County Gulfward boundaries follow the Three Marine League line; certain Texas general-law cities, towns, and villages may extend boundaries only up to 5,280 feet gulfward, and territory beyond that limit is void.
Sec. 11.013. GULFWARD BOUNDARIES OF COUNTIES, CITIES, TOWNS, OR VILLAGES. (a) The gulfward boundary of each county located on the coastline of the Gulf of Mexico is the Three Marine League line as determined by the United States Supreme Court. (b) The area in the extended boundaries of the counties as provided in this section becomes a part of the public free school land and is subject to the constitutional and statutory provisions of this state pertaining to the use, distribution, sale, and lease of public free school land in this state. (c) The gulfward boundaries of any city, town, or village created and operating under the general laws of the State of Texas shall not be established or extended by incorporation or annexation more than 5,280 feet gulfward beyond the coastline. The governing body of such a city, town, or village may, by ordinance, extend the municipal boundaries up to 5,280 feet gulfward. Any inclusion of territory in any such city, town, or village more than 5,280 feet gulfward beyond the coastline is void. The term "coastline" as used in this subsection means the line of mean low tide along that portion of the coast which is in direct contact with the open Gulf of Mexico. The term "city, town, or village created and operating under the general laws of the State of Texas" shall not include any city operating under a home-rule charter. If any such general-law city, town, or village has heretofore been established by incorporation or attempted incorporation more than 5,280 feet gulfward beyond the coastline, the corporate existence of such general-law city, town, or village is in all things validated, ratified, approved, and confirmed. The boundaries of such general-law city, town, or village, including the gulfward boundaries to the extent of 5,280 feet gulfward beyond the coastline, are in all things validated, ratified, approved, and confirmed and shall not be held invalid by reason of the inclusion of more territory than is expressly authorized in Article 971, Revised Civil Statutes of Texas, 1925, as amended, or by reason of the inclusion of territory other than that which is intended to be used for strictly town or city purposes as required by Section 7.002, Local Government Code or by reason of not constituting a city, town, or village. Neither this Act nor the general laws nor the special laws of the state shall have the effect of validating, ratifying, approving, or confirming the inclusion of territory in any such general-law city, town, or village more than 5,280 feet gulfward beyond the coastline. If for any reason it should be determined by any court of competent jurisdiction that any such general-law city, town, or village has heretofore been incorporated in violation of the laws of the state in effect as of the date of such incorporation or is invalid, the corporate boundaries of any such general-law city, town, or village shall be revised and reformed to exclude all territory more than 5,280 feet gulfward of the coastline. Acts 1977, 65th Leg., p. 2349, ch. 871, art. I, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1977. Amended by Acts 1979, 66th Leg., p. 2165, ch. 828, Sec. 1, eff. June 14, 1979; Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 149, Sec. 24, eff. Sept. 1, 1987.