Texas law on any date › Transportation Code

Transportation Code §251.051

In force on Oct 22, 2015 · this text took effect Sep 01, 1995 · same as today's text

GENERAL AUTHORITY OF COMMISSIONERS COURT

(a) The commissioners court of a county shall: (1) order that public roads be laid out, opened, discontinued, closed, abandoned, vacated, or altered; and (2) assume control of streets and alleys in a municipality that does not have an active de facto municipal government. (b) A unanimous vote of the commissioners court is required to: (1) close, abandon, or vacate a public road; or (2) alter a public road, except to shorten it from end to end. (c) The commissioners court of a county may not discontinue a public road until a new road designated by the court as a replacement is ready to replace it. (d) The commissioners court may not discontinue, close, or abandon an entire first-class or second-class road unless the road has been vacated or unused for at least three years.

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

Source: the Legislature's file server, seen Nov 08, 2026.

Every version on file

Effective Sep 01, 1995 · seen Nov 2026–Nov 2026

Attorney General opinions that cite it

KP-0075 (Oct 22, 2015): Whether a county that has accepted a public dedication of a right-of-way is obligated to maintain the sidewalks in that right-of-way
GA-0659 (Feb 26, 2008): Legal status of a portion ofa road originally built as an Ellis County road but which a later survey established as located in Navarro County
GA-0471 (Mar 10, 2006): , Whether a county that wishes to abandon a drainage easement or right-of-way should comply withTransportationCode section251.05@), Local Government Code section 263.002, or Local Government Code section272.001 LO94-052 ( 1994 ) Overruled to the extent inconsistent with

A research copy. The official text is the Legislature's (statutes), the Secretary of State's (Texas Administrative Code) or eCFR's (federal rules). Not legal advice.