The right of way acquisition process is highly complex. It is also governed by federal and Texas laws. This guide is not intended to be an in-depth instructional on acquiring right of way. Instead, the purpose of this guide is to provide local public agencies (LPAs) a basic understanding of the right of way acquisition process.

For more detailed treatment of the right of way acquisition process, the LPA should consult the Texas Department of Transportation's (TxDOT's) right of way manuals. This guide contains links to the corresponding TxDOT manuals for further information.