Texas rules for RV dumping and overnight stays at rest areas
A plain-English summary of what Texas law, TxDOT, and Texas Parks and Wildlife say about overnight stays at rest areas and where to empty your tanks. Each rule links to the official page it comes from.
Last checked Oct 2026 · Published Oct 26, 2026
Rest areas: 24-hour limit
Texas law makes it an offense to stay at a rest area longer than 24 hours once you're on notice. TxDOT lists the visitor stay as up to 24 hours. TxDOT
No tents or shelters at rest areas
The same law covers putting up a tent, shelter, booth, or other structure at a rest area. Transportation Code 545.411
Empty tanks only at a dump station
Texas Parks and Wildlife says black and gray water can only be discharged at designated dump stations in state parks, and state water law bars discharging sewage into or next to any water in the state. TPWD park rules · Water Code 26.121
On this page
- Overnight at Texas rest areas
- Where you can empty your tanks
- Texas state parks
- Truck stops and travel centers
- Parking signs everywhere else
- Confirmed dump stations
- Sources
Overnight at Texas rest areas
Texas Transportation Code section 545.411 says a person commits an offense if they stay at a rest area longer than 24 hours, or put up a tent, shelter, booth, or structure there, and they either:
- are on notice that it's prohibited while they're doing it, or
- are told it's prohibited and don't leave, or take the structure down, within eight hours.
Under the law, you're on notice if a sign stating the prohibited activity and the penalty is posted at the rest area, or if a peace officer tells you. Texas Transportation Code 545.411
The law's definition of a "rest area" is broad: any public property TxDOT designates as a rest area, comfort station, picnic area, roadside park, or scenic overlook. Section 545.411(d)
TxDOT's own rest area map page puts it simply: "Visitor length of stay: up to 24 hours" under Transportation Code 545.411. TxDOT safety rest area map
TxDOT says the state's safety rest areas have restrooms open 24 hours a day. Most have attendants on duty around the clock; the rest have attendants from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. TxDOT safety rest area list
Where you can empty your tanks
Texas water law defines sewage as "waterborne human waste and waste from domestic activities, such as washing, bathing, and food preparation." That description covers what ends up in an RV's black and gray tanks. Texas Water Code 26.001
Section 26.121 says that, except as authorized by the state's environmental agency (TCEQ), no person may discharge sewage into or adjacent to any water in the state. "Water in the state" is defined widely, including groundwater, lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, creeks, wetlands, marshes, canals, the Gulf, and the beds and banks of watercourses. Texas Water Code 26.121
The simple way to stay on the right side of this: empty your tanks only at a dump station.
TxDOT's rest area list and map pages don't mention RV dump stations, so we don't treat any Texas rest area as having one unless another source shows it. A few rest areas on our site show a community-reported dump from open map data; confirm those before you count on them. TxDOT safety rest area list
Texas state parks
Texas Parks and Wildlife's park rules say: "Wastewater (both black and gray) can only be discharged at designated dump stations." The same page sets quiet hours from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. TPWD park rules
Some state parks let day visitors use the dump station for a fee. For example, Lockhart State Park lists a dump station fee for day-use visitors, charged on top of the daily entrance fee ($10 plus entrance when we checked in Oct 2026). Fees vary by park and change, so check the park's own page before you go. Lockhart State Park fees
Truck stops and travel centers
Truck stops are private businesses, so overnight parking is up to each store. On our stop pages we only say what the operator's own store page lists, like "RV parking spaces" or overnight parking. When a store page doesn't say, our listing says so. Ask inside and follow posted signs.
Parking signs everywhere else
Texas law says a driver may not park, except briefly to load or unload, where an official sign prohibits parking. Texas Transportation Code 545.302 Read the signs wherever you stop.
Operator-confirmed dump stations on I-10 in Texas
These 14 stops have an RV dump station listed on the operator's own page, west to east. Hours and fees are often not published, so call ahead.
- Flying J Travel Center #724, Exit 0, Anthony
- Flying J Travel Center #728, Exit 37, El Paso
- Flying J Travel Center #553, Exit 259, Fort Stockton
- Love's Travel Stop #542, Exit 261, Fort Stockton
- Love's Travel Stop #700, Exit 404/Loop 467, Sonora
- Flying J Travel Center #737, Exit 583, San Antonio
- Love's Travel Stop #484, Exit 682, Weimar
- Flying J Travel Center #740, Exit 732, Brookshire
- Love's Travel Stop #234, Exit 737, Katy
- Flying J Travel Center #725, Exit 789, Baytown
- Kroozin Truck Stop & Travel Center, Exit 815, Hankamer
- Love's Travel Stop #696, Exit 843/Smith Rd, Beaumont
- Flying J Travel Center #735, Exit 873, Orange
- Pilot Travel Center #431, Exit 873, Orange
Community-reported dumps (confirm first): Balmorhea State Park, Sutton County Rest Areas, west of Sonora, Kerr County Rest Areas, north of Comfort.
We also list 12 Texas rest areas and travel information centers. See them all on the I-10 route page.
Sources
We read each of these official pages in Oct 2026. If a page changes, the rule here may be out of date.
- Texas Transportation Code, Chapter 545 (sections 545.302 and 545.411)
- Texas Water Code, Chapter 26 (sections 26.001 and 26.121)
- TxDOT: Safety rest area map
- TxDOT: Safety rest area list
- Texas Parks and Wildlife: Park rules
- Texas Parks and Wildlife: Lockhart State Park entrance fees
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