Texas No Chase Law
Agency discretion
Does Texas have a no-chase law? No — Texas has no statewide law restricting police pursuits. Each department sets its own chase policy.
What governs pursuits in Texas
Tex. Transp. Code § 545.421 (evading arrest; suspect offense only)
Texas has no comprehensive statewide statute regulating when police may pursue; reporters and legislators confirm the state doesn't even centrally track how many pursuits occur outside DPS troopers. Tex. Transp. Code §545.421 criminalizes fleeing/eluding a peace officer (the suspect's offense). A 2025 law (89th Legislature, eff. Sept 1, 2025) required the Texas DPS specifically (not all agencies) to adopt a pursuit policy modeled on U.S. Customs and Border Protection's directive, with rules due by Dec 1, 2025 — this binds only DPS, not municipal/county departments statewide.
Will police chase a motorcycle in Texas?
No Texas law addresses motorcycle pursuits specifically. With no statewide pursuit statute at all, whether officers chase a motorcycle is entirely up to the individual department's or DPS's own policy and officer discretion.
No US state has a literal law forbidding officers from chasing motorcycles. What riders call a "no-chase law" is nearly always a department policy that tells officers to break off a pursuit when the danger to the public outweighs the arrest — and fleeing remains a crime in Texas regardless. See the state-by-state motorcycle guide for how this works everywhere.
Recent changes
2025: new law requires Texas DPS (state troopers only) to adopt a CBP-style pursuit policy by Dec 1, 2025; does not extend to local PDs/sheriffs.
Sources
- houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/criminal-justice/2025/04/22/519425/why-does
- keranews.org/government/2025-04-22/deadly-police-chases-texas-law-legislature
- law.justia.com/codes/texas/transportation-code/title-7/subtitle-c/chapter-545/su
Verified as of August 2026. Department policies can change without notice — check the agency's published policy for current break-off criteria.