FALSE ALARM OR REPORT
False Alarm or Report in Texas: what bail is set at, how often a personal bond is granted, and what usually happens to the charge.
What “FALSE ALARM OR REPORT” means
Texas Penal Code § 42.06 defines false alarm or report. The State must prove the accused knowingly initiated, communicated, or circulated a report of a present, past, or future bombing, fire, offense, or other emergency that the accused knew was false or baseless, and that would ordinarily cause action by an official or volunteer agency organized to deal with emergencies, place a person in fear of imminent serious bodily injury, or prevent or interrupt the occupation of a building, room, place of assembly, place to which the public has access, or a mode of conveyance such as an aircraft or automobile. This filing is the base Class A misdemeanor form under § 42.06(b); the same subsection grades false reports involving primary or secondary schools, institutions of higher education, or public communications, transportation, utilities, and other public services as a felony.
| Charged as | Possible confinement | Fine | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class A misdemeanor | Up to 1 year in county jail | Fine up to $4,000 | Penal Code § 12.21 |
Ranges are the statutory maximums for the level; enhancements, prior convictions and plea agreements change what is actually imposed.
Bail for FALSE ALARM OR REPORT in Texas
Across 1,713 Texas bail settings for this charge (17 counties, Apr 2022 – Jun 2025), the median cash or surety bond was $2,500 (middle half: $1,500 – $5,000). 14% of defendants were released on a personal bond, and bail was denied in 31 cases. When this was the only charge at booking (741 records), the median was $2,000 and 20% got a personal bond.
| County | Records | Median cash bail | Middle half | Personal bond | Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travis | 220 | $5,000 | $2,000 – $5,000 | 34% | 0% |
| Tarrant | 154 | $1,000 | $750 – $2,000 | 5% | 0% |
| El Paso | 97 | $3,000 | $2,000 – $6,000 | 18% | 5% |
| Bexar | 93 | $2,250 | $1,000 – $4,000 | 13% | 8% |
| Dallas | 92 | $2,000 | $1,500 – $5,000 | 0% | 0% |
Showing the 5 counties with the most records; use the selector for any county with at least 30. Per-charge bond settings on original magistrations, from Texas OCA bail reporting under SB 6. Bail is set case by case — these are statistics, not a prediction.
How real FALSE ALARM OR REPORT cases ended
Individual cases from the public court record, with the disposition and sentence text exactly as the clerk entered it. Every case is decided on its own facts.
Ended without a conviction
Deferred adjudication
Ended in a conviction
Charged with FALSE ALARM OR REPORT?
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Find a Defense AttorneyBail data: Texas Office of Court Administration magistration reports (SB 6), Apr 2022 – Jun 2025. Court outcomes: county district and county clerk records. Statistics describe past cases and are not legal advice; every case is decided on its own facts.