Court Information, Statutes , Regulations & Public Notices

Court Information

Texas Game Wardens and Park Police Officers are commissioned peace officers and file court cases with a variety of courts, depending upon the individual location and situation. Court clerks and officers alike use a variety of tools to classify and dispose of those cases. Some of those tools are contained here.

TPWD Violation Codes/Cites
Listing of Water Safety, Fishing, Wildlife and Other violation codes
Arrest Citation Disposition Report - Court (PWD 460A) | PDF
Form for court clerks and officers to submit fines to the agency
Officer Disposition Report - (PWD 460B) | PDF
Form for officers to submit citation dispositions

Statutes & Regulations

The law enforcement officers employed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department have the same powers and privileges as any other state peace officers. They have the same authority as a sheriff, for instance, to arrest, serve criminal or civil process, and require aid in serving criminal or civil process, and may arrest without a warrant any person in this state for violating the law. The primary duty of the agency’s law enforcement personnel is to enforce statutes (for example, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Code and the Texas Penal Code) enacted by the Texas Legislature, as well as regulations (sometimes referred to as “proclamations”) enacted by the Parks and Wildlife Commission under authority delegated by the legislature. In addition, Texas game wardens hold federal commissions issued by the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Department of Commerce for purposes of enforcing federal fisheries and wildlife laws in Texas.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Code (Statutes)
Statutes passed by the Texas legislature
Texas Parks and Wildlife Administrative Code (Regulations)
Regulations passed by the agency commission
Federal Dove Baiting Law
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement, Dove Hunting and Baiting overview
Federal Waterfowl Baiting Law
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement, Waterfowl Hunting and Baiting overview
Federal Fishing Regulations
Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council overview of federal fishing regulations
Reading Statutes and Bills
Reference from the Texas Legislative Council

Interstate Violator Compact Act

The Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact is an agreement that recognizes suspension of hunting, fishing, and trapping licenses in member states. This means that illegal activities in one state can affect a person’s hunting or fishing privileges in all participating states. Any person whose license privileges or rights are suspended in a member state may also be suspended in Texas. If a person's hunting, fishing, or trapping rights are suspended in Texas, they may be suspended in member states as well. This cooperative interstate effort will enhance the Department’s ability to protect and manage our wildlife resources.

Map of participating states
The Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact also establishes a process whereby wildlife law violations by a non-resident from a member state are handled as if the person were a resident, meaning they can be served a ticket rather than being arrested, booked, and bonded. This process is a convenience for hunters, fishermen, and trappers of member states, and increases efficiency of Game Wardens by allowing more time for enforcement duties rather than violator processing procedures.

Texas honors similar wildlife violation suspensions from other member states. This would include Failure to Appear in court violations. If a non-resident sportsman is issued a wildlife citation and fails to comply with the citation or appear in court, the Department will notify their home state of a Failure to Comply. The home state may then suspend that person's resident hunting or fishing license. Once the sportsman complies with the Texas violation, their home state will be notified and their resident license will be reinstated.

The concept of a wildlife violator compact was first advanced in the early 1980s by member states in the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. Law enforcement administrators and Wildlife Commissioners from several states began discussing the idea of a compact based on the format of the existing Drivers License Compact and Non-Resident Violator Compact, both of these related to motor vehicle operator licensing and enforcement.

In 1985 draft compacts were developed independently in Colorado and Nevada. Subsequently, these drafts were merged and the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact was created.

During the 1989 legislative sessions, compact legislation was passed into law in Colorado, Nevada, and Oregon. These three states formed the nucleus of the Compact. Texas joined in late 2009.

Public Notices

Law Enforcement Support Office (LESO) Program Public Notice

November 16, 2022

SUBJECT:  Notification to Civilian Governing Body and Local Community

On May 25, 2022, Presidential Executive Order (EO) 14074 “Advancing Effective, Accountable Policing and Criminal Justice Practices to Enhance Public Trust and Public Safety” was signed.

In accordance with EO 14074 (Section 12), State, Tribal, local, and Territorial Law Enforcement agencies (LEAs) must:

  • Notify their Civilian Governing Body (CGB) (i.e., City Council, County Government or other local governing body) of its intent to request property from Federal sources (to include Federal funds or grants).
  • Notify the Local Community of its request for property transfers, purchases from Federal funds, agencies or subcontractors (including existing transfer contracts or grants).

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department may request the below controlled property items from the Law Enforcement Support Office (LESO), or other Federal source:

Controlled Property Description

 Weapons (pistols, shotguns, long rifles), Weapon modification kits, Weapon parts, Training Weapons. Aircraft (Fixed & Rotary), Aircraft parts, Armored Vehicles (MRAPs, Peacekeepers, Armored HMMWVs & NTAVs), Vehicle parts, Weapon-mounted optics & lasers, Handheld Optics & lasers, Night Vision Devices (including thermal equipment), Optical & sighting equipment (range finders, boresights etc), Tactical cargo vehicles (HMMWV, Cargo trucks), Watercraft, Unmanned Ground Vehicles (all robots), Wheel assemblies, Tools (hand, pneumatic & power), Purpose-built Handheld Breaching Equipment, Decontamination Equipment, Computers & peripherals, Camouflage & deception equipment, Radio & Telephone Equipment, Generators, Lighting & observation towers, Riot gear (helmets, face shields, fixed batons over 2 ft., wearable gear & shields), Capability Sets, and Camera Sets.

Pursuant to EO 14074 (Section 12), this memo fulfills the requirement to notify the Civilian Governing Body (CGB) and Local Community of my agency’s intent to request the controlled property items identified in the list above.

Chad Jones

Law Enforcement Division Director

Aviso Público del Programa de la Oficina de Apoyo a la Aplicación de la Ley (LESO)

Noviembre 16, 2022

ASUNTO: Notificación al cuerpo de gobierno civil y a la comunidad local

El 25 de Mayo de 2022, se firmó la Orden Ejecutiva Presidencial (EO) 14074 "Promoción de prácticas policiales y de justicia penal efectivas y responsables para mejorar la confianza pública y la seguridad pública".

De acuerdo con EO 14074 (Sección 12), las agencias estatales, tribales, locales y territoriales de aplicación de la ley (LEA) deben:

  1. Notificar a su Cuerpo de Gobierno Civil (CGB) (es decir, el Concejo Municipal, el Gobierno del Condado o otro cuerpo de gobierno local) de su intención de solicitar propiedad de fondos federales (para incluir fondos o subvenciones federales).
  2. Notificar a la Comunidad Local de su solicitud de transferencias de propiedad, compras de fondos federales, agencias o subcontratistas (incluidos los contratos de transferencia o subvenciones existentes).

Departamento Texas Parks and Wildlife puede solicitar los siguientes artículos de propiedad controlada de la Oficina de Apoyo a la Aplicación de la Ley (LESO) u otro origen federal:

Descripción de la propiedad controlada

 Armas (pistolas, escopetas, rifles largos), kits de modificación de armas, piezas de armas, armas de entrenamiento. Aeronaves (fijas y rotativas), piezas de aeronaves, vehículos blindados (MRAP, fuerzas de paz, HMMWV blindados y NTAV), piezas de vehículos, ópticas y láseres montados en armas, ópticas y láseres de mano, dispositivos de visión nocturna (incluidos equipos térmicos), equipos ópticos y de observación (telémetros, miras, etc.), vehículos de carga táctica (HMMWV, camiones de carga), embarcaciones, vehículos terrestres no tripulados (todos los robots), conjuntos de ruedas, herramientas (manuales, neumáticas y eléctricas),  Equipo de violación portátil especialmente diseñado, equipo de descontaminación, computadoras y periféricos, equipo de camuflaje y engaño, equipo de radio y teléfono, generadores, torres de iluminación y observación, equipo antidisturbios (cascos, protectores faciales, bastones fijos de más de 2 pies, equipo y escudos portátiles), conjuntos de capacidades y conjuntos de cámaras.

De conformidad con EO 14074 (Sección 12), este memorándum cumple con el requisito de notificar al Cuerpo Gobernante Civil (CGB) y a la Comunidad Local de la intención de mi agencia de solicitar los elementos de propiedad controlada identificados en la lista anterior.

Chad Jones

Director Divisional Policiaca

Chad Jones