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Tex. Transp. Code § 724.012

TAKING OF SPECIMEN

Applied in 77 court decisions — leading case Bigon v. State (2008)

Most recently applied in Briggs v. State (October 2018)

Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 1, eff

How often courts cite this section

1997200020102018170
citing decisions per year

Court decisions citing this, by year. The dip in the last several years is a data-coverage gap, not a real trend — our corpus holds fewer opinions from the most recent years, so recent citations are undercounted.

(a) One or more specimens of a person's breath or blood may be taken if the person is arrested and at the request of a peace officer having reasonable grounds to believe the person:

(1) while intoxicated was operating a motor vehicle in a public place, or a watercraft; or

(2) was in violation of Section 106.041, Alcoholic Beverage Code.

(a-1) A peace officer shall require the taking of a specimen of the person's blood if:

(1) the officer arrests the person for an offense under Chapter 49, Penal Code, involving the operation of a motor vehicle or a watercraft;

(2) the person refuses the officer's request to submit to the taking of a specimen voluntarily;

(3) the person was the operator of a motor vehicle or a watercraft involved in a collision that the officer reasonably believes occurred as a result of the offense; and

(4) at the time of the arrest, the officer reasonably believes that as a direct result of the collision any individual has died, will die, or has suffered serious bodily injury.

(b) Subject to Subsection (a-1), a peace officer shall require the taking of a specimen of the person's breath or blood under any of the following circumstances if the officer arrests the person for an offense under Chapter 49, Penal Code, involving the operation of a motor vehicle or a watercraft and the person refuses the officer's request to submit to the taking of a specimen voluntarily:

(1) the person was the operator of a motor vehicle or a watercraft involved in a collision that the officer reasonably believes occurred as a result of the offense and, at the time of the arrest, the officer reasonably believes that as a direct result of the collision an individual other than the person has suffered bodily injury and been transported to a hospital or other medical facility for medical treatment;

(2) the offense for which the officer arrests the person is an offense under Section 49.045 or 49.061, Penal Code; or

(3) at the time of the arrest, the officer possesses or receives reliable information from a credible source that the person:

(A) has been previously convicted of or placed on community supervision for an offense under Section 49.045, 49.061, 49.07, or 49.08, Penal Code, or an offense under the laws of another state containing elements substantially similar to the elements of an offense under those sections; or

(B) on two or more occasions, has been previously convicted of or placed on community supervision for an offense under Section 49.04, 49.05, 49.06, or 49.065, Penal Code, or an offense under the laws of another state containing elements substantially similar to the elements of an offense under those sections.

(c) Except as provided by Subsection (a-1), the peace officer shall designate the type of specimen to be taken.

(d) In this section, "bodily injury" and "serious bodily injury" have the meanings assigned by Section 1.07, Penal Code.

(e) A peace officer may not require the taking of a specimen under this section unless the officer:

(1) obtains a warrant directing that the specimen be taken; or

(2) has probable cause to believe that exigent circumstances exist.

Official source: Texas Constitution and Statutes. Reproduced from public-domain Texas statutes; confirm against the official source for the current text. Not legal advice.