Code Enforcement Officer (State of
Texas) Exam Guide Question with
Correct Answers 2025
The Code Enforcement Officer examination measures the ________ and ________
required to be a code officer. - Correct Ans-Knowledge and Skills.
What is the purpose of Code Enforcement? - Correct Ans-To establish and maintain a
standard of quality of life for all citizens by providing quality inspections and bringing
about improvements and rehabilitation to the community.
Code Enforcement started growing with what types of incidents? - Correct Ans-
Health/Environmental issues, community safety, dangerous buildings, and fire incidents.
Define Code Enforcement? - Correct Ans-The inspection, improvement, and
rehabilitation of environmental hazards in public and private premises by determining
the presence of fire or health hazards, nuisance violations, unsafe building conditions
and violations of any fire, health or building regulation, statute, or ordinance.
In regards to the Texas Administrative Code (2007), define a Code Enforcement
Officer? - Correct Ans-An agent of this state or political subdivision of this state who
engages in code enforcement and has one year or more of experience in the field of
code enforcement.
Define a Code Enforcement Officer-in-Training? - Correct Ans-An agent of this state or
a political subdivision of this state who engages in code enforcement but who has less
than one year of experience in the field of code enforcement and is supervised by a
registered code enforcement officer.
T or F?
Code Enforcement Officers identify with the same citation powers as police officers,
sheriffs, marshals, and others. - Correct Ans-True!
Generally speaking, code enforcement does not deal with the _________ element of
enabling legislation and ordinances, while police officers do. - Correct Ans-Criminal.
T or F?
Code officers are not allowed by law to provide a summons or set a court date. This
must be done by the municipal, county, or district courts. - Correct Ans-True!
In regards to non-citation enforcement options, what can a CEO do instead of issuing a
citation? - Correct Ans-Serve a notice of violation.
fundamentals of code enforcement
,Are trash, refuse, rubbish, debris, junk motor vehicles, high grass and weeds,
nuisances, and zoning worth risking personal safety? - Correct Ans-Hell NO!
Being prepared is one way in which CEO's help protect themselves. Prepared is an
acronym that stands for what? - Correct Ans-Proactive, Responsive, Empathetic,
Patient, Alert, Ready, Educated, and Disciplined.
The purpose of Code Enforcement Association of Texas (CEAT) is what? - Correct Ans-
To study and advance the science and practice of code enforcement through
certification designed to promote the interests of the profession.
On a national level, what is the association that represents code enforcement officers? -
Correct Ans-American Association of Code Enforcement (AACE)
What is the International Code Council? - Correct Ans-Code council involved in code on
an international scale. There are substantial advantages in combining the efforts of
existing code organizations to produce a single set of codes.
What is the State of Texas definition of Code Enforcement?
a. The ability to arrest anyone at anytime.
b. The abilitiy to write ordinances, inspect property, issue citations, and arrest violators.
c. The inspection, improvement and rehabilitation of environmental hazards in public
and private premises by determining the presence of fire or health hazards, nuisance
violations, unsafe building conditions, and violations of any fire, health, or building
regulation, state, or ordinance.
d. The enforcement of the federal code. - Correct Ans-C
The State of Texas defines a code enforcement officer as:
a. An agent of this state or a political subdivision of this state who engages in code
enforcement and has one year or more of experience in the field of code enforcement.
b. An agent of this state or a political subdivision of this state who engages in code
enforcement and has three months or more of experience in the field of code
enforcement.
c. An agent of this state or a political subdivision of this state who engages in code
enforcement and has six months or more of experience in the field of code enforcement.
d. An agent of this state or a political subdivision of this state who engages in code
enforcement and has five years or more of experience in the field of code enforcement.
- Correct Ans-A
The State of Texas defines a code enforcement officer-in-training as:
a. An agent of this state or a political subdivision of this state who engages in code
enforcement and has three months or more of experience in the field of code
enforcement.
fundamentals of code enforcement
, b. An agent of this state or a political subdivision of this state who engages in code
enforcement and has one year or more of experience in the field of code enforcement.
c. An enforcement agent.
d. An agent of this state or a political subdivision of this state who engages in code
enforcement but who has less than one year of experience in the field of code
enforcement and is supervised by a registered Code Enforcement Officer. - Correct
Ans-D
Define Absolute Immunity? - Correct Ans-The status of a person or body that places
one beyond the law and makes one free from legal obligations. Immunity for building
official or CEO, not liable for their discretionary acts.
Define Affiant? - Correct Ans-The person who makes and subscribes an affidavit.
Define Affidavit? - Correct Ans-A voluntary, written, or printed declaration of facts,
confirmed by oath of the party making it before a person with authority to administer the
oath.
Define Civil Action? - Correct Ans-Legal action to protect a private civil right or to
compel a civil remedy.
Define Defamation? - Correct Ans-That which tends to injure a person's reputation.
Ex: A lie that I tell that messed up Ruby's reputation.
Define Dillon's Rule? - Correct Ans-Municipal governments only have the powers that
are expressly granted to them by the state legislature, those that are necessarily implied
from that grant of power, and those that are essential and indispensable to the
municipalities existence and functioning.
Define Enabling Legislation? - Correct Ans-The act of giving or enacting laws; the power
to make laws via legislation in contrast to court-made laws.
Define General Law City? - Correct Ans-Basically, cities operate under the laws of the
state with some exceptions to those laws.
Define Home Rule? - Correct Ans-The power of a city to govern itself so long as charter
provisions or ordinances are not inconsistent with state law.
Define Home Rule Charter? - Correct Ans-Organizational plan or framework of a
municipal corporation like a constitution of a state or nation; it is drawn up by the
municipality and adopted by popular vote of the people. Comes after Home Rule is
achieved.
Define Substantive Law? - Correct Ans-The statutory or written law that governs rights
and obligations of those who are subject to it.
fundamentals of code enforcement
