Face coverings (mask) are now required throughout the State of Texas in any county with an active COVID-19 count of twenty or more people after an executive order by Texas Governor Gregg Abbott in effect as of Friday, July 3, 2020 at 12:00 p.m.

Counties with less than twenty can opt out of this requirement by filling out the TDEM required face-covering attestation form.

There will be a list located online at www.tdem.texas.gov/ga29 showing which counties do not require face coverings.

There are circumstances where a face covering is not required:


–Any person under the age of ten is not required to wear a face mask
–People who have a mental or physical condition that prevents them from wearing the face covering
–While you are seated at a restaurant to eat, and/or while actively eating or drinking
–When outside exercising or engaging in physical outdoor activities, and maintaining a six foot distance
–Any person driving alone or with members of the same family
–While receiving a service that requires temporary removal of the covering, such as video surveillance, screening or a specific need to the face
–Any person swimming in a pool, lake or similar body of water
–People who are voting, assisting a voter, serving as a poll watcher, or actively administering an election, but wearing a face covering is strongly encouraged
–While attending religious services
–A person giving a speech to a broadcast or an audience
People attending a protest with more than ten people and not maintaining social distancing of six feet are required to wear a mask.

People not following Governor Abbott’s Executive Order first receive a warning, after the warning each incident is punishable by a fine not to exceed $250 for each individual offense.

Local law enforcement have been given authority can enforce this order, although no jail time is allowed for violating any of this order.

Current counties as of Monday, July 6, 2020 at 12:40 p.m. with an exemption are: Archer, Armstrong, Bandera, Carson, Cass, Childress, Clay, Coke, Coleman, Crane, Crosby, Delta, Eastland, Foard, Gray, Hamilton, Hansford, Hardeman, Haskell, Jack, Jones, Lamb, Leon, Lynn, Madison, Marion, Mason, Medina, Mills, Morris, Montague, Newton, Ochiltree, Oldham, Pecos, Real, Roberts, Sabine, Sherman, Sutton, Tyler, Ward, and Yoakum.