State
CWD rules in Texas
CWD zone status
Agency
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
Last verified
June 16, 2026
CWDCrossing provides informational summaries of state CWD carcass-transport regulations. Rules change annually pre-hunting-season; verify with both the origin and destination state wildlife agencies before transport. Failure to comply may result in citations. Not affiliated with the CWD Alliance, the National Deer Association, or any state agency.
Bringing a carcass into Texas
Texas is the regulating authority for what you can bring in. Ban applies to imports from states/countries known to have CWD, not a blanket ban. Direct WebFetch of the TPWD page returned HTTP 400/403 (bot-blocked); content confirmed via the search engine's retrieval of the same primary tpwd.texas.gov URL.
Allowed for import
- Cut quarters with all brain and spinal cord tissue removed
- Deboned/boned-out meat
- Caped hides with no skull attached
- Skull plate with antlers attached, cleaned of all soft tissue
- Finished taxidermy products
Restricted from import
- Whole carcasses
- Any carcass parts with brain or spinal cord tissue attached
- Intact deer heads (without a release/permit)
Handling + processing
No CWD-susceptible carcass/parts may enter Texas from a state or country known to have CWD except the allowed parts. Hunters bringing intact heads from out of state can obtain a release at tpwd.texas.gov/cwd.
Taking a carcass out of Texas
When you hunt in Texas and bring the carcass to another state, that destination state sets the rule. Because Texas has confirmed CWD detections, several destination states apply their stricter "from a CWD-affected state" rule to carcasses originating here — plan to bring back lower-risk parts only.
Texas on the CWD map
- CWD confirmed in state
- Under heightened surveillance
- No known CWD detections
Zone status is informational, not a hazard rating. Detections expand over time — confirm current status with each state's wildlife agency.
CWDCrossing provides informational summaries of state CWD carcass-transport regulations. Rules change annually pre-hunting-season; verify with both the origin and destination state wildlife agencies before transport. Failure to comply may result in citations. Not affiliated with the CWD Alliance, the National Deer Association, or any state agency.