FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

If you’ve got questions, Don’t mess with Texas^® has answers! Please take a look at some of our frequently asked questions and find answers to your burning queries below.

LITTER

Litter is trash that is not disposed of properly in a trash can. When it’s in the can, it becomes garbage. Anywhere else, it’s litter. The following is definitely LITTER:

Cigarette butts – they’re small, but they’re a nuisance
Gum and gum wrappers – anything less than two square inches are considered micro-litter, a growing problem on Texas roadways
Apple cores and banana peels – even though they’ll decompose
Trash that flies out of a car window or truck bed — accidentally or otherwise

Littering is against the law, and you can be fined up to $500 for trash less than or equal to five pounds or five gallons. Repeat the offense, and you could face a fine of up to $2,000 and 180 days in jail.

Discarding trash that weighs more than five pounds is considered illegal dumping and carries even steeper fines. In Texas, failing to cover your pickup truck load is against the law and carries a fine of up to $200 for the first offense and $500 for repeat offenders.

Any law enforcement officer in Texas can enforce these laws.

The best way to keep our roads and highways litter-free is to not litter in the first place. Make sure to properly dispose of all your trash and encourage others to do the same. That includes keeping your truck bed free of trash and securing all items in your truck before driving. If you’d like to help clean up our state, take a look at our Get Involved page for ideas and programs to keep Texas litter-free.

COMMERCIALS AND SPOKESPEOPLE

LICENSING

The short answer is: No. The Don’t mess with Texas slogan is a trademark held by the Texas Department of Transportation. The use or sale of unlicensed items bearing the phrase Don’t mess with Texas is a violation of U.S. Trademark Registration No. 3872108 DON’T MESS WITH TEXAS (6202-03800). The addition of any words or phrases instead of or in addition to the word “Texas” in the trademarked slogan is also a violation of federal trademark law. For example: “Don’t mess with Texas Women” or “Don’t mess with Texas Hockey.”

We do partner with certain vendors to create official Don’t mess with Texas merchandise. These vendors have obtained a license from the Texas Department of Transportation for the legal use of the slogan or logo.

To obtain a license for the legal use of the Don’t mess with Texas (DMWT) registered mark, please review the following information before submitting a request. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) receives many requests for permission to use the Don’t mess with Texas mark. Any and all uses of the mark must be approved by TxDOT.
To see a full list of our approved licensees, click here.

If TxDOT chooses to enter into a license agreement, costs, including license fees and royalties, will be determined upon execution of a license agreement.

A proposed requestor must fill out and submit the license request form below. If a requester cannot submit electronically, the requester can print the Usage Request form and mail it to:

Texas Department of Transportation
TRV Attn: DMWT Licensing
6230 E. Stassney Ln
Austin, TX 78744
Phone: 512-486-5900
email: [email protected]

LICENSE REQUEST FORM

"*" indicates required fields

Date*

Name of Requestor, Organization or Business Entity*

Contact Person’s Name*

First Last

Mailing Address

Street Address Address Line 2 City State ZIP Code

Phone Number*

Fax Number

Email Address*

Website Address (If Applicable)

Proposed Use and Purpose of Don’t mess with Texas Registered Mark*

Product Description(s)*

Type of Packaging for Product

Proposed Plan of Distribution and marketing (If Applicable)

Requested Term of the License*

1 Year

2 Years

3 Years

Other

NOTE: The department may waive or reduce the amount of fees, royalties, or other monetary or nonmonetary value to be assessed if it is determined by TxDOT that the waiver will further the goals and missions of the department and result in a net benefit to the state.

Additional Information

NOTICE READ BEFORE SUBMITTING

This is a request to enter into a license agreement with TxDOT for the use of the Don’t mess with Texas registered mark. If TxDOT denies the request, a written statement describing the reason for denial will be provided to the requestor. A requestor may appeal a denial of a license request to the executive director or designee by submitting a written request for appeal. The decision of the executive director or his or her designee will be final. Please submit all appeals to:

Don’t mess with Texas
Travel Information Division
Texas Department of Transportation
TRV Attn: DMWT Licensing
6230 E. Stassney Ln
Austin, Texas 78744

If the department approves a license request, the requestor will be contacted by the department and the requestor must execute a written license agreement with TxDOT prior to any use of the Don’t mess with Texas mark. Approval of this request is preliminary and is not an approval of a license or any terms of the submitted request. All license agreements will contain terms and conditions the department deems necessary to protect the department, including, but not limited to: (1) license term and geographical area; (2) rights granted, including patent-rights; (3) description of products utilizing the trademark; (4) fees or royalties; (5) inspection of licensee’s books and records; (6) policing of trademark or copyright infringement; (7) prohibited uses; (8) indemnification of the department; and (9) a non-exclusivity clause.

PUBLIC INFORMATION

Requests for the licensure of department intellectual property that is determined to be public information under Texas Government Code, Chapter 552 will be processed in accordance with all applicable laws.

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