{"meta":{"dataset":"rules","title":"Lawyer advertising rules by state (50 states and DC)","version":"1.0.0","doi":"10.5281/zenodo.23645751","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23645751","conceptDoi":"10.5281/zenodo.23645750","license":"CC BY 4.0","licenseUrl":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/","attribution":"Source: Probative, Lawyer advertising rules by state (50 states and DC), version 1.0.0, https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23645751, licensed CC BY 4.0.","citation":"Probative. (2026). Lawyer advertising rules by state (50 states and DC) (Version 1.0.0) [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23645751","disclaimer":"Not legal advice. This is a plain-English summary of public sources, kept for marketing planning, and rules change. Check with your state bar and your own counsel before you run an ad.","notice":"Probative is a marketing firm, not a law firm; not legal advice.","lastChecked":"2026-10-24","url":"https://probativegrowth.com/data/v1/rules/states/tx.json","humanUrl":"https://probativegrowth.com/locations/texas/","statusCodes":{"P":"primary source","S":"secondary source","D":"ABA model default","U":"open question"}},"state":{"abbr":"TX","name":"Texas","fips":"48","summary":"Files every non-exempt ad within 10 days ($100); names a responsible lawyer and practice location; a 31-day criminal ban on injury solicitation; one-party recording.","lastChecked":"2026-10-24","humanUrl":"https://probativegrowth.com/locations/texas/"},"rules":{"filing":{"state":"TX","stateName":"Texas","topic":"filing","label":"Ad filing or review","status":"P","statusLabel":"Primary source","text":"File each non-exempt ad with the State Bar of Texas Advertising Review Committee within 10 days after first use, with a $100 fee. An unfiled non-exempt ad can draw a $250 fine plus the $100 fee. Optional pre-approval at least 30 days ahead; a finding of compliance binds in the lawyer’s favor (Rule 7.04). Exempt: website content other than the homepage, informational social posts that don’t offer services, and ads limited to name and contact details (Rule 7.05).","sources":[{"label":"Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct, Part VII (2023)","url":"https://www.texasbar.com/Content/NavigationMenu/ForLawyers/AdvertisingReview/ADRULES2023.pdf","kind":"primary","accessed":"2026-10-24"},{"label":"State Bar of Texas, Advertising Review","url":"https://www.texasbar.com/adreview/","kind":"primary","accessed":"2026-10-24"}],"lastChecked":"2026-10-24","humanUrl":"https://probativegrowth.com/locations/texas/#rule-filing","cite":"Probative, Lawyer advertising rules by state (50 states and DC), version 1.0.0: Texas, Ad filing or review (primary source; checked 2026-10-24), https://probativegrowth.com/locations/texas/#rule-filing, https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23645751, CC BY 4.0."},"requiredContent":{"state":"TX","stateName":"Texas","topic":"requiredContent","label":"What each ad must include","status":"P","statusLabel":"Primary source","text":"The name of a responsible lawyer and that lawyer’s primary practice location (Rule 7.02(a)). Contingent-fee ads say whether the client pays expenses (7.02(c)). Advertised fees are honored (7.02(d)). If a verdict was reduced or reversed, the ad shows the amount actually received (7.01). Solicitation texts and social messages start with “ADVERTISEMENT” (Rule 7.03, comment 10).","sources":[{"label":"Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct, Part VII (2023)","url":"https://www.texasbar.com/Content/NavigationMenu/ForLawyers/AdvertisingReview/ADRULES2023.pdf","kind":"primary","accessed":"2026-10-24"}],"lastChecked":"2026-10-24","humanUrl":"https://probativegrowth.com/locations/texas/#rule-requiredContent","cite":"Probative, Lawyer advertising rules by state (50 states and DC), version 1.0.0: Texas, What each ad must include (primary source; checked 2026-10-24), https://probativegrowth.com/locations/texas/#rule-requiredContent, https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23645751, CC BY 4.0."},"waitingPeriod":{"state":"TX","stateName":"Texas","topic":"waitingPeriod","label":"Waiting period for targeted injury contact","status":"P","statusLabel":"Primary source","text":"No written, in-person or phone solicitation about a personal injury or accident before the 31st day; early contact is a Class A misdemeanor, and paying someone to solicit is a third-degree felony (Penal Code §38.12). Search ads and replies to people who asked to be contacted are not solicitation (Rule 7.03, comment 2).","sources":[{"label":"Texas Penal Code §38.12","url":"https://texas.public.law/statutes/tex._penal_code_section_38.12","kind":"primary","accessed":"2026-10-24"},{"label":"Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct, Part VII (2023)","url":"https://www.texasbar.com/Content/NavigationMenu/ForLawyers/AdvertisingReview/ADRULES2023.pdf","kind":"primary","accessed":"2026-10-24"}],"lastChecked":"2026-10-24","humanUrl":"https://probativegrowth.com/locations/texas/#rule-waitingPeriod","cite":"Probative, Lawyer advertising rules by state (50 states and DC), version 1.0.0: Texas, Waiting period for targeted injury contact (primary source; checked 2026-10-24), https://probativegrowth.com/locations/texas/#rule-waitingPeriod, https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23645751, CC BY 4.0."},"claims":{"state":"TX","stateName":"Texas","topic":"claims","label":"Results, testimonials and “specialist” claims","status":"P","statusLabel":"Primary source","text":"Allowed if not misleading and not likely to create unjustified expectations (Rule 7.01). “Board Certified” only with the Texas Board of Legal Specialization or a board-accredited body (7.02(b)). Saying a lawyer “practices”, “focuses” or “concentrates” in an area is fine if objectively true.","sources":[{"label":"Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct, Part VII (2023)","url":"https://www.texasbar.com/Content/NavigationMenu/ForLawyers/AdvertisingReview/ADRULES2023.pdf","kind":"primary","accessed":"2026-10-24"}],"lastChecked":"2026-10-24","humanUrl":"https://probativegrowth.com/locations/texas/#rule-claims","cite":"Probative, Lawyer advertising rules by state (50 states and DC), version 1.0.0: Texas, Results, testimonials and “specialist” claims (primary source; checked 2026-10-24), https://probativegrowth.com/locations/texas/#rule-claims, https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23645751, CC BY 4.0."},"referral":{"state":"TX","stateName":"Texas","topic":"referral","label":"Referral services and lead generators","status":"P","statusLabel":"Primary source","text":"Anyone who refers potential clients to lawyers is a lawyer referral service and needs a certificate; only a government body or a qualifying nonprofit can be certified (Occupations Code ch. 952). Lawyers may pay lead generators that don’t recommend the lawyer, if the payments fit Rule 5.04 (Rule 7.03, comment 13).","sources":[{"label":"Texas Occupations Code §952.101","url":"https://texas.public.law/statutes/tex._occ._code_section_952.101","kind":"primary","accessed":"2026-10-24"},{"label":"Texas Occupations Code §952.002","url":"https://texas.public.law/statutes/tex._occ._code_section_952.002","kind":"primary","accessed":"2026-10-24"},{"label":"Texas Occupations Code §952.102","url":"https://texas.public.law/statutes/tex._occ._code_section_952.102","kind":"primary","accessed":"2026-10-24"},{"label":"Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct, Part VII (2023)","url":"https://www.texasbar.com/Content/NavigationMenu/ForLawyers/AdvertisingReview/ADRULES2023.pdf","kind":"primary","accessed":"2026-10-24"}],"lastChecked":"2026-10-24","humanUrl":"https://probativegrowth.com/locations/texas/#rule-referral","cite":"Probative, Lawyer advertising rules by state (50 states and DC), version 1.0.0: Texas, Referral services and lead generators (primary source; checked 2026-10-24), https://probativegrowth.com/locations/texas/#rule-referral, https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23645751, CC BY 4.0."},"language":{"state":"TX","stateName":"Texas","topic":"language","label":"Ads in Spanish and other languages","status":"P","statusLabel":"Primary source","text":"Required statements appear in each language the ad uses. Saying that a language is spoken (“Hablamos español”) doesn’t by itself trigger them (Rule 7.01(d)).","sources":[{"label":"Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct, Part VII (2023)","url":"https://www.texasbar.com/Content/NavigationMenu/ForLawyers/AdvertisingReview/ADRULES2023.pdf","kind":"primary","accessed":"2026-10-24"}],"lastChecked":"2026-10-24","humanUrl":"https://probativegrowth.com/locations/texas/#rule-language","cite":"Probative, Lawyer advertising rules by state (50 states and DC), version 1.0.0: Texas, Ads in Spanish and other languages (primary source; checked 2026-10-24), https://probativegrowth.com/locations/texas/#rule-language, https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23645751, CC BY 4.0."},"recording":{"state":"TX","stateName":"Texas","topic":"recording","label":"Call-recording consent","status":"S","statusLabel":"Secondary source","text":"One-party consent: a person on the call may record it.","sources":[{"label":"Recording laws by state, 2026 guide","url":"https://www.recordinglaw.com/united-states-recording-laws/","kind":"secondary","accessed":"2026-10-24"}],"lastChecked":"2026-10-24","humanUrl":"https://probativegrowth.com/locations/texas/#rule-recording","cite":"Probative, Lawyer advertising rules by state (50 states and DC), version 1.0.0: Texas, Call-recording consent (secondary source; checked 2026-10-24), https://probativegrowth.com/locations/texas/#rule-recording, https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23645751, CC BY 4.0."},"texting":{"state":"TX","stateName":"Texas","topic":"texting","label":"Texting and telemarketing law","status":"S","statusLabel":"Secondary source","text":"Since September 1, 2025, texts count as “telephone solicitation” under SB 140 (Business and Commerce Code ch. 302): registration, a $10,000 security deposit and private suits. A November 2025 settlement reportedly exempts consent-based texting; verify before relying on it.","note":"We have only read secondary summaries of this law so far, so it is marked S.","sources":[{"label":"Morgan Lewis on Texas SB 140 (texts as telephone solicitation)","url":"https://www.morganlewis.com/pubs/2025/09/texas-telephone-solicitation-law-now-covers-text-messages","kind":"secondary","accessed":"2026-10-24"},{"label":"Varnum on Texas SB 140","url":"https://www.varnumlaw.com/insights/texas-sb-140/","kind":"secondary","accessed":"2026-10-24"}],"lastChecked":"2026-10-24","humanUrl":"https://probativegrowth.com/locations/texas/#rule-texting","cite":"Probative, Lawyer advertising rules by state (50 states and DC), version 1.0.0: Texas, Texting and telemarketing law (secondary source; checked 2026-10-24), https://probativegrowth.com/locations/texas/#rule-texting, https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23645751, CC BY 4.0."},"privacy":{"state":"TX","stateName":"Texas","topic":"privacy","label":"Privacy and health-data law","status":"P","statusLabel":"Primary source","text":"The Texas Data Privacy and Security Act covers businesses above the SBA’s small-business size. Even small businesses need consent to sell sensitive data, which includes health diagnoses and immigration status (Business and Commerce Code §§541.002, 541.107).","sources":[{"label":"Texas Business and Commerce Code §541.002","url":"https://texas.public.law/statutes/tex._bus._and_com._code_section_541.002","kind":"primary","accessed":"2026-10-24"},{"label":"Texas Business and Commerce Code §541.107","url":"https://texas.public.law/statutes/tex._bus._and_com._code_section_541.107","kind":"primary","accessed":"2026-10-24"}],"lastChecked":"2026-10-24","humanUrl":"https://probativegrowth.com/locations/texas/#rule-privacy","cite":"Probative, Lawyer advertising rules by state (50 states and DC), version 1.0.0: Texas, Privacy and health-data law (primary source; checked 2026-10-24), https://probativegrowth.com/locations/texas/#rule-privacy, https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23645751, CC BY 4.0."}},"extras":[{"topic":"Competitor names in ads","text":"Bidding on a competitor’s name is allowed if the ad isn’t misleading (Professional Ethics Committee Opinion 661).","status":"P","sources":[{"label":"Texas Professional Ethics Committee, Opinion 661","url":"https://www.legalethicstexas.com/resources/opinions/opinion-661/","kind":"primary","accessed":"2026-10-24"}]},{"topic":"Paying a marketing vendor","text":"A nonlawyer vendor may not be paid a share of the firm’s revenue (Opinion 706).","status":"P","sources":[{"label":"Texas Professional Ethics Committee, Opinion 706","url":"https://www.legalethicstexas.com/resources/opinions/opinion-706/","kind":"primary","accessed":"2026-10-24"}]},{"topic":"Drug and device lawsuit ads","text":"TV ads for drug or device lawsuits must open with “This is a paid advertisement for legal services.”, identify the sponsor and the responsible firm, carry a don’t-stop-your-medication warning, and avoid medical-alert, agency-logo and false-recall framing (Government Code §§81.151 to 81.156). The law covers TV only.","status":"P","sources":[{"label":"Texas SB 1189 (2019), enrolled text","url":"https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/86R/billtext/html/SB01189F.htm","kind":"primary","accessed":"2026-10-24"}]},{"topic":"Tort reform watch","text":"SB 30, the 2025 bill to cap personal-injury medical damages, died in June 2025. It can return when the 90th Legislature sits from January 12 to May 31, 2027.","status":"S","sources":[{"label":"Texas Tribune on SB 30 (June 1, 2025)","url":"https://www.texastribune.org/2025/06/01/texas-legislature-personal-injury-tort-reform/","kind":"secondary","accessed":"2026-10-24"},{"label":"Texas Juvenile Justice Department, 90th Legislative Session dates","url":"https://www.tjjd.texas.gov/preparing-for-the-90th-legislative-session/","kind":"primary","accessed":"2026-10-24"}]}]}