Still Breaking These? 10 Texas Laws You Didn’t Know Were Real in 2025

Even in the Lone Star State, where folks prize freedom and independence, there are a few laws still on the books that will make you do a double-take. Some are outdated, some are downright hilarious, and others could still land you in hot water. Whether you're in Abilene, Austin, or Amarillo, these are the laws that remind us just how quirky Texas can be.

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Here are 10 real Texas laws you probably didn’t know you were breaking.

Keep Your Eyes In Your Head, and Don’t Sell Your Own Eyeballs

• Yes, in Texas, it’s illegal to sell your eyeballs. Organ trafficking is serious business, and the law includes corneas, kidneys, and yes, those baby blues.

Feet Off the Furniture… Even in Public

• There’s a public decency law in Galveston that prohibits sitting on sidewalks or placing your feet on public benches or tables. Keep those boots down, cowboy.

Milking Someone Else’s Cow Is a Crime

• This old-school law is still technically valid: It’s illegal to milk a cow that doesn’t belong to you. Ranchers don’t mess around.

Watch That Wire, It’s Illegal to Eavesdrop

• Texas is a one-party consent state, meaning you can record a conversation you’re part of. But if you’re secretly listening in or bugging someone else’s conversation? That’s illegal wiretapping.

You Can’t Take More Than 3 Sips of Beer While Standing in Texas

• An old blue law that’s rarely enforced, but technically it’s still illegal in some areas. Bars have learned to look the other way.

Read More: More Texas Women Are Leading The Charge In Gun Ownership

No Feather Dusters in Churches

• A strange city ordinance in Texas makes it illegal to dust any public building, especially a church, with a feather duster. How did this get on the books? Probably a sneeze-related scandal.

No Pocketing Hotel Property

• Taking those robes, towels, or even the fancy soap from a hotel room can be considered theft. In Texas, that’s enough to get you cited.

Don’t Dance in Public with a Stranger After Midnight

• In some older Texas towns, dancing with a stranger after midnight was forbidden to prevent “moral corruption.” Sounds like a scene straight out of Footloose.

No Fishing With a Lasso

• Believe it or not, using a lasso to catch fish is illegal in Texas. While it might sound like a cowboy’s dream, it’s actually considered animal cruelty.

Watch Those Adult Toys, Only Six Allowed Per Household

• This one makes national lists for a reason. In Texas, owning more than six “obscene devices” (i.e., adult toys) can be considered intent to distribute. You read that right.

To find out about these laws and many others, check out the Texas Constitution and Statutes, or look at your city's ordinances, codes, and laws.

The Bottom Line: These Are Real

While most of these laws won’t land you in the slammer anytime soon, they’re still technically part of the Texas legal code. Some are outdated, some are laughable, and a few are still enforced depending on the jurisdiction. Just another reason why Texas is as big, bold, and bizarre as ever.

I knew about most of these thanks to my years of radio storytelling, except for the adult toy rule, which still cracks me up. And I actually learned the “feet on the furniture” law firsthand during one of my Rudy cruises to Galveston. I thought it was just a grumpy security guard… turns out, it’s the law. -Rudy Fearless Fernandez