Art. 14.06. MUST TAKE OFFENDER BEFORE MAGISTRATE.  (a)  Except as otherwise provided by this article, in each case enumerated in this Code, the person making the arrest or the person having custody of the person arrested shall take the person arrested or have him taken without unnecessary delay, but not later than 48 hours after the person is arrested, before the magistrate who may have ordered the arrest, before some magistrate of the county where the arrest was made without an order, or, to provide more expeditiously to the person arrested the warnings described by Article 15.17 of this Code, before a magistrate in any other county of this state. The magistrate shall immediately perform the duties described in Article 15.17 of this Code.
(b)  A peace officer who is charging a person, including a child, with committing an offense that is a Class C misdemeanor, other than an offense under Section 49.02, Penal Code, may, instead of taking the person before a magistrate, issue a citation to the person that contains:
(1)  written notice of the time and place the person must appear before a magistrate;
(2)  the name and address of the person charged;
(3)  the offense charged;
(4)  information regarding the alternatives to the full payment of any fine or costs assessed against the person, if the person is convicted of the offense and is unable to pay that amount; and
(5)  the following admonishment, in boldfaced or underlined type or in capital letters:
"If you are convicted of a misdemeanor offense involving violence where you are or were a spouse, intimate partner, parent, or guardian of the victim or are or were involved in another, similar relationship with the victim, it may be unlawful for you to possess or purchase a firearm, including a handgun or long gun, or ammunition, pursuant to federal law under 18 U.S.C. Section 922(g)(9) or Section 46.04(b), Texas Penal Code.  If you have any questions whether these laws make it illegal for you to possess or purchase a firearm, you should consult an attorney."
(c)  If the person resides in the county where the offense occurred, a peace officer who is charging a person with committing an offense that is a Class A or B misdemeanor may, instead of taking the person before a magistrate, issue a citation to the person that contains written notice of the time and place the person must appear before a magistrate of this state as described by Subsection (a), the name and address of the person charged, and the offense charged.
(d)  Subsection (c) applies only to a person charged with committing an offense under:
(1)  Section 481.121, Health and Safety Code, if the offense is punishable under Subsection (b)(1) or (2) of that section;
(1-a)  Section 481.1161, Health and Safety Code, if the offense is punishable under Subsection (b)(1) or (2) of that section;
(2)  Section 28.03, Penal Code, if the offense is punishable under Subsection (b)(2) of that section;
(3)  Section 28.08, Penal Code, if the offense is punishable under Subsection (b)(2) or (3) of that section;
(4)  Section 31.03, Penal Code, if the offense is punishable under Subsection (e)(2)(A) of that section;
(5)  Section 31.04, Penal Code, if the offense is punishable under Subsection (e)(2) of that section;
(5-a)  Section 37.10, Penal Code, if the offense is for tampering with a temporary tag issued under Chapter 502 or 503, Transportation Code;
(6)  Section 38.114, Penal Code, if the offense is punishable as a Class B misdemeanor; or
(7)  Section 521.457, Transportation Code.
Acts 1965, 59th Leg., vol. 2, p. 317, ch. 722.  Amended by Acts 1967, 60th Leg., p. 1735, ch. 659, Sec. 10, eff. Aug. 28, 1967.
Amended by Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 455, Sec. 1, eff. Aug. 31, 1987;  Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 84, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1991.  Subsec. (b) amended by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 900, Sec. 1.05, eff. Sept. 1, 1994;  amended by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 262, Sec. 81, eff. Jan. 1, 1996;  Subsec. (a) amended by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 906, Sec. 3, eff. Jan. 1, 2002.
Amended by: 
Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 1094 (H.B. 2120), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2005.
Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 320 (H.B. 2391), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2007.
Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 1379 (S.B. 1236), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2009.
Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 170 (S.B. 331), Sec. 7, eff. September 1, 2011.
Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1251 (H.B. 1396), Sec. 9, eff. September 1, 2015.
Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 977 (H.B. 351), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2017.
Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1127 (S.B. 1913), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2017.
Acts 2023, 88th Leg., R.S., Ch. 125 (H.B. 914), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2023.