A Minor Misdemeanor Is A Citation
Crim. Proc. art. 14.06 — a citation instead of the magistrate for a Class C misdemeanor
Class C. A peace officer charging a person, including a child, with a Class C misdemeanor, other than public intoxication, may issue a citation instead of taking the person before a magistrate. The citation gives the time and place to appear, the name and address of the person, the offense, and information about alternatives to full payment for a person unable to pay.
Some Class A or B offenses. If the person resides in the county where the offense occurred, an officer charging certain Class A or B misdemeanors the article lists, among them some marijuana possession, criminal mischief, graffiti, and theft offenses, may also issue a citation instead of taking the person before a magistrate.
What happens if the person does not appear, and the offenses themselves, are set out in other sections that are not on this page. Whether an arrest was lawful in a particular case is a question for a licensed Texas attorney.
Sources for this section (1)
- Crim. Proc. art. 14.06 — Taking an arrested person before a magistrate, and citations instead
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Texas attorney.