IMPERSONATE PUBLIC SERVANTTexas Penal Code (PC) § 37.11
Impersonate Public Servant is a third-degree felony under Texas Penal Code (PC) § 37.11. It is punishable by 2 to 10 years in prison and a fine up to $10,000.
Below: how these cases end in Texas courts, how long they take, and the punishment.
What does “IMPERSONATE PUBLIC SERVANT” mean?
Impersonate Public Servant is a third-degree felony under Texas PC § 37.11.
Texas Penal Code § 37.11 defines impersonating a public servant. A person commits the offense by impersonating a public servant with intent to induce another to submit to the person's pretended official authority or to rely on the person's pretended official acts, or by knowingly purporting to exercise, without legal authority, any function of a public servant or of a public office, including that of a judge and court. "Public servant" is broadly defined and includes peace officers, other government officers and employees, and jurors. The first prong requires both a false assumption of a public servant's identity and the specific intent that someone submit to or rely on the pretended authority; the second reaches those who actually purport to carry out official functions they have no legal authority to perform. The offense is a third-degree felony.
What usually happens to a IMPERSONATE PUBLIC SERVANT charge?
68% ended without a conviction, 16% in deferred adjudication and 16% in a conviction.
How 37 resolved IMPERSONATE PUBLIC SERVANT charges filed 2019–2023 ended, across 11 counties (Brazoria, Collin, Comal, Dallas, FortBend, Galveston, Hays, Montgomery, Rockwall, Travis, Williamson):
Outcome is the final disposition recorded on the charge. “Other” (0) covers waived counts, bond forfeitures, transfers and unrecorded outcomes. Bexar County records disposition dates but not outcomes, so it counts toward time-to-disposition only. Tarrant County criminal records are not in this dataset.
How long does a IMPERSONATE PUBLIC SERVANT case take to resolve?
Typically about 10 months: half of resolved cases closed within 298 days of filing.
Across 37 resolved IMPERSONATE PUBLIC SERVANT charges filed 2019–2023, the median time from filing to disposition was 298 days. The middle half took between 179 and 373 days.
Time depends on the county's docket, whether the case is set for trial, and plea negotiations.
How did real IMPERSONATE PUBLIC SERVANT cases end?
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
What is the punishment for Impersonate Public Servant in Texas?
2 to 10 years in prison and a fine up to $10,000.
| Charged as | Possible confinement | Fine | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Third-degree felony | 2 to 10 years in prison (TDCJ) | Fine up to $10,000 | Penal Code § 12.34 |
Ranges are the statutory maximums for the level; enhancements, prior convictions and plea agreements change what is actually imposed.
How much is bail for IMPERSONATE PUBLIC SERVANT in Texas?
The median bail is $10,000, and 9% of defendants were released on a personal bond.
Across 788 Texas bail settings for this charge (6 counties, Apr 2022 – Jun 2025), the median cash or surety bond was $10,000 (middle half: $5,000 – $20,000). 9% of defendants were released on a personal bond, and bail was denied in 68 cases. When this was the only charge at booking (249 records), the median was $10,000 and 19% got a personal bond.
| County | Records | Median cash bail | Middle half | Personal bond | Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Paso | 108 | $5,000 | $3,000 – $25,250 | 6% | 22% |
| Tarrant | 67 | $3,500 | $2,500 – $7,750 | 3% | 3% |
| Harris | 60 | $10,000 | $5,000 – $15,000 | 48% | 0% |
| Bexar | 51 | $15,000 | $7,500 – $20,000 | 8% | 4% |
| Travis | 39 | $10,000 | $5,000 – $13,500 | 23% | 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.
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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.