Texas Property Tax Code
2021 Edition
Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts

The Texas Property Tax Code available on this website are current through the Regular Session of the 87th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2021. The Texas Constitution is current through the amendments approved by voters in November 2019.

Return to: Texas Property Tax code Table of contents

TITLE 1. PROPERTY TAX CODE

SUBTITLE B. PROPERTY TAX ADMINISTRATION

CHAPTER 6. LOCAL ADMINISTRATION

SUBCHAPTER B. ASSESSORS AND COLLECTORS

Sec. 6.21. COUNTY ASSESSOR-COLLECTOR. (a) The assessor-collector for a county is determined as provided by Article VIII, Sections 14, 16, and 16a, of the Texas Constitution.

(b) If a county with a population of less than 10,000 authorizes a separate county assessor-collector as provided by Article VIII, Section 16a, of the Texas Constitution, the commissioners court may appoint a county assessor-collector to serve until an assessor-collector is elected at the next general election and has qualified.

Acts 1979, 66th Leg., p. 2227, ch. 841, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1982.

Sec. 6.22. ASSESSOR AND COLLECTOR FOR OTHER TAXING UNITS. (a) The assessor and collector for a taxing unit other than a county or a home-rule city are determined by the law creating or authorizing creation of the unit.

(b) The assessor and collector for a home-rule city are determined by the city’s charter and ordinances.

(c) The governing body of a taxing unit authorized to have its own assessor and collector by official action in the manner required by law for official action by the body may require the county to assess and collect the taxes the unit imposes in the county in the manner in which the county assesses and collects its taxes. The governing body of the unit may revoke the requirement at any time by the same official action.

Acts 1979, 66th Leg., p. 2227, ch. 841, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1982.

Sec. 6.23. DUTIES OF ASSESSOR AND COLLECTOR. (a) The county assessor-collector shall assess and collect taxes on property in the county for the county. He shall also assess and collect taxes on property for another taxing unit if:

(1) the law creating or authorizing creation of the unit requires it to use the county assessor-collector for the taxes the unit imposes in the county;

(2) the law creating or authorizing creation of the unit does not mention who assesses and collects its taxes and the unit imposes taxes in the county;

(3) the governing body of the unit requires the county to assess and collect its taxes as provided by Subsection (c) of Section 6.22 of this code; or

(4) required by an intergovernmental contract.

(b) The assessor and collector for a taxing unit other than a county shall assess, collect, or assess and collect taxes, as applicable, for the unit. He shall also assess, collect, or assess and collect taxes, as applicable, for another unit if:

(1) required by or pursuant to the law creating or authorizing creation of the other unit; or

(2) required by an intergovernmental contract.

Acts 1979, 66th Leg., p. 2227, ch. 841, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1982. Amended by Acts 1981, 67th Leg., 1st C.S., p. 125, ch. 13, Sec. 22, eff. Jan. 1, 1982; Acts 1983, 68th Leg., p. 4819, ch. 851, Sec. 2, eff. Aug. 29, 1983.

Sec. 6.231. CONTINUING EDUCATION. (a) A county assessor-collector must successfully complete 20 hours of continuing education before each anniversary of the date on which the county assessor-collector takes office. The continuing education must include at least 10 hours of instruction on laws relating to the assessment and collection of property taxes for a county assessor-collector who assesses or collects property taxes.

(b) In addition to the requirement described by Subsection (a), a county assessor-collector shall:

(1) successfully complete continuing education courses on ethics and on the constitutional and statutory duties of the county assessor-collector not later than the 90th day after the date on which the county assessor-collector first takes office; and

(2) if the county assessor-collector assesses or collects property taxes, successfully complete at least 40 hours of continuing education courses on the assessment and collection of property taxes, including a course dedicated to Chapter 26, not later than the first anniversary of the date on which the county assessor-collector first takes office.

(c) Continuing education required by this section must be approved by a state agency or an accredited institution of higher education, including an institution that is a part of or associated with an accredited institution of higher education, such as the V. G. Young Institute of County Government.

(d) A county assessor-collector shall file annually a continuing education certificate of completion with the commissioners court of the county in which the county assessor-collector holds office.

(e) To satisfy the requirement described by Subsection (a), a county assessor-collector may carry forward from one 12-month period to the next not more than 10 continuing education hours that the county assessor-collector completes in excess of the required 20 hours.

(f) For purposes of removal under Subchapter B, Chapter 87, Local Government Code, “incompetency” in the case of a county assessor-collector includes the failure to complete continuing education requirements in accordance with this section.

Added by Acts 2013, 83rd Leg., R.S., Ch. 429 (S.B. 546), Sec. 1, eff. January 1, 2014.

Amended by:

Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 28 (S.B. 929), Sec. 1, eff. May 18, 2017.

Sec. 6.24. CONTRACTS FOR ASSESSMENT AND COLLECTION. (a) The governing body of a taxing unit other than a county may contract as provided by the Interlocal Cooperation Act with the governing body of another unit or with the board of directors of an appraisal district for the other unit or the district to perform duties relating to the assessment or collection of taxes.

(b) The commissioners court with the approval of the county assessor-collector may contract as provided by the Interlocal Cooperation Act with the governing body of another taxing unit in the county or with the board of directors of the appraisal district for the other unit or the district to perform duties relating to the assessment or collection of taxes for the county. If a county contracts to have its taxes assessed and collected by another taxing unit or by the appraisal district, except as provided by Subsection (c), the contract shall require the other unit or the district to assess and collect all taxes the county is required to assess and collect.

(c) A contract entered into under Subsection (b) may exclude from the taxes the other unit or the district is required to assess and collect taxes the county is required to assess and collect under one or more of the following provisions:

(1) Section 23.121;

(2) Section 23.122;

(3) Section 23.124;

(4) Section 23.1241;

(5) Section 23.1242;

(6) Section 23.125;

(7) Section 23.127; or

(8) Section 23.128.

(d) A contract under this section may provide for the entity that collects taxes to contract with an attorney, as provided by Section 6.30 of this code, for collection of delinquent taxes.

Acts 1979, 66th Leg., p. 2228, ch. 841, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1982. Amended by Acts 1981, 67th Leg., 1st C.S., p. 125, ch. 13, Sec. 23, 24, eff. Jan. 1, 1982; Acts 1983, 68th Leg., p. 4829, ch. 851, Sec. 28, eff. Aug. 29, 1983; Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1430, Sec. 2, eff. Sept. 1, 2001.

Sec. 6.26. ELECTION TO CONSOLIDATE ASSESSING AND COLLECTING FUNCTIONS. (a) The qualified voters residing in an appraisal district by petition submitted to the county clerk of the county principally served by the appraisal district may require that an election be held to determine whether or not to require the appraisal district, the county assessor-collector, or a specified taxing unit within the appraisal district to assess, collect, or assess and collect property taxes on property appraised by the district for all taxing units.

(b) The qualified voters of a taxing unit that assesses, collects, or assesses and collects its own property taxes by petition submitted to the governing body of the taxing unit may require that an election be held to determine whether or not to require the appraisal district, the county assessor-collector, or another taxing unit that is assessing and collecting property taxes to assess, collect, or assess and collect the unit’s property taxes.

(c) A petition is valid if:

(1) it states that it is intended to require an election in the appraisal district or taxing unit on the question of consolidation of assessing or collecting functions or both;

(2) it states the functions to be consolidated and identifies the entity or office that will be required to perform the functions; and

(3) it is signed by a number of qualified voters equal to at least 10 percent of the number of qualified voters, according to the most recent official list of qualified voters, residing in the appraisal district, if the petition is authorized by Subsection (a) of this section, or in the taxing unit, if the petition is authorized by Subsection (b) of this section, or by 10,000 qualified voters, whichever number is less.

(d) Not later than the 10th day after the day the petition is submitted, the commissioners court, if the petition is authorized by Subsection (a) of this section, or the governing body of the taxing unit, if the petition is authorized by Subsection (b) of this section, shall determine whether the petition is valid and pass a resolution stating its finding. The signature of a person may not be counted for purposes of validating the petition under Subsection (c)(3) of this section if:

(1) the person does not enter beside his signature at the time of his signing the date on which he signs the petition; or

(2) the person signs the petition more than 30 days before the date on which the petition is submitted to the county clerk or the governing body.

(e) If the commissioners court or the governing body finds that the petition is valid, it shall order that an election be held in the district or taxing unit on the next uniform election date prescribed by the Texas Election Code that is more than 60 days after the last day on which it could have acted to approve or disapprove the petition. At the election, the ballots shall be prepared to permit voting for or against the proposition: “Requiring the (name of entity or office) to (assess, collect, or assess and collect, as applicable) property taxes for (all taxing units in the appraisal district for _____________ county or name of taxing unit or units, as applicable).”

(f) If a majority of the qualified voters voting on the question in the election favor the proposition, the entity or office named by the ballot shall perform the functions named by the ballot beginning with the next time property taxes are assessed or collected, as applicable, that is more than 90 days after the date of the election. If the governing bodies (and appraisal district board of directors when the district is involved) agree, a function may be consolidated when performance of the function begins in less than 90 days after the date of the election.

(g) A taxing unit shall pay the actual cost of performance of the functions to the office or entity that performs functions for it pursuant to an election as provided by this section.

(h) If a taxing unit is required by election pursuant to Subsection (b) of this section to assess, collect, or assess and collect property taxes for another taxing unit, it also shall perform the functions for all taxing units for which the other unit previously performed those functions pursuant to law or intergovernmental contract.

(i) If functions are consolidated by an election, a taxing unit may not terminate the consolidation within two years after the date of the consolidation.

(j) An appraisal district may not be required by an election to assess, collect, or assess and collect taxes on property outside the district’s boundaries. A taxing unit may not be required by an election to assess, collect, or assess and collect taxes on property outside the boundaries of the appraisal district that appraises property for the unit.

Acts 1979, 66th Leg., p. 2229, ch. 841, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1982. Amended by Acts 1981, 67th Leg., 1st C.S., p. 125, ch. 13, Sec. 25, eff. Jan. 1, 1982; Acts 1983, 68th Leg., p. 4612, ch. 785, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1983.

Sec. 6.27. COMPENSATION FOR ASSESSMENT AND COLLECTION. (a) Repealed by Acts 1983, 68th Leg., p. 4829, ch. 851, Sec. 28, eff. Aug. 29, 1983.

(b) Except as provided by Subsection (d), the county assessor-collector is entitled to a reasonable fee, which may not exceed the actual costs incurred, for assessing and collecting taxes for a taxing unit pursuant to Section 6.23(a)(1), (2), or (3).

(c) The assessor or collector for a taxing unit other than a county is entitled to reasonable compensation, which may not exceed the actual costs incurred, for assessing or collecting taxes for a taxing unit pursuant to Subsection (b) of Section 6.23 of this code.

(d) If a law enacted under Section 59, Article XVI, Texas Constitution, creating a river authority authorizes the river authority to impose a tax, specifies the maximum tax rate, and specifies the maximum fee that the authority may pay for the assessment and collection of the authority’s taxes, and if the county assessor-collector assesses and collects the taxes the river authority imposes pursuant to Section 6.23(a)(1), (2), or (3), the county assessor-collector may not charge the river authority a fee for assessing and collecting the taxes that exceeds the fee specified in the law creating the river authority.

Acts 1979, 66th Leg., p. 2230, ch. 841, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1982. Amended by Acts 1981, 67th Leg., 1st C.S., p. 125, ch. 13, Sec. 26, eff. Jan. 1, 1982; Acts 1983, 68th Leg., p. 4829, ch. 851, Sec. 28, eff. Aug. 29, 1983.

Amended by:

Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 32 (S.B. 692), Sec. 1, eff. May 9, 2005.

Sec. 6.275. RELEASE OF ASSESSOR AND COLLECTOR FROM LIABILITY. A county assessor-collector is not personally liable for the loss of public funds in the custody of the assessor-collector or the assessor-collector’s office if a district court enters a declaratory judgment that the loss is due to a reason other than the negligence or misconduct of the assessor-collector.

Added by Acts 1987, 70th Leg., 2nd C.S., ch. 37, Sec. 1, eff. Oct. 20, 1987.

Sec. 6.28. BONDS FOR STATE AND COUNTY TAXES. (a) Before beginning to perform the duties of office, a person elected or appointed as county assessor-collector must give bonds to the state and to the county, conditioned on the faithful performance of the person’s duties as assessor-collector.

(b) The bond for state taxes must be payable to the governor and his successors in office in an amount equal to five percent of the net state collections from motor vehicle sales and use taxes and motor vehicle registration fees in the county during the year ending August 31 preceding the date bond is given, except that the amount of bond may not be less than $2,500 or more than $100,000. To be effective, the bond must be approved by the commissioners court and the state comptroller of public accounts.

(c) The bond for county taxes must be payable to the commissioners court in an amount equal to 10 percent of the total amount of county taxes imposed in the preceding tax year, except that the amount of the bond may not be less than $2,500 or more than $100,000, except as otherwise provided by this subsection. The commissioners court of a county with a population of 1.5 million or more by order may set the maximum amount of the bond in an amount greater than $100,000. To be effective, a bond under this subsection must be approved by the commissioners court.

(d) The state comptroller of public accounts or the commissioners court may require a new bond for state taxes at any time. The commissioners court may require a new bond for county taxes at any time. However, the total amount of state bonds or county bonds required of an assessor-collector may not exceed $100,000 at one time, except that in a county in which the commissioners court by order has set the maximum amount of the bond for county taxes in an amount greater than $100,000, the total amount of state bonds or county bonds required may not exceed that greater amount. The commissioners court shall suspend the assessor-collector from office and begin removal proceedings if the assessor-collector fails to give new bond within a reasonable time after demand.

(e) The assessor-collector’s official oath and bonds for state and county taxes shall be recorded in the office of the county clerk, and the county judge shall submit the bond for state taxes to the state comptroller of public accounts.

(f) A county shall pay a reasonable premium for the assessor-collector’s bonds for state and county taxes out of the county general revenue fund on presentation to the commissioners court of a bill for the premium authenticated as required by law for other claims against the county. A court of competent jurisdiction may determine the reasonableness of any amount claimed as premium.

Acts 1979, 66th Leg., p. 2230, ch. 841, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1982. Amended by Acts 1981, 67th Leg., 1st C.S., p. 126, ch. 13, Sec. 27, eff. Jan. 1, 1982; Acts 1983, 68th Leg., p. 4820, ch. 851, Sec. 3, eff. Aug. 29, 1983; Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 1097, Sec. 1, eff. Aug. 30, 1999.

Amended by:

Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1155 (H.B. 2104), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2011.

Sec. 6.29. BONDS FOR OTHER TAXES. (a) A taxing unit, other than a county, that has its own collector shall require him to give bond conditioned on the faithful performance of his duties. To be effective, the bond must be made payable to and must be approved by the governing body of the unit in an amount determined by the governing body. The governing body may require a new bond at any time, and failure to give new bond within a reasonable time after demand is a ground for removal from office. The governing body may prescribe additional requirements for the bond.

(b) A taxing unit whose taxes are collected by the collector for another taxing unit, by an officer or employee of another taxing unit or of an appraisal district, or by any other person other than the unit’s own collector may require that collector, officer, employee, or other person to give bond conditioned on the faithful performance of his duties. To be effective, the bond must be made payable to and must be approved by and paid for by the governing body of the unit requiring bond in an amount determined by the governing body. The governing body may prescribe additional requirements for the bond.

(c) A taxing unit shall pay the premium for a bond required pursuant to this section from its general fund or as provided by intergovernmental contract.

Acts 1979, 66th Leg., p. 2231, ch. 841, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1982. Amended by Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 125, Sec. 1, eff. May 20, 1987.

Sec. 6.30. ATTORNEYS REPRESENTING TAXING UNITS. (a) The county attorney or, if there is no county attorney, the district attorney shall represent the county to enforce the collection of delinquent taxes if the commissioners court does not contract with a private attorney as provided by Subsection (c) of this section.

(b) The governing body of a taxing unit other than a county may determine who represents the unit to enforce the collection of delinquent taxes. If a taxing unit collects taxes for another taxing unit, the attorney representing the unit to enforce the collection of delinquent taxes may represent the other unit with consent of its governing body.

(c) The governing body of a taxing unit may contract with any competent attorney to represent the unit to enforce the collection of delinquent taxes. The attorney’s compensation is set in the contract, but the total amount of compensation provided may not exceed 20 percent of the amount of delinquent tax, penalty, and interest collected.

(d) Repealed by Acts 1983, 68th Leg., p. 4829, ch. 851, Sec. 28, eff. Aug. 29, 1983.

(e) A contract with an attorney that does not conform to the requirements of this section is void.

Acts 1979, 66th Leg., p. 2231, ch. 841, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1982. Amended by Acts 1981, 67th Leg., 1st C.S., p. 126, ch. 13, Sec. 28, eff. Jan. 1, 1982; Acts 1983, 68th Leg., p. 4829, ch. 851, Sec. 4, 28, eff. Aug. 29, 1983.

Return to: Texas Property Tax code Table of contents