Tex. Government Code § 74.0551
This is the official text of Tex. Government Code § 74.0551, part of Texas’s Government Code — covers the structure and operation of Texas state and local government.
Not legal advice. This page reproduces the official text of a government statute for reference only. Laws change, and how a statute applies depends on your specific facts. For advice about your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.
§ 74.0551. CERTIFICATION OF WILLINGNESS NOT TO APPEAR AND PLEAD AS AN ATTORNEY.
Official statutory text
(a) The two-year period provided for in Section 74.055(c)(6) is from January 1 of one year through December 31 of the next year.
(b) An initial certification of willingness not to appear and plead made before the judge leaves active service extends through December 31 of the year following the year in which the judge leaves active service. An initial certification made after the judge leaves active service extends through December 31 of the year following the year in which the certification is made.
(c) The person's second and subsequent certifications begin on the January 1 following the year in which the initial certification ends and each second January 1 thereafter, unless a written revocation is filed with the presiding judge not later than the 30th day before the date the revocation takes effect. A revocation may not take effect until the completion of the initial certification period under Subsection (b).
(d) If a revocation is not filed, recertification for subsequent two-year periods takes effect by operation of law.
(e) A revocation may be rescinded and a certification of willingness not to appear and plead reinstated only on written request to the presiding judge and with the consent of the presiding judge.
(b) An initial certification of willingness not to appear and plead made before the judge leaves active service extends through December 31 of the year following the year in which the judge leaves active service. An initial certification made after the judge leaves active service extends through December 31 of the year following the year in which the certification is made.
(c) The person's second and subsequent certifications begin on the January 1 following the year in which the initial certification ends and each second January 1 thereafter, unless a written revocation is filed with the presiding judge not later than the 30th day before the date the revocation takes effect. A revocation may not take effect until the completion of the initial certification period under Subsection (b).
(d) If a revocation is not filed, recertification for subsequent two-year periods takes effect by operation of law.
(e) A revocation may be rescinded and a certification of willingness not to appear and plead reinstated only on written request to the presiding judge and with the consent of the presiding judge.
Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site
Need a lawyer in Texas?
Find a Texas lawyer
About this page: Statute text is reproduced from official government publishers via the
Open US Law dataset
(Vaquill AI, snapshot v2026.08, CC BY 4.0). Primary legislative text like this is public domain under the government-edicts doctrine
(Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 2020). We link every section back to its official source so you can verify it independently.