Texas State Seal

“There shall be a Seal of the State, which shall be kept by the Secretary of State, and used by him officially under the direction of the governor. The Seal of the State shall be a star of five points, encircled by olive and live oak branches, and the words, ‘The State of Texas’.”

Texas Constitution, article IV, section 19
August 27, 1945

Since revolutionary times, Texas has chosen the Lone Star as its symbol. The Texas Provisional Government adopted an emblem of “a single star of five points, either of gold or silver” for the Republic of Texas on March 12, 1836, 10 days after declaring independence from Mexico.

This emblem provided the basis for the first Texas seal, which in two years would take the form we recognize today. This simple and graceful design adorns both the original and new portions of our capitol building.

The Daughters of the Republic of Texas proposed a design for the reverse of the state seal. The design was adopted by the Legislature on August 26, 1961. The design for the reverse side of the State Seal of Texas consists of a shield, the lower half of which is divided into two parts.

On the shield’s lower left is a depiction of the cannon of the Battle at Gonzales; on the shield’s lower right is a depiction of Vince’s Bridge; on the upper half of the shield is a depiction of the Alamo. Live oak and olive branches, and the unfurled flags of the Kingdom of France, the Kingdom of Spain, the United Mexican States, the Republic of Texas, the Confederate States of America, and the United States of America circle the shield. The reverse of the state seal now appears in color on the floor of the underground rotunda in the Capitol extension.

The state seal is required by law to be affixed to numerous documents, such as commissions for elected and appointed state and local officials; patents for land from the state; executive acts of the governor and all official documents issued from the Office of the Secretary of State. By law, the state seal also appears on gold and silver state coins; the Texas Distinguished Service Medal, and all state aircraft except those used for law enforcement purposes.