(a) A person commits theft of service if, with intent to avoid payment for service that the actor knows is provided only for compensation:
(1) the actor intentionally or knowingly secures performance of the service by deception, threat, or false token;
(2) having control over the disposition of services of another to which the actor is not entitled, the actor intentionally or knowingly diverts the other’s services to the actor’s own benefit or to the benefit of another not entitled to the services;
(3) having control of personal property under a written rental agreement, the actor holds the property beyond the expiration of the rental period without the effective consent of the owner of the property, thereby depriving the owner of the property of its use in further rentals; or
(4) the actor intentionally or knowingly secures the performance of the service by agreeing to provide compensation and, after the service is rendered, fails to make full payment after receiving notice demanding payment.
(b) For purposes of this section, intent to avoid payment is presumed if any of the following occurs:
(1) the actor absconded without paying for the service or expressly refused to pay for the service in circumstances where payment is ordinarily made immediately upon rendering of the service, as in hotels, campgrounds, recreational vehicle parks, restaurants, and comparable establishments;
(2) the actor failed to make payment under a service agreement within 10 days after receiving notice demanding payment;
(3) the actor returns property held under a rental agreement after the expiration of the rental agreement and fails to pay the applicable rental charge for the property within 10 days after the date on which the actor received notice demanding payment;
(4) the actor failed to return the property held under a rental agreement:
(A) within five days after receiving notice demanding return, if the property is valued at less than $2,500;
(B) within three days after receiving notice demanding return, if the property is valued at $2,500 or more but less than $10,000; or
(C) within two days after receiving notice demanding return, if the property is valued at $10,000 or more; or
(5) the actor:
(A) failed to return the property held under an agreement described by Subsections (d-2)(1)-(3) within five business days after receiving notice demanding return; and
(B) has made fewer than three complete payments under the agreement.

Attorney's Note

Under the Texas Codes, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:
ClassPrisonFine
Class A misdemeanorup to 1 yearup to $4,000
Class B misdemeanorup to 180 daysup to $2,000
For details, see Texas Penal Code § 12.21 and Texas Penal Code § 12.22

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Terms Used In Texas Penal Code 31.04

  • Actor: means a person whose criminal responsibility is in issue in a criminal action. See Texas Penal Code 1.07
  • Agency: includes authority, board, bureau, commission, committee, council, department, district, division, and office. See Texas Penal Code 1.07
  • Another: means a person other than the actor. See Texas Penal Code 1.07
  • Benefit: means anything reasonably regarded as economic gain or advantage, including benefit to any other person in whose welfare the beneficiary is interested. See Texas Penal Code 1.07
  • Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
  • Effective consent: includes consent by a person legally authorized to act for the owner. See Texas Penal Code 1.07
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Felony: means an offense so designated by law or punishable by death or confinement in a penitentiary. See Texas Penal Code 1.07
  • in writing: includes any representation of words, letters, or figures, whether by writing, printing, or other means. See Texas Government Code 312.011
  • Individual: means a human being who is alive, including an unborn child at every stage of gestation from fertilization until birth. See Texas Penal Code 1.07
  • Misdemeanor: means an offense so designated by law or punishable by fine, by confinement in jail, or by both fine and confinement in jail. See Texas Penal Code 1.07
  • Owner: means a person who:
    (A) has title to the property, possession of the property, whether lawful or not, or a greater right to possession of the property than the actor; or
    (B) is a holder in due course of a negotiable instrument. See Texas Penal Code 1.07
  • Person: means an individual or a corporation, association, limited liability company, or other entity or organization governed by the Business Organizations Code. See Texas Penal Code 1.07
  • Personal property: All property that is not real property.
  • Property: means real and personal property. See Texas Government Code 311.005
  • Sight order: means a written or electronic instruction to pay money that is authorized by the person giving the instruction and that is payable on demand or at a definite time by the person being instructed to pay. See Texas Penal Code 1.07
  • Written: includes any representation of words, letters, symbols, or figures. See Texas Government Code 311.005

(c) For purposes of Subsections (a)(4), (b)(2), (b)(4), and (b)(5), notice must be:
(1) in writing;
(2) sent by:
(A) registered or certified mail with return receipt requested; or
(B) commercial delivery service; and
(3) sent to the actor using the actor’s mailing address shown on:
(A) the rental agreement or service agreement;
(B) records of the person whose service was secured; or
(C) if the actor secured performance of service by issuing or passing a check or similar sight order for the payment of money, using the actor’s address shown on:
(i) the check or order; or
(ii) the records of the bank or other drawee on which the check or order is drawn.
(d) Except as otherwise provided by this subsection, if written notice is given in accordance with Subsection (c), it is presumed that the notice was received not later than two days after the notice was sent. For purposes of Subsections (b)(4)(A) and (B) and (b)(5), if written notice is given in accordance with Subsection (c), it is presumed that the notice was received not later than five days after the notice was sent.
(d-1) For purposes of Subsection (a)(2), the diversion of services to the benefit of a person who is not entitled to those services includes the disposition of personal property by an actor having control of the property under an agreement described by Subsections (d-2)(1)-(3), if the actor disposes of the property in violation of the terms of the agreement and to the benefit of any person who is not entitled to the property.
(d-2) For purposes of Subsection (a)(3), the term “written rental agreement” does not include an agreement that:
(1) permits an individual to use personal property for personal, family, or household purposes for an initial rental period;
(2) is automatically renewable with each payment after the initial rental period; and
(3) permits the individual to become the owner of the property.
(d-3) For purposes of Subsection (a)(4):
(1) if the compensation is or was to be paid on a periodic basis, the intent to avoid payment for a service may be formed at any time during or before a pay period;
(2) the partial payment of wages alone is not sufficient evidence to negate the actor’s intent to avoid payment for a service; and
(3) the term “service” does not include leasing personal property under an agreement described by Subsections (d-2)(1)-(3).
(d-4) A presumption established under Subsection (b) involving a defendant‘s failure to return property held under an agreement described by Subsections (d-2)(1)-(3) may be refuted if the defendant shows that the defendant:
(1) intended to return the property; and
(2) was unable to return the property.
(d-5) For purposes of Subsection (b)(5), “business day” means a day other than Sunday or a state or federal holiday.
(e) An offense under this section is:
(1) a Class C misdemeanor if the value of the service stolen is less than $100;
(2) a Class B misdemeanor if the value of the service stolen is $100 or more but less than $750;
(3) a Class A misdemeanor if the value of the service stolen is $750 or more but less than $2,500;
(4) a state jail felony if the value of the service stolen is $2,500 or more but less than $30,000;
(5) a felony of the third degree if the value of the service stolen is $30,000 or more but less than $150,000;
(6) a felony of the second degree if the value of the service stolen is $150,000 or more but less than $300,000; or
(7) a felony of the first degree if the value of the service stolen is $300,000 or more.
(f) Notwithstanding any other provision of this code, any police or other report of stolen vehicles by a political subdivision of this state shall include on the report any rental vehicles whose renters have been shown to such reporting agency to be in violation of Subsection (b)(2) and shall indicate that the renting agency has complied with the notice requirements demanding return as provided in this section.
(g) It is a defense to prosecution under this section that:
(1) the defendant secured the performance of the service by giving a post-dated check or similar sight order to the person performing the service; and
(2) the person performing the service or any other person presented the check or sight order for payment before the date on the check or sight order.