29.003. JURISDICTION. (a) A municipal court, including a municipal court of record, shall have exclusive original jurisdiction within the municipality’s territorial limits and property owned by the municipality located in the municipality’s extraterritorial jurisdiction in all criminal cases that:

Ask a legal question, get an answer ASAP!
Click here to chat with a lawyer about your rights.

          (1) arise under:

                (A) the ordinances of the municipality; or

                (B) a resolution, rule, or order of a joint board operating an airport under Section 22.074, Transportation Code; and

          (2) are punishable by a fine not to exceed:

                (A) $2,000 in all cases arising under municipal ordinances or resolutions, rules, or orders of a joint board that govern fire safety, zoning, or public health and sanitation, including dumping of refuse; or

                (B) $500 in all other cases arising under a municipal ordinance or a resolution, rule, or order of a joint board.

     (b) The municipal court has concurrent jurisdiction with the justice court of a precinct in which the municipality is located in all criminal cases arising under state law that arise within the municipality’s territorial limits or property owned by the municipality located in the municipality’s extraterritorial jurisdiction and that:

          (1) are punishable only by a fine, as defined in Subsection (c); or

          (2) arise under Chapter 106, Alcoholic Beverage Code, and do not include confinement as an authorized sanction.

     (c) In this section, an offense which is punishable by “fine only” is defined as an offense that is punishable by fine and such sanctions, if any, as authorized by statute not consisting of confinement in jail or imprisonment.

     (d) The fact that a conviction in a municipal court has as a consequence the imposition of a penalty or sanction by an agency or entity other than the court, such as a denial, suspension, or revocation of a privilege, does not affect the original jurisdiction of the municipal court.

     (e) The municipal court has jurisdiction in the forfeiture and final judgment of all bail bonds and personal bonds taken in criminal cases of which the court has jurisdiction.

     (f) This section does not affect the powers given exclusively to a joint board operating an airport under Section 22.074(d), Transportation Code.

     (g) A municipal court, including a municipal court of record, shall have exclusive appellate jurisdiction within the municipality’s territorial limits in a case arising under Chapter 707, Transportation Code.

Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 480, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1985. Amended by Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 148, Sec. 2.32(a), eff. Sept. 1, 1987; Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 641, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1987; Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 680, Sec. 3, eff. Sept. 1, 1987; Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 108, Sec. 7, eff. Sept. 1, 1991; Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 449, Sec. 2, eff. Sept. 1, 1995; Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 533, Sec. 3, eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1013, Sec. 40, eff. Sept. 1, 1997; Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 611, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1999; Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 660, Sec. 1, eff. June 18, 1999; Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1122, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 2001.

Amended by:

     Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1149, Sec. 3, eff. September 1, 2007.