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Texas Rules of Evidence – 2026

The Texas Rules of Evidence govern the admissibility of evidence in Texas courts, covering relevance, privileges, witnesses, opinions, hearsay, authentication, and the contents of writings and recordings.

Browse all 75 rules of the 2026 edition below. Each rule includes the full text, a plain-English summary, committee notes, amendment history, and cross-references to related rules. Use the search box to find rules by keyword or number.

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Article I: General Provisions Article II: Judicial Notice Article IV: Relevance and Its Limits Article V: Privileges Article VI: Witnesses Article VII: Opinions and Expert Testimony Article VIII: Hearsay Article IX: Authentication and Identification Article X: Contents of Writings, Recordings, and Photographs

Article I: General Provisions

Rule 101 Title, Scope, and Applicability of the Rules; Definitions Rule 102 Purpose Rule 103 Rulings on Evidence Rule 104 Preliminary Questions Rule 105 Evidence That Is Not Admissible Against Other Parties or for Other Purposes Rule 106 Remainder of or Related Writings or Recorded Statements Rule 107 Rule of Optional Completeness

Article II: Judicial Notice

Rule 201 Judicial Notice of Adjudicative Facts Rule 202 Judicial Notice of Other States’ Law Rule 203 Determining Foreign Law Rule 204 Judicial Notice of Texas Municipal and County Ordinances, Texas Register Contents, and Published Agency Rules

Article IV: Relevance and Its Limits

Rule 401 Test for Relevant Evidence Evidence is relevant if: Rule 402 General Admissibility of Relevant Evidence Rule 403 Excluding Relevant Evidence for Prejudice, Confusion, or Other Reasons Rule 404 Character Evidence; Crimes or Other Acts Rule 405 Methods of Proving Character Rule 406 Habit; Routine Practice Rule 407 Subsequent Remedial Measures; Notification of Defect Rule 408 Compromise Offers and Negotiations Rule 409 Offers to Pay Medical and Similar Expenses Rule 410 Pleas, Plea Discussions, and Related Statements Rule 411 Liability Insurance Rule 412 Evidence of Previous Sexual Conduct in Criminal Cases

Article V: Privileges

Rule 501 Privileges in General Rule 502 Required Reports Privileged By Statute Rule 503 Lawyer–Client Privilege Rule 504 Spousal Privileges Rule 505 Privilege For Communications to a Clergy Member Rule 506 Political Vote Privilege Rule 507 Trade Secrets Privilege Rule 508 Informer’s Identity Privilege Rule 509 Physician–Patient Privilege Rule 510 Mental Health Information Privilege in Civil Cases Rule 511 Waiver by Voluntary Disclosure Rule 512 Privileged Matter Disclosed Under Compulsion or Without Opportunity to Claim Privilege Rule 513 Comment On or Inference From a Privilege Claim; Instruction

Article VI: Witnesses

Rule 601 Competency to Testify in General; “Dead Man’s Rule” Rule 602 Need for Personal Knowledge Rule 603 Oath or Affirmation to Testify Truthfully Rule 604 Interpreter Rule 605 Judge’s Competency as a Witness Rule 606 Juror’s Competency as a Witness Rule 607 Who May Impeach a Witness Rule 608 A Witness’s Character for Truthfulness or Untruthfulness Rule 609 Impeachment by Evidence of a Criminal Conviction Rule 610 Religious Beliefs or Opinions Rule 611 Mode and Order of Examining Witnesses and Presenting Evidence Rule 612 Writing Used to Refresh a Witness’s Memory Rule 613 Witness’s Prior Statement and Bias or Interest Rule 614 Excluding Witnesses Rule 615 Producing a Witness’s Statement in Criminal Cases

Article VII: Opinions and Expert Testimony

Rule 701 Opinion Testimony by Lay Witnesses Rule 702 Testimony by Expert Witnesses Rule 703 Bases of an Expert’s Opinion Testimony Rule 704 Opinion on an Ultimate Issue Rule 705 Disclosing the Underlying Facts or Data and Examining an Expert About Them Rule 706 Audit in Civil Cases

Article VIII: Hearsay

Rule 801 Definitions That Apply to This Article; Exclusions from Hearsay Rule 802 The Rule Against Hearsay Rule 803 Exceptions to the Rule Against Hearsay—Regardless of Whether the Declarant Is Available as a Witness Rule 804 Exceptions to the Rule Against Hearsay—When the Declarant Is Unavailable as a Witness Rule 805 Hearsay Within Hearsay Rule 806 Attacking and Supporting the Declarant’s Credibility

Article IX: Authentication and Identification

Rule 901 Authenticating or Identifying Evidence Rule 902 Evidence That Is Self-Authenticating Rule 903 Subscribing Witness’s Testimony

Article X: Contents of Writings, Recordings, and Photographs

Rule 1001 Definitions That Apply to This Article In this article: Rule 1002 Requirement of the Original Rule 1003 Admissibility of Duplicates Rule 1004 Admissibility of Other Evidence of Content Rule 1005 Copies of Public Records to Prove Content Rule 1006 Summaries to Prove Content Rule 1007 Testimony or Statement of a Party to Prove Content Rule 1008 Functions of the Court and Jury Rule 1009 Translating a Foreign Language Document

Frequently Asked Questions

What do the Texas Rules of Evidence cover, and when do they apply?
The Texas Rules of Evidence (TRE) govern what evidence can be admitted in Texas state court proceedings, including rules on relevance, witness testimony, expert opinions, hearsay, privileges, and how to authenticate documents and recordings. They apply in most civil and criminal cases in Texas courts, though a few proceedings, like grand jury hearings and certain pretrial matters, follow different standards. With 75 rules organized by topic, the TRE provide the framework courts use to decide what information a judge or jury is allowed to consider.
How do the Texas Rules of Evidence differ from the Federal Rules of Evidence?
The TRE are closely modeled on the Federal Rules of Evidence (FRE), so the structure and many provisions look similar, but there are meaningful differences, particularly around privileges and a handful of Texas-specific procedural choices. The FRE apply in federal courts, while the TRE apply in Texas state courts, so the right set of rules depends on which court system is handling the case. When researching a Texas state court matter, always check the TRE directly rather than assuming the federal rules will say the same thing.
Where in the Texas Rules of Evidence would I find rules about hearsay or expert witnesses?
Hearsay is covered in Article VIII of the TRE, which includes the definition of hearsay, exemptions, and a long list of exceptions that allow certain out-of-court statements into evidence. Rules about expert and opinion testimony are found in Article VII, including the standards courts use to decide whether expert testimony is reliable enough to be admitted. Browsing by article is usually the fastest way to find what you need, since the TRE are organized thematically rather than alphabetically.