The Landowner Bill of Rights is a statement prepared by the Texas Attorney General. Any entity using eminent domain must give it to you before its final offer. Here is what it means in practice.
The core rights
- Your property can be taken only for a public use, and only by an entity with eminent domain authority.
- You are entitled to adequate compensation.
- You must receive a bona fide offer and information about how the condemnor valued your property.
- You may hire your own appraiser and lawyer and negotiate.
- If no agreement is reached, value is first decided by three special commissioners, and you can object and take the case to court.
- In some circumstances you may have a right to repurchase property that was not used for the purpose it was taken for.
What it doesn’t tell you
The Bill of Rights explains the process. It does not tell you whether the offer is fair, what the easement terms will allow, or how the taking will affect the rest of your property. Those questions decide how much you are paid.
Read the official text from the Texas Attorney General’s office: The State of Texas Landowner’s Bill of Rights (PDF, revised November 2025).
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This is a plain-language summary, not the official text and not legal advice. Attorney advertising. Responsible attorney: Erick Holguin, Perez Law Firm, PLLC, McAllen, Texas.