Texas is known for its tall tales and quirky characters. However, some of the state’s laws raise an eyebrow as well. Texas laws continually change with the societies they govern, allowing the development of applicable modern rules.
Still, weird Texas laws garner the attention of many who try to decipher why such laws were necessary at any time in Texas history.
1. Marriage Through Proclamation
Only seven states and the District of Columbia recognize common-law marriage. In Texas, the law refers to this type of marriage as marriage without formalities. Couples are allowed to proclaim they are married through public announcement. According to Texas law, you must meet the following for a marriage without formalities:
- The parties are 18 or older.
- Each person is a willing participant in the union.
- The two individuals proclaiming marriage are unrelated.
Adding to Texas’s weird laws, a marriage can still occur in Texas even if one of the parties is not present and cannot personally appear before a county clerk to apply for a marriage license. Proving a common law marriage requires evidence that the couple agreed to the marriage and then lived together as husband and wife in Texas, representing to others that they are married.
2. Paying a Traffic Citation Equals a Guilty Plea
Drivers essentially accept responsibility for their actions, entering a guilty plea, when paying a Texas traffic citation. Getting a traffic ticket in Harris County, Texas, requires you to make one of three choices:
- Pay the fine and enter a guilty plea.
- Enter a plea of not guilty and stand trial.
- Request a Driving Safety Course.
If you do not wish to enter a guilty or not guilty plea, you may enter a plea of no contest. While a plea of no contest means you do not deny the charges, you must still pay a fine within the notice’s date.
Texas law allows the assigning of proportionate responsibility in a car accident. An admission of guilt in an accident by paying a traffic ticket, particularly when the insurance company assigns a higher proportion of responsibility to you than necessary, may impact your claim.
3. Taillights for Horses
Rumors of this weird Texas law that is believed to have originated in Texarkana are likely from the Texas Transportation Code specifying requirements for animals or animal-drawn vehicles operating on the roadway. Texas rules of the road state that individuals riding an animal or operating a vehicle drawn by an animal must abide by the laws that apply to individuals operating a vehicle on the highway. Many have interpreted this to mean both animals and vehicles they pull must be equipped with taillights.
Failing to have working taillights on a car you drive on Texas highways can result in fines.
Multiple Texas cities allow horse-drawn carriage tours serving the tourist and wedding industries. Therefore, this weird law could become a viable concern if your accident involves a carriage or other similar vehicle.
4. Permit to Party
It is illegal in many public spaces, like parks, to consume alcohol in Texas. Becoming intoxicated in these areas may lead to fines and penalties. Proof that you suffer injuries from someone imbibing in a public space without permission may constitute negligence on their part. Reference to this weird Texas law likely implies the need to have an alcohol permit in place allowing guests at a function in a rented public space to consume alcohol legally.
5. No Nose Nuisances Permitted (Effluvia)
Effluvia are harmful or unpleasant discharges, odors, or secretions. Are you struggling with a neighbor’s effluvia? Then, this weird Texas law may apply in your case.
Some towns in Texas are working diligently to protect your nose from substances emitting odor or effluvia. Located approximately 90 miles from Houston, Port Arthur, TX, strives to expand on and enforce nuisance laws that protect you from all substances that create foul, disagreeable, unhealthful, or noxious odors.
To take a more serious look at this law, the Code addresses nuisances that may impact the environment. One action the Code addresses as a nuisance that may result in effluvium is maintaining privies, surface closet cesspools, or a failure to connect to a sewer system. The law further addresses nose nuisances caused by putrid meats or decaying vegetables kept on the premises. Your olfactory senses receive immense consideration under this weird Texas law.
6. No Spitting Allowed
Based on weird Texas laws still on the books, expectoration is a threat to some Texas towns and entities. Texas City, TX, addresses spitting as unlawful and does not allow spitting on any sidewalk, floor, or wall of any public building, nor on any part of any bus, taxicab, or other public vehicle that carries passengers for hire.
El Paso, TX, also highlights its laws against expectorating in any airport building in the municipal code addressing sanitary regulations. Its codes specifically state that no person shall expectorate on walls or surfaces in any airport building.
7. Milking Another’s Cow Prohibited
Current Texas laws do not make specific mention of it being a crime to milk someone else’s cow without express consent. However, the 1925 Penal Code of the State of Texas mentions the offense specifically in Chapter 12 Article 1466 Pg. 325.
Depending on the action, interfering with livestock in Texas can be a significant offense. In Texas, milking someone’s cow without consent would likely result in theft charges under current laws.
8. Confetti and Glitter Crimes
If your plans include visiting the Dome Civic and Convention Center operated by the town of Borger, TX, then leave your confetti and glitter at home.
Borger, TX, prohibits the use of these party materials on any part of the convention center’s grounds, including outdoor areas. Bringing confetti or glitter on-site violates the rules and regulations. If you visit Borger, distribute all confetti and glitter judiciously and according to the city’s guidelines.
9. Windshield Wipers Are Required, Windshields Are Optional
Jeep drivers or owners of vehicles with fold-down windshields are in luck in Texas. Under state law, windshields are not required. However, taking your automobile in for inspection requires the inspector to check for windshield wipers as evidence of financial responsibility.
10. Permission to Walk Barefoot
It may be against a city’s governing code of sanitation to go barefoot in some parts of Texas. We always recommend keeping your boots on to ensure your safety and prevent a sanitation violation unless you know it is legal and safe not to do so. Permits may cost as little as $5. However, a fine may result in higher costs to you. Because laws vary, check with local governing agencies if you want to barefoot your way through town.