Current as of April 14, 2021 | Updated by FindLaw Staff
(a) A person commits an offense if the person operates an open-bed pickup truck or an open flatbed truck or draws an open flatbed trailer when a child younger than 18 years of age is occupying the bed of the truck or trailer.
(b) An offense under this section is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than $25 or more than $200.
(c) It is a defense to prosecution under this section that the person was:
(1) operating or towing the vehicle in a parade or in an emergency;
(2) operating the vehicle to transport farmworkers from one field to another field on a farm-to-market road, ranch-to-market road, or county road outside a municipality;
(3) operating the vehicle on a beach;
(4) operating a vehicle that is the only vehicle owned or operated by the members of a household; or
(5) operating the vehicle in a hayride permitted by the governing body of or a law enforcement agency of each county or municipality in which the hayride will occur.
(d) Compliance or noncompliance with Subsection (a) is not admissible evidence in a civil trial.
(e) In this section, “household” has the meaning assigned by Section 71.005, Family Code .
Cite this article: FindLaw.com - Texas Transportation Code - TRANSP § 545.414. Riding in Open Beds; Offense - last updated April 14, 2021 | https://codes.findlaw.com/tx/transportation-code/transp-sect-545-414.html
FindLaw Codes are provided courtesy of Thomson Reuters Westlaw, the industry-leading online legal research system. For more detailed codes research information, including annotations and citations, please visit Westlaw.
FindLaw Codes may not reflect the most recent version of the law in your jurisdiction. Please verify the status of the code you are researching with the state legislature or via Westlaw before relying on it for your legal needs.