Tex. Health and Safety Code § 161.0825
This is the official text of Tex. Health and Safety Code § 161.0825, part of Texas’s Health and Safety Code — covers public health and safety regulation.
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.
§ 161.0825. USE OF CERTAIN ELECTRONICALLY READABLE INFORMATION.
Official statutory text
(a) In this section, "transaction scan device" means a device capable of deciphering electronically readable information on a driver's license, commercial driver's license, or identification certificate.
(b) A person may access electronically readable information on a driver's license, commercial driver's license, or identification certificate for the purpose of complying with Section 161.082.
(c) Information accessed under this section may not be sold or otherwise disseminated to a third party for any purpose, including any marketing, advertising, or promotional activities. The information may be obtained by court order or on proper request by the comptroller, a law enforcement officer, or a law enforcement agency.
(d) A person who violates this section commits an offense. An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor.
(e) It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under Section 161.082 that:
(1) a transaction scan device identified a license or certificate as valid and the defendant accessed the information and relied on the results in good faith; or
(2) if the defendant is the owner of a store in which cigarettes, e-cigarettes, or tobacco products are sold at retail, the offense under Section 161.082 occurs in connection with a sale by an employee of the owner, and the owner had provided the employee with:
(A) a transaction scan device in working condition; and
(B) adequate training in the use of the transaction scan device.
(b) A person may access electronically readable information on a driver's license, commercial driver's license, or identification certificate for the purpose of complying with Section 161.082.
(c) Information accessed under this section may not be sold or otherwise disseminated to a third party for any purpose, including any marketing, advertising, or promotional activities. The information may be obtained by court order or on proper request by the comptroller, a law enforcement officer, or a law enforcement agency.
(d) A person who violates this section commits an offense. An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor.
(e) It is an affirmative defense to prosecution under Section 161.082 that:
(1) a transaction scan device identified a license or certificate as valid and the defendant accessed the information and relied on the results in good faith; or
(2) if the defendant is the owner of a store in which cigarettes, e-cigarettes, or tobacco products are sold at retail, the offense under Section 161.082 occurs in connection with a sale by an employee of the owner, and the owner had provided the employee with:
(A) a transaction scan device in working condition; and
(B) adequate training in the use of the transaction scan device.
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.