New Texas Law Criminalizes Jugging

Texas has just passed a law to crack down on a crime called jugging. If you’ve never heard of it, jugging is when someone waits near a bank or ATM, watches a person withdraw money, then follows them with the plan to steal it later.

Governor Greg Abbott signed House Bill 1902 on June 20, 2025, making jugging its own specific crime in Texas. Before this, jugging could be punished under general theft or robbery laws, but now it’s clearly written into the criminal code. Lawmakers and the Texas Bankers Association pushed for the bill because cases of jugging have been on the rise, and they wanted law enforcement to have stronger tools to stop it.

Jugging Now a Crime Under Texas House Bill 1902

Here’s how the law works: if someone is caught jugging, it’s at least a state jail felony, which can mean serious jail time. If the crime involves breaking into a car, it bumps up to a third-degree felony. And if it escalates to a robbery, it could become a first-degree felony, which is the same level of punishment given to some of the most severe crimes in Texas.

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Supporters of the law say it’s especially important for protecting seniors and small business owners, since they’re more likely to carry large amounts of cash and can be easy targets. By calling jugging out directly, the law sends a clear message that this kind of stalking-and-stealing behavior won’t be tolerated.

In short, Texas is taking jugging seriously. The new law means if someone follows you from the bank trying to steal your money, prosecutors now have stronger, more specific charges to use against them.