Recreational Fishing and Hunting Regulations

Notice: Pages referenced here contain the most frequently requested information about fishing and hunting regulations. Regulations are also summarized in the Outdoor Annual, available wherever fishing and hunting licenses are sold. Please note that information presented here is subject to change by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission, the Texas Legislature, and/or the federal government. The official regulations, current to the day, can be accessed at www.sos.state.tx.us under Title 31 of the Texas Administrative Code. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Code can be accessed at www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/?link=PW.

• General Laws about Recreational Fishing and Hunting
• Criminal Penalties and Civil Restitution
• Transfer of Wildlife Resources
  • Wildlife Resource Document (WRD) (PDF 174.9 KB)
• Importation of Wildlife Resources
• Fishing or Hunting with a Boat

Licenses

• General License Information
• Where to Get Information & Licenses
  • Purchase Online
    • List of Licenses Available Online
  • Find a Local Vendor
  • Purchase at Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
• Types of Recreational Licenses
  • Combination Hunting & Fishing
  • Lifetime Licenses
  • Fishing License Packages
  • Hunting Licenses & Permits
• Purchase Requirements
  • License Requirements for Border Waters
  • Hunter Education Requirements
  • Lost or Destroyed License
• Take A Look!
• Don't Get Tagged!

Fishing Regulations

• General Rules & Prohibited Acts
  • Possession and Transport of Exotic Species
• Freshwater/Saltwater Boundary
• Definitions
• Legal Devices for Fish
  • Summary of Bow Fishing Regulations

Saltwater Fishes

• Bag & Length Limits
  • How to Attach Red Drum Tag
• Saltwater Freeze Events
• Fishing in Federal Waters

Freshwater Fishes

• Statewide Bag & Length Limits
• Exceptions to Statewide Limits
  • Reservoir Boundaries for enforcement of exceptions
    

Shellfish and Other Aquatic Life

• Shrimp Regulations
• Crab and Ghost Shrimp Regulations
• Oyster Regulations
• Other Aquatic Life (Fresh and Salt Waters)

Helpful Information

• Fish Consumption Bans and Advisories
• Shark Identification and Regulations in Texas (PDF 379.8 KB)
• Identification of Yellow, White, Striped, and Hybrid Striped Bass
• Identification of Smallmouth, Guadalupe & Spotted, and Largemouth Bass
• Identification of Channel Catfish and Blue Catfish
• How to Measure Fish and Crabs
• Catch and Release Tips

Hunting Regulations

Seasons and Bag Limits

• Information By Animal
• Information By County

General Information

• Hunting General Information
• Definitions
• Means and Methods
• Tagging Deer or Turkey
• Proof of Sex
• After Killing a Deer
• Processing Deer, Turkey or Antelope in Camp
• Restricted Areas in Counties
• Nongame Animals (including frogs and turtles)
• Texas Big Game Awards Program

Game Animals

• Alligator
• Game Birds
  • Turkey Youth-Only
  • Migratory Game Birds (Early Season)
• Pronghorn, Desert Bighorn Sheep, Javelina, Squirrel
• White-tailed and Mule Deer
  • Special Antler Restrictions
  • Youth-only