Tex. Codes » Transportation Code · TITLE 7. VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC · SUBTITLE B. DRIVER'S LICENSES AND PERSONAL IDENTIFICATION CARDS · CHAPTER 521. DRIVER'S LICENSES AND CERTIFICATES
Texas Codes

Tex. Transp. Code § 521.451 (2026)

General Violation

✓ current as of May 2026
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Sec. 521.451. GENERAL VIOLATION. (a) Except as provided by Section 521.452, a person may not:

(1) display, cause or permit to be displayed, or have in the person's possession a driver's license or certificate that the person knows is fictitious or has been altered;

(2) lend the person's driver's license or certificate to another person or knowingly permit another person to use the person's driver's license or certificate;

(3) display or represent as the person's own a driver's license or certificate not issued to the person;

(4) possess more than one currently valid driver's license or more than one currently valid certificate; or

(5) in an application for an original, renewal, or duplicate driver's license or certificate:

(A) provide a false name, false address, or a counterfeit document; or

(B) knowingly make a false statement, conceal a material fact, or otherwise commit fraud.

(b) An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor.

(c) If conduct that constitutes an offense under Subsection (a) also constitutes an offense under Section 106.07, Alcoholic Beverage Code, the actor may be prosecuted only under Section 106.07, Alcoholic Beverage Code.

Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 165, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995. Amended by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 659, Sec. 3, eff. Sept. 1, 1999; Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 933, Sec. 2, eff. Sept. 1, 2001.

Amended by:

Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 1208 (H.B. 699), Sec. 1, eff. September 1, 2005.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 11 cases (4 in the last 5 years), 1998–2024 · leading case: State v. Allen, 346 S.W.3d 713 (Tex. App. 2011).
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State v. Allen, 346 S.W.3d 713 (Tex. App. 2011). · cites it 9× “See Tex. Transp. Code Ann. §§ 521.451 (West 2007), .”
Deleon II, Orlando v. State, 105 S.W.3d 47 (Tex. App. 2003). · cites it 3× “451 also makes it an offense to possess more than one currently valid driver’s license, Tex.Transp.Code Ann. § 521.451(a)(4), to provide a false name, false address, or counterfeit document, or to knowingly make a false statement, conceal a material fact, or otherwise commit…”
Allen v. State, 11 S.W.3d 474 (Tex. App. 2000). “Tex. Transp. Code Ann. § 521.451 (4) (Vernon 2000).”
State v. Jeffery Porter Allen (Tex. App. 2011). · cites it 8× “See Tex. Transp. Code Ann. §§ 521.451 (West 2007), .”
State v. Jeffery Porter Allen (Tex. App. 2011). · cites it 7× “See Tex. Transp. Code Ann. §§ 521.451 (West 2007), .”
Ahmed Olasunkanmi Salau v. State (Tex. App. 2018). · cites it 2× “See Tex. Transp. Code § 521.451. A jury found appellant guilty, and the trial judge sentenced him to 350 days in jail.”
Carlos Israel Rivera III v. State (Tex. App. 2021). “”); TEX. TRANSP. CODE ANN. § 521.451(a)(1) (“[A] person may not display, cause or permit to be displayed, or have in the person’s possession a driver’s license or certificate that the person knows is fictitious or has been altered[.”
Brandon Allen Terrell v. the State of Texas (Tex. App. 2024). “MR2C2004441, MR2C2004442 & MR2C2004443 THE HONORABLE JOHN MICHAEL MISCHTIAN, JUDGE PRESIDING MEMORANDUM OPINION Appellant Brandon Allen Terrell pleaded no contest to three misdemeanor offenses: possessing more than one currently valid driver’s license, see Tex. Transp. Code §…”
Brandon Allen Terrell v. the State of Texas (Tex. App. 2024). “MR2C2004441, MR2C2004442 & MR2C2004443 THE HONORABLE JOHN MICHAEL MISCHTIAN, JUDGE PRESIDING MEMORANDUM OPINION Appellant Brandon Allen Terrell pleaded no contest to three misdemeanor offenses: possessing more than one currently valid driver’s license, see Tex. Transp. Code §…”
Clareet v. City Of Houston (S.D. Tex. 2022). “The officers argue that they reasonably believed that Clareet had displayed an altered or fictitious driver’s license by providing the photocopy of her license because Officer Iwai had made similar arrests in the past, the District Attorney’s office had accepted the charges in…”
Kimberly Ann Smith v. State (Tex. App. 1998). · cites it 2× “See Tex. Transp. Code Ann. § 521.451 (5) (West 1998); see also Tex.”
— Tex. Transp. Code § 521.451(a)(1) — 1 case
Carlos Israel Rivera III v. State (Tex. App. 2021). “”); TEX. TRANSP. CODE ANN. § 521.451(a)(1) (“[A] person may not display, cause or permit to be displayed, or have in the person’s possession a driver’s license or certificate that the person knows is fictitious or has been altered[.”
— Tex. Transp. Code § 521.451(a)(4) — 4 cases
Deleon II, Orlando v. State, 105 S.W.3d 47 (Tex. App. 2003). “451 also makes it an offense to possess more than one currently valid driver’s license, Tex.Transp.Code Ann. § 521.451(a)(4), to provide a false name, false address, or counterfeit document, or to knowingly make a false statement, conceal a material fact, or otherwise commit…”
Ahmed Olasunkanmi Salau v. State (Tex. App. 2018). “See Tex. Transp. Code § 521.451. A jury found appellant guilty, and the trial judge sentenced him to 350 days in jail.”
Brandon Allen Terrell v. the State of Texas (Tex. App. 2024). “MR2C2004441, MR2C2004442 & MR2C2004443 THE HONORABLE JOHN MICHAEL MISCHTIAN, JUDGE PRESIDING MEMORANDUM OPINION Appellant Brandon Allen Terrell pleaded no contest to three misdemeanor offenses: possessing more than one currently valid driver’s license, see Tex. Transp. Code §…”
Brandon Allen Terrell v. the State of Texas (Tex. App. 2024). “MR2C2004441, MR2C2004442 & MR2C2004443 THE HONORABLE JOHN MICHAEL MISCHTIAN, JUDGE PRESIDING MEMORANDUM OPINION Appellant Brandon Allen Terrell pleaded no contest to three misdemeanor offenses: possessing more than one currently valid driver’s license, see Tex. Transp. Code §…”
— Tex. Transp. Code § 521.451(a)(5) — 1 case
Deleon II, Orlando v. State, 105 S.W.3d 47 (Tex. App. 2003). “451 also makes it an offense to possess more than one currently valid driver’s license, Tex.Transp.Code Ann. § 521.451(a)(4), to provide a false name, false address, or counterfeit document, or to knowingly make a false statement, conceal a material fact, or otherwise commit…”
— Tex. Transp. Code § 521.451(a)(l) — 1 case
Deleon II, Orlando v. State, 105 S.W.3d 47 (Tex. App. 2003). “451 also makes it an offense to possess more than one currently valid driver’s license, Tex.Transp.Code Ann. § 521.451(a)(4), to provide a false name, false address, or counterfeit document, or to knowingly make a false statement, conceal a material fact, or otherwise commit…”
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