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Tex. Transportation Code § 396.021

This is the official text of Tex. Transportation Code § 396.021, part of Texas’s Transportation Code — governs vehicles, drivers, and roadways.

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.

§ 396.021. SCREENING REQUIREMENTS.

Official statutory text

(a) This section does not apply to:

(1) an automotive wrecking and salvage yard as defined by and subject to Chapter 397;

(2) a junkyard as defined by Section 391.001 and subject to Subchapter E, Chapter 391;

(3) a recycling business; or

(4) a junkyard or an automotive wrecking and salvage yard entirely in a municipality and regulated by the municipality.

(b) A person who operates a junkyard or an automotive wrecking and salvage yard shall screen the junkyard or automotive wrecking and salvage yard with a solid barrier fence at least eight feet high. The fence must be painted a natural earth tone color and may not have any sign appear on its surface other than a sign indicating the business name.

(c) A person who operates a junkyard or an automotive wrecking and salvage yard in a county with a population of 200,000 or less shall screen the junkyard or automotive wrecking and salvage yard to at least six feet in height along the portion of the junkyard or automotive wrecking and salvage yard that faces a public road or residence. The person may screen the yard by any appropriate means, including:

(1) a fence;

(2) natural objects; or

(3) plants.

Status: in_force · Read it on the official government site

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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.