POSS DANGEROUS DRUG
Possession of Dangerous Drug in Texas: what bail is set at, how often a personal bond is granted, and what usually happens to the charge.
What “POSS DANGEROUS DRUG” means
Texas Health and Safety Code § 483.041 makes it an offense to possess a dangerous drug unless the drug was obtained from a pharmacist acting lawfully under the Texas Dangerous Drug Act or from a practitioner acting in the course of practice. A 'dangerous drug,' defined by Texas Health and Safety Code § 483.001, is a drug or device unsafe for self-medication that is not included in Schedules I through V or Penalty Groups 1 through 4 of the Texas Controlled Substances Act and that typically bears the federal prescription legend 'Caution: federal law prohibits dispensing without prescription' or 'Rx only.' In practice, the charge covers prescription-only medications that fall outside the controlled-substance penalty groups. The State must prove possession — care, custody, control, or management of the drug — without lawful acquisition. Subsection (d), cited in the court record, is the provision classifying the offense.
| 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 POSS DANGEROUS DRUG in Texas
Across 25,830 Texas bail settings for this charge (120 counties, Apr 2022 – Jun 2025), the median cash or surety bond was $2,500 (middle half: $1,500 – $5,500). 8% of defendants were released on a personal bond, and bail was denied in 614 cases. When this was the only charge at booking (2,606 records), the median was $2,500 and 15% got a personal bond.
| County | Records | Median cash bail | Middle half | Personal bond | Denied |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tarrant | 2,347 | $1,237 | $1,000 – $2,500 | 10% | 2% |
| Nueces | 1,235 | $1,000 | $500 – $2,500 | 3% | 1% |
| Fort Bend | 876 | $2,500 | $1,000 – $8,500 | 19% | 3% |
| Hays | 821 | $5,000 | $2,000 – $6,000 | 30% | 3% |
| Denton | 659 | $1,500 | $1,000 – $2,500 | 1% | 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 POSS DANGEROUS DRUG 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
Related charges
Charged with POSS DANGEROUS DRUG?
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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.