1) a motor vehicle liability...
- Texas Section 601.052 - Exceptions To Financial Responsibility Requirement
(a) Section 601.051 does not apply to: (1) the operation of a motor vehicle that: (A) is a former military vehicle or is at least...
- Texas Section 601.053 - Evidence Of Financial Responsibility
(a) As a condition of operating in this state a motor vehicle to which Section 601.051 applies, the operator of the vehicle on request shall...
- Texas Section 601.054 - Owner May Provide Evidence Of Financial Responsibility For Others
(a) The department shall accept evidence of financial responsibility from an owner for another person required to establish evidence of financial responsibility if the other...
- Texas Section 601.055 - Substitution Of Evidence Of Financial Responsibility
(a) If a person who has filed evidence of financial responsibility substitutes other evidence of financial responsibility that complies with this chapter, and the department...
- Texas Section 601.056 - Cancellation, Return, Or Waiver Of Evidence Of Financial Responsibility
(a) As provided by this section, the department, on request, shall: (1) consent to the cancellation of a bond or certificate of insurance filed as...
SUBCHAPTER D ESTABLISHMENT OF FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY THROUGH MOTOR VEHICLE LIABILITY INSURANCE
- Texas Section 601.057 - Evidence That Does Not Fulfill Requirements; Suspension
If evidence filed with the department does not continue to fulfill the purpose for which it was required, the department shall suspend the driver's license...
- Texas Section 601.071 - Motor Vehicle Liability Insurance; Requirements
For purposes of this chapter, a motor vehicle liability insurance policy must be an owner's or operator's policy that: (1) except as provided by Section...
- Texas Section 601.072 - Minimum Coverage Amounts; Exclusions
Sec. 601.072. MINIMUM COVERAGE AMOUNTS; EXCLUSIONS. (a) Expired. (a-1) Effective January 1, 2011, the minimum amounts of motor vehicle liability insurance coverage required to establish...
- Texas Section 601.073 - Required Policy Terms
(a) A motor vehicle liability insurance policy must state: (1) the name and address of the named insured; (2) the coverage provided under the policy;...
- Texas Section 601.074 - Optional Terms
(a) A motor vehicle liability insurance policy may provide that the insured shall reimburse the insurance company for a payment that, in the absence of...
- Texas Section 601.075 - Prohibited Terms
A motor vehicle liability insurance policy may not insure against liability: (1) for which the insured or the insured's insurer may be held liable under...
- Texas Section 601.076 - Required Terms: Owner's Policy
An owner's motor vehicle liability insurance policy must: (1) cover each motor vehicle for which coverage is to be granted under the policy; and (2)...
- Texas Section 601.077 - Required Terms: Operator's Policy
An operator's motor vehicle liability insurance policy must pay, on behalf of the named insured, amounts the insured becomes obligated to pay as damages arising...
- Texas Section 601.078 - Additional Coverage
(a) An insurance policy that provides the coverage required for a motor vehicle liability insurance policy may also provide lawful coverage in excess of or...
- Texas Section 601.079 - Multiple Policies
The requirements for a motor vehicle liability insurance policy may be satisfied by a combination of policies of one or more insurance companies if the...
- Texas Section 601.080 - Insurance Binder
A binder issued pending the issuance of a motor vehicle liability insurance policy satisfies the requirements for such a policy. Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch....
- Texas Section 601.081 - Standard Proof Of Motor Vehicle Liability Insurance Form
(a) In this section, "named driver policy" has the meaning assigned by Section 1952.0545, Insurance Code. (b) A standard proof of motor vehicle liability insurance...
- Texas Section 601.082 - Motor Vehicle Liability Insurance; Certification
If evidence of financial responsibility is required to be filed with the department under this chapter, a motor vehicle liability insurance policy that is to...
- Texas Section 601.083 - Certificate Of Motor Vehicle Liability Insurance
(a) A person may provide evidence of financial responsibility by filing with the department the certificate of an insurance company authorized to write motor vehicle...
- Texas Section 601.084 - Nonresident Certificate
(a) Subject to Subsection (c), a nonresident owner of a motor vehicle that is not registered in this state may provide evidence of financial responsibility...
- Texas Section 601.085 - Termination Of Certified Policy
(a) If an insurer has certified a policy under Section 601.083 or 601.084, the policy may not be terminated before the sixth day after the...
- Texas Section 601.086 - Response Of Insurance Company If Policy Not In Effect
An insurance company that is notified by the department of an accident in connection with which an owner or operator has reported a motor vehicle...
SUBCHAPTER E ALTERNATIVE METHODS OF ESTABLISHING FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
- Texas Section 601.088 - Effect On Certain Other Policies
(a) This chapter does not apply to or affect a policy of motor vehicle liability insurance required by another law of this state. If that...
- Texas Section 601.121 - Surety Bond
(a) A person may establish financial responsibility by filing with the department a bond: (1) with at least two individual sureties, each of whom owns...
- Texas Section 601.122 - Deposit Of Cash Or Securities With Comptroller
(a) A person may establish financial responsibility by depositing $55,000 with the comptroller in: (1) cash; or (2) securities that: (A) are of the type...
- Texas Section 601.123 - Deposit Of Cash Or Cashier's Check With County Judge
(a) A person may establish financial responsibility by making a deposit with the county judge of the county in which the motor vehicle is registered....
SUBCHAPTER F SECURITY FOLLOWING ACCIDENT
- Texas Section 601.124 - Self-insurance
(a) A person in whose name more than 25 motor vehicles are registered may qualify as a self-insurer by obtaining a certificate of self-insurance issued...
- Texas Section 601.151 - Applicability Of Subchapter
(a) This subchapter applies only to a motor vehicle accident in this state that results in bodily injury or death or in damage to the...
- Texas Section 601.152 - Suspension Of Driver's License And Vehicle Registration Or Privilege
(a) Subject to Section 601.153, the department shall suspend the driver's license and vehicle registrations of the owner and operator of a motor vehicle if:...
- Texas Section 601.153 - Deposit Of Security; Evidence Of Financial Responsibility
(a) The department may not suspend a driver's license, vehicle registration, or nonresident's privilege under this subchapter if the owner or operator: (1) deposits with...
- Texas Section 601.154 - Department Determination Of Probability Of Liability
(a) Subject to Subsection (d), if the department finds that there is a reasonable probability that a judgment will be rendered against an owner or...
- Texas Section 601.155 - Notice Of Determination
(a) The department shall notify the affected person of a determination made under Section 601.154. (b) The notice must state that: (1) the person's driver's...
- Texas Section 601.156 - Setting Of Hearing
(a) A hearing under this subchapter is subject to the notice and hearing procedures of Sections 521.295-521.303 and shall be heard by a judge of...
- Texas Section 601.157 - Hearing Procedures
(a) The judge may administer oaths and issue subpoenas for the attendance of witnesses and the production of relevant books and papers. (b) The judge...
- Texas Section 601.158 - Appeal
(a) If, after a hearing under this subchapter, the judge determines that there is a reasonable probability that a judgment will be rendered against the...
- Texas Section 601.159 - Procedures For Suspension Of Driver's License And Vehicle Registration Or Privilege
The department shall suspend the driver's license and each vehicle registration of an owner or operator or the nonresident's operating privilege of an owner or...
- Texas Section 601.160 - Suspension Stayed Pending Hearing Or Appeal
The department may not suspend a driver's license, vehicle registration, or nonresident's operating privilege pending the outcome of a hearing and any appeal under this...
- Texas Section 601.161 - Notice Of Suspension
Not later than the 11th day before the effective date of a suspension under Section 601.159, the department shall send notice of the suspension to...
- Texas Section 601.162 - Duration Of Suspension
(a) The suspension of a driver's license, vehicle registration, or nonresident's operating privilege under this subchapter remains in effect, the license, registration, or privilege may...
- Texas Section 601.163 - Form Of Security
(a) The security required under this subchapter shall be made: (1) by cash deposit; (2) through a bond that complies with Section 601.168; or (3)...
- Texas Section 601.164 - Reduction In Security
(a) The department may reduce the amount of security ordered in a case within six months after the date of the accident if, in the...
- Texas Section 601.165 - Custody Of Cash Security
The department shall place cash deposited in compliance with this subchapter in the custody of the comptroller. Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 1,...
- Texas Section 601.166 - Payment Of Cash Security
(a) Cash security may be applied only to the payment of: (1) a judgment rendered against the person on whose behalf the deposit is made...
- Texas Section 601.167 - Return Of Cash Security
Cash security or any balance of the security shall be returned to the depositor or the depositor's personal representative when: (1) evidence satisfactory to the...
- Texas Section 601.168 - Insurance Policy Or Bond; Limits
(a) A bond or motor vehicle liability insurance policy under this subchapter must: (1) be issued by a surety company or insurance company: (A) authorized...
- Texas Section 601.169 - Reasonable Probability Not Admissible In Civil Suit
A determination under Section 601.154 or 601.157 that there is a reasonable probability that a judgment will be rendered against a person as a result...
SUBCHAPTER G FAILURE TO MAINTAIN MOTOR VEHICLE LIABILITY INSURANCE OR OTHERWISE ESTABLISH FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY; CRIMINAL PENALTIES
- Texas Section 601.170 - Department Acting On Erroneous Information
If the department is given erroneous information relating to a matter covered by Section 601.151(b)(1) or (b)(2) or to a person's status as an employee...
- Texas Section 601.191 - Operation Of Motor Vehicle In Violation Of Motor Vehicle Liability Insurance Requirement; Offense
(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)...
- Texas Section 601.193 - Defense: Financial Responsibility In Effect At Time Of Alleged Offense
(a) It is a defense to prosecution under Section 601.191 or 601.195 that the person charged produces to the court one of the documents listed...
- Texas Section 601.194 - Defense: Possession Of Motor Vehicle For Maintenance Or Repair
It is a defense to prosecution of an offense under Section 601.191 that the motor vehicle operated by the person charged: (1) was in the...
SUBCHAPTER H FAILURE TO MAINTAIN EVIDENCE OF FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY; SUSPENSION OF DRIVER'S LICENSE AND MOTOR VEHICLE REGISTRATION
- Texas Section 601.195 - Operation Of Motor Vehicle In Violation Of Requirement To Establish Financial Responsibility; Offense
(a) A person commits an offense if the person: (1) is required to establish financial responsibility under Subchapter F or K; (2) does not maintain...
- Texas Section 601.231 - Suspension Of Driver's License And Vehicle Registration
(a) If a person is convicted of an offense under Section 601.191 and a prior conviction of that person under that section has been reported...
- Texas Section 601.232 - Notice Of Suspension
(a) The department shall mail in a timely manner a notice to each person whose driver's license and vehicle registrations are suspended under Section 601.231....
- Texas Section 601.233 - Notice Of Potential Suspension
(a) A citation for an offense under Section 601.191 issued as a result of Section 601.053 must include, in type larger than other type on...
SUBCHAPTER I FAILURE TO MAINTAIN EVIDENCE OF FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY; IMPOUNDMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLE
- Texas Section 601.234 - Issuance Or Continuation Of Vehicle Registration
A motor vehicle may not be registered in the name of a person required to file evidence of financial responsibility unless evidence of financial responsibility...
- Texas Section 601.261 - Impoundment Of Motor Vehicle
On a second or subsequent conviction for an offense under Section 601.191, the court shall order the sheriff of the county in which the court...
- Texas Section 601.262 - Duration Of Impoundment
(a) The duration of an impoundment under Section 601.261 is 180 days. (b) The court may not order the release of the vehicle unless the...
- Texas Section 601.263 - Cost For Impoundment
The court shall impose against the defendant a cost of $15 a day for each day of impoundment of the defendant's vehicle. Acts 1995, 74th...
- Texas Section 601.264 - Penalties Cumulative
Impoundment of a motor vehicle under this subchapter is in addition to any other punishment imposed under this chapter. Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165,...
- Texas Section 601.265 - Transfer Of Title Of Impounded Motor Vehicle
(a) To transfer title to a motor vehicle impounded under Section 601.261, the owner must apply to the court for permission. (b) If the court...
- Texas Section 601.266 - Release On Involuntary Transfer Of Title Of Impounded Motor Vehicle
(a) Notwithstanding Section 601.262, the court shall order the release of a motor vehicle impounded under Section 601.261 if, while the vehicle is impounded, title...
SUBCHAPTER J IMPOUNDMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLE NOT REGISTERED IN THIS STATE
- Texas Section 601.267 - Release Of Impounded Motor Vehicle By Sheriff
A sheriff who impounds a motor vehicle shall release the vehicle: (1) on presentation of an order of release from the court and payment of...
- Texas Section 601.291 - Applicability Of Subchapter
This subchapter applies only to the owner or operator of a motor vehicle that: (1) is not registered in this state; and (2) is involved...
- Texas Section 601.292 - Duty To Provide Evidence Of Financial Responsibility To Investigating Officer
A person to whom this subchapter applies shall provide evidence of financial responsibility to a law enforcement officer of this state or a political subdivision...
- Texas Section 601.293 - Failure To Provide Evidence Of Financial Responsibility; Magistrate's Inquiry And Order
(a) A person to whom this subchapter applies who fails to provide evidence under Section 601.292 shall be taken before a magistrate as soon as...
- Texas Section 601.294 - Impoundment Of Motor Vehicle
If a person to whom this subchapter applies does not provide evidence required under Section 601.293(c), the magistrate shall enter an order directing the sheriff...
- Texas Section 601.295 - Duration Of Impoundment; Release
(a) A motor vehicle impounded under Section 601.294 remains impounded until the owner, operator, or person authorized by the owner presents to the person authorized...
- Texas Section 601.296 - Certificate Of Release
(a) The department shall issue a certificate of release of an impounded motor vehicle to the owner, operator, or person authorized by the owner on...
SUBCHAPTER K EVIDENCE OF FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOLLOWING JUDGMENT, CONVICTION, PLEA, OR FORFEITURE OR FOLLOWING SUSPENSION OR REVOCATION
- Texas Section 601.297 - Liability For Cost Of Impoundment
The owner of an impounded vehicle is liable for the costs of the impoundment. Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1,
- Texas Section 601.331 - Report Of Unsatisfied Judgment Or Conviction, Plea, Or Forfeiture Of Bail; Nonresident
(a) If a person does not satisfy a judgment before the 61st day after the date of the judgment, the clerk of the court, on...
- Texas Section 601.332 - Suspension Of Driver's License And Vehicle Registration Or Nonresident's Operating Privilege For Unsatisfied Judgment
(a) Except as provided by Sections 601.333, 601.334, and 601.336, on receipt of a certified copy of a judgment under Section 601.331, the department shall...
- Texas Section 601.333 - Relief From Suspension: Motor Vehicle Liability Insurance
(a) A person whose driver's license, vehicle registrations, or nonresident's operating privilege has been suspended or is subject to suspension under Section 601.332 may file...
- Texas Section 601.334 - Relief From Suspension: Consent Of Judgment Creditor
(a) The department may allow a judgment debtor's driver's license and vehicle registrations or nonresident's operating privilege to continue, notwithstanding Section 601.332, if: (1) the...
- Texas Section 601.335 - Installment Payments Authorized
(a) A judgment debtor, on notice to the judgment creditor, may apply to the court in which judgment was rendered to pay the judgment in...
- Texas Section 601.336 - Relief From Suspension: Installment Payments; Default
(a) Subject to Subsection (c), the department may not suspend a judgment debtor's driver's license, vehicle registration, or nonresident's operating privilege under Section 601.332 if...
- Texas Section 601.337 - Effect Of Bankruptcy
A discharge in bankruptcy after a judgment is rendered relieves the judgment debtor from the requirements of this chapter, except for financial responsibility requirements arising...
- Texas Section 601.338 - Evidence Of Financial Responsibility Or Suspension Of Driver's License And Vehicle Registration Of Owner Of Motor Vehicle
(a) The department shall suspend the driver's license and vehicle registrations of the owner of a motor vehicle that was used with the owner's consent...
- Texas Section 601.339 - Evidence Of Financial Responsibility Following Conviction, Plea, Or Forfeiture
(a) Except as provided by Subsection (c), the department may not issue a driver's license to a person who does not hold a driver's license...
- Texas Section 601.340 - Evidence Of Financial Responsibility Or Suspension Of Vehicle Registration Following Suspension Or Revocation Of Driver's License
(a) Except as provided by Subsection (b) or (c), the department shall suspend the registration of each motor vehicle registered in the name of a...
- Texas Section 601.341 - Evidence Of Financial Responsibility; Termination Of Penalty
Unless a person whose driver's license or vehicle registration has been suspended or revoked under this subchapter files and maintains evidence of financial responsibility with...
SUBCHAPTER L EFFECT OF SUSPENSION
- Texas Section 601.342 - Evidence Of Financial Responsibility Following Suspension Or Revocation Of Nonresident's Operating Privilege
The department may not terminate the suspension or revocation of a nonresident's operating privilege suspended or revoked under this subchapter because of a conviction, forfeiture...
- Texas Section 601.371 - Operation Of Motor Vehicle In Violation Of Suspension; Offense
(a) A person commits an offense if the person, during a period that a suspension of the person's vehicle registration is in effect under this...
- Texas Section 601.372 - Return Of Driver's License And Vehicle Registration To Department
(a) The department shall give written notice of a suspension of a driver's license and vehicle registration to a person who is required to maintain...
- Texas Section 601.373 - Failure To Return Driver's License Or Vehicle Registration; Offense
(a) A person commits an offense if the person wilfully fails to send a driver's license or vehicle registration as required by Section 601.372. An...
- Texas Section 601.374 - Transfer Of Vehicle Registration Prohibited
(a) An owner whose vehicle registration has been suspended under this chapter may not: (1) transfer the registration unless the transfer is authorized under Subsection...
- Texas Section 601.375 - Cooperation With Other State Or Canada
(a) The department shall send a certified copy of the record of the department's action suspending a nonresident's operating privilege under Subchapter F or under...
SUBCHAPTER M APPEAL OF DEPARTMENT ACTION
- Texas Section 601.376 - Reinstatement Fee
(a) A driver's license, vehicle registration, or nonresident's operating privilege that has been suspended under this chapter may not be reinstated and a new license...
SUBCHAPTER N FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY VERIFICATION PROGRAM
- Texas Section 601.401 - Department Actions Subject To Review
(a) An action of the department under this chapter may be appealed, unless: (1) an order of suspension by the department is based on an...
- Texas Section 601.451 - Definition
In this subchapter, "implementing agencies" means: (1) the department; (2) the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles; (3) the Texas Department of Insurance; and (4) the...
- Texas Section 601.452 - Implementation Of Program; Rules
(a) The Texas Department of Insurance in consultation with the other implementing agencies shall establish a program for verification of whether owners of motor vehicles...
- Texas Section 601.453 - Agent
(a) The Texas Department of Insurance in consultation with the other implementing agencies, under a competitive bidding procedure, shall select an agent to develop, implement,...
- Texas Section 601.454 - Information Provided By Insurance Company; Privacy
(a) Each insurance company providing motor vehicle liability insurance policies in this state shall provide necessary information for those policies to allow the agent to...