Government or utility property.
Houston Code of Ordinances § 7-64
in effectSec. 7-64. - Government or utility property.
(a) It shall be unlawful for any metal recycler or his agents or employees acting on his behalf to purchase or receive property, including but not limited to, street signs, traffic signals, manhole covers, road and bridge guard rails, street light poles and fixtures on which are written or affixed the words "City of Houston" or other words or markings demonstrating ownership by the city except in the following circumstances:
(1) Where the person offering such property for sale is an employee of the city authorized in writing by his department director to make such a sale and provides the metal recycler with written authorization from the director to sell such property; or
(2) Where the person offering such property for sale presents at the time of the offer appropriate documentation from the city evidencing the purchase of the property by the person offering to sell the property.
(b) It shall be unlawful for any metal recycler or his agents or employees acting on his behalf to purchase or receive property that is marked with any form of the name or initials of a governmental agency, including but not limited to, the State of Texas, the United States and any agencies and political subdivisions thereof, or that the metal recycler knows or should reasonably know belongs to a governmental agency, including but not limited to, street signs, traffic signals, manhole covers, road and bridge guard rails, street light poles and fixtures, except:
(1) Where the person offering such property for sale is an employee of the governmental agency authorized by that agency to make such a sale and provides the metal recycler with a written authorization from the agency for the sale of such property; or
(2) Where the person offering such property for sale presents at the time of the offer appropriate documentation from the governmental agency evidencing the purchase of the property by the person offering to sell the property.
(c) It shall be unlawful for any metal recycler or his agents or employees acting on his behalf to purchase or receive property that is marked with any form of the name or initials of an electrical, telephone, cable, or other public utility company or that the metal recycler knows or should reasonably know belongs to a public utility company unless the person offering such property for sale presents at the time of the offer to sell the property appropriate documentation from the public utility company evidencing the person's authorization to sell the property.
(Ord. No. 2016-964, § 4(Exh. A), 12-7-2016)
Source: City of Houston, Code of Ordinances and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/tx/houston/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH7ANDECOMASCMEPRSEREREBU_ARTIIIMERE_DIV3OPRURE_S7-64GOUTPRFetched: 10/26/2026