Texas Family Code 58.002 – Photographs and Fingerprints of Children
(a) Except as provided by Chapter 63, Code of Criminal Procedure, a child may not be photographed or fingerprinted without the consent of the juvenile court unless the child is:
(1) taken into custody; or
(2) referred to the juvenile court for conduct that constitutes a felony or a misdemeanor punishable by confinement in jail, regardless of whether the child has been taken into custody.
(b) On or before December 31 of each year, the head of each municipal or county law enforcement agency located in a county shall certify to the juvenile board for that county that the photographs and fingerprints required to be destroyed under § 58.001 have been destroyed. The juvenile board may conduct or cause to be conducted an audit of the records of the law enforcement agency to verify the destruction of the photographs and fingerprints and the law enforcement agency shall make its records available for this purpose. If the audit shows that the certification provided by the head of the law enforcement agency is false, that person is subject to prosecution for perjury under Chapter 37, Penal Code.
Terms Used In Texas Family Code 58.002
- Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
- in writing: includes any representation of words, letters, or figures, whether by writing, printing, or other means. See Texas Government Code 312.011
- Person: includes corporation, organization, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, association, and any other legal entity. See Texas Government Code 311.005
- Year: means 12 consecutive months. See Texas Government Code 311.005
(c) This section does not prohibit a law enforcement officer from photographing or fingerprinting a child who is not in custody or who has not been referred to the juvenile court for conduct that constitutes a felony or misdemeanor punishable by confinement in jail if the child’s parent or guardian voluntarily consents in writing to the photographing or fingerprinting of the child. Consent of the child’s parent or guardian is not required to photograph or fingerprint a child described by Subsection (a)(1) or (2).
(d) This section does not apply to fingerprints that are required or authorized to be submitted or obtained for an application for a driver’s license or personal identification card.
(e) This section does not prohibit a law enforcement officer from fingerprinting or photographing a child as provided by § 58.0021.