Short answer: Texas attorney advertising is governed by Part VII of the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct, substantially revised effective 2021. Texas sits between Florida and California in strictness: it operates an advertising review process, unlike California, but the 2021 revisions broadened the exemptions considerably, so a great deal of published guidance now overstates what actually has to be filed. This guide sets out the Texas attorney advertising rules that apply to a law firm website, and where firms most often fall short.
That last point is the practical problem. Search for Texas attorney advertising requirements and much of what surfaces predates the 2021 amendments. If you are working from an article, a checklist or an agency template written before then, the filing advice may be wrong in a direction that costs you time rather than compliance.
What the 2021 revisions changed
Texas reorganised Part VII and adjusted three things that matter for websites: which communications require submission for review, how firm names and trade names are treated, and the structure of the exemptions. The direction of travel was toward fewer mandatory filings, not more.
Because the amendments moved rule numbers as well as substance, citations in older material may point to provisions that no longer say what the article claims. Verify against the current text rather than a secondary source, including this one.
The advertising review process
Texas maintains an Advertising Review Department and committee that assesses lawyer advertising. The important structural point for a website is that the unit of assessment is the advertisement, not the domain name.
In practice this means a firm can have a main website that falls outside the filing requirement while simultaneously running Google Ads landing pages that do not. Those pages have their own headline, their own offer and their own intake form, and they function as advertisements in a way an About page does not. Firms running paid acquisition should assess campaign pages separately rather than assuming the whole domain shares one status.
Deadlines and fees apply to submissions and both have changed over time, which is why they are deliberately not quoted here. The Advertising Review Department will confirm current figures.
Trade names and firm names
Texas allows trade names within limits. The consistent themes are that a name must not be misleading and must not imply a connection with a government agency or with a public or charitable legal services organisation. Names in the general shape of “Texas Injury Help Center” sit closer to that boundary than firms tend to assume, particularly when the domain, the logo and the page titles reinforce an institutional rather than a private-firm impression.
This has a direct search consequence. Keyword-heavy trade names are attractive for SEO precisely because they read as generic and authoritative, and that is exactly the quality that creates the compliance risk. It is worth resolving deliberately before a rebrand, not after.
Specialisation
Specialist claims require certification, typically through the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Absent certification, describe activity rather than status. This is the same conclusion every state reaches, and the same practical workaround applies: “we represent Texas clients in DWI matters” carries the commercial message without the credential claim.
Texas compared with Florida and California
| Texas | Florida | California | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Governing rules | Disciplinary Rules, Part VII | Rules 4-7.11–4-7.25 | RPC 7.1–7.5 |
| Last major revision | 2021 | — | 2018 |
| Filing process | Yes, with broad exemptions | Yes, for many ad types | None |
| Review body | Advertising Review Department | The Florida Bar | None |
| Trade names | Permitted with conditions | Restricted | Permitted with conditions |
| Relative strictness | Middle | Strictest | Most permissive |
For a firm licensed across all three, build to Florida. A site that clears the strictest of the three will generally clear the other two, and maintaining one compliant version is far cheaper than maintaining three.
Texas attorney advertising rules: frequently asked questions
Do I have to file my Texas law firm website with the State Bar?
Texas operates an advertising review process, and some categories of advertising must be submitted. The rules were substantially revised in 2021 and the exemptions were broadened, so guidance written before that date may overstate what needs filing. Confirm your current obligation with the State Bar of Texas Advertising Review Department.
Which rules govern attorney advertising in Texas?
Part VII of the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct. These provisions were revised effective 2021, changing both the filing requirements and the treatment of firm names and trade names.
Can a Texas law firm use a trade name?
Texas permits trade names subject to conditions, principally that the name is not misleading and does not imply a connection with a government agency or a public or charitable legal services organisation. This is an area where the 2021 revisions changed the position, so check the current rule text.
Can I claim to be a specialist in Texas?
Only with certification, typically from the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Without it, describe the work you do rather than asserting a specialist title.
Does the Texas advertising review process cover my whole website or individual pages?
The unit of assessment is the advertisement, not the domain. A campaign landing page with its own headline and intake form can be treated separately from your main website, which matters for firms running paid search.
Texas attorney advertising rules: the short version
If you take one thing from this guide, take this: the Texas attorney advertising rules apply to every page a prospective client can reach, including campaign landing pages built outside your main website. That is usually where the gaps are.
Official source: the State Bar of Texas.
Legal Web Agency is a marketing agency, not a law firm, and nothing here is legal advice. Filing deadlines, fees and exemption details change and are deliberately not quoted. Confirm current requirements with the State Bar of Texas or your ethics counsel.
Related reading: Florida and California website advertising rules, plus Attorney Advertising Rules by State. We build DUI and personal injury websites nationwide.
