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AirPermitHub

TX · EPA Region 6

Texas Air Permits

TCEQ authorizes new and modified air emission sources through a tiered system under New Source Review (NSR): de minimis, permits by rule (PBR), standard permits, and case-by-case NSR permits, with federal PSD and nonattainment review for major sources. Major sites also need a federal operating permit (Title V), issued as a site operating permit (SOP) or general operating permit (GOP).
Verified against agency sourceLast reviewed 2026-10-25

Air permits & authorizations

  • De minimis facilities

    Exemption

    Facilities or sources meeting the de minimis criteria do not have to obtain any registration or authorization prior to construction. A site qualifies by appearing on the TCEQ De Minimis Facilities or Sources List, by staying under the site-wide Materials and Usage List amounts, or by staying within the ESL list and emission rate caps in 116.119(a)(3).

    Thresholds (summarized from source, not a quotation)

    Materials and Usage List examples: 50 gal/yr cleaning and stripping solvents, 100 gal/yr coatings, 1,000 lb/yr dyes, 2,500 gal/yr water-based surfactants and detergents (restated from TCEQ RG-404, 2011; confirm against the current list).

    30 TAC §116.119(a)Official page

  • Permits by Rule (PBR)

    Permit by Rule

    Authorizes facilities that will not make a significant contribution of air contaminants when built and operated under the conditions of a specific PBR. Facilities must meet the general emission limits in 30 TAC 106.4 and other Chapter 106 requirements, such as recordkeeping in 30 TAC 106.8.

    Quoted verbatim from the agency source
    An operation may qualify for a permit by rule (PBR) authorization if it emits less than: 250 tons per year (tpy) of carbon monoxide or nitrogen oxides; 25 tpy of volatile organic compounds, sulfur dioxide, or inhalable particulate matter; 15 tpy of particulate matter with diameters of 10 microns or less; 10 tpy of particulate matter with diameters of 2.5 microns or less; 25 tpy of any other air contaminant (exclusions apply). (TCEQ RG-616, rev. January 2026)

    Thresholds (summarized from source, not a quotation)

    Per facility, under 30 TAC 106.4(a)(1): 250 tpy or less of NOx and CO; 25 tpy or less of VOC, PM, SO2, and any other contaminant (TCEQ PBR Certification Fact Sheet APDG 6244, July 2014).

    30 TAC Chapter 106Official page

  • Standard Permits

    Standard Permit

    Permits for specific, well-characterized classes of facilities, authorized under 30 TAC Chapter 116, Subchapter F.

    30 TAC Chapter 116, Subchapter FOfficial page

  • Case-by-case NSR permit

    Minor NSR

    For facilities that cannot qualify for a PBR or standard permit. Includes amendments, alterations, renewals, and Readily Available Permits (a streamlined option for certain facility types).

    30 TAC Chapter 116, Subchapter BOfficial page

  • Flexible permits

    Other

    Lets operators manage operations under an overall emissions cap or individual emission limits; follows the same permitting requirements as NSR permits.

    30 TAC Chapter 116Official page

Major NSR (PSD & nonattainment)

  • Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD)

    PSD

    Required for a new major stationary source or major modification in an attainment area. TCEQ also administers greenhouse gas PSD permitting. Details are in TCEQ fact sheets RG-636 (May 2024) and RG-635 (Aug 2024).

    Quoted verbatim from the agency source
    potential to emit (PTE) 100 tons per year (tpy) or more of a regulated pollutant

    Thresholds (summarized from source, not a quotation)

    Named (listed) source categories: PTE of 100 tpy or more. Other sources: PTE of 250 tpy or more. Significant emission rates (tpy): CO 100; NOx 40; SO2 40; VOC 40; PM10 15; PM2.5 10; PM 25; lead 0.6; H2S 10; TRS 10; H2SO4 7; fluorides 3; GHG 75,000 CO2e (TCEQ RG-636, May 2024, and RG-635, Aug 2024).

    30 TAC Chapter 116; GHG thresholds at 30 TAC 116.164(a)Official page

  • Nonattainment review

    Nonattainment NSR

    Required when emissions exceed the applicable major source or significance threshold for the nonattainment area and pollutant.

    Thresholds (summarized from source, not a quotation)

    Ozone (VOC/NOx) major source thresholds: Marginal/Moderate 100 tpy; Serious 50 tpy; Severe 25 tpy. Minimum offset ratios: 1.10, 1.15, 1.20, and 1.30 to 1. Major modification SER is 25 tpy for VOC or NOx in Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston-Galveston-Brazoria (2008 ozone Severe; 2015 ozone Serious) and San Antonio/Bexar County (2015 ozone Serious). PM10 SER is 15 tpy in the City of El Paso (1987 PM10 Moderate). SO2 SER is 40 tpy in the 2010 SO2 nonattainment counties (TCEQ RG-636 Table 1 and RG-635 Table 4).

    30 TAC Chapter 116Official page

Title V operating permits

  • Federal Operating Permits (Title V): SOP and GOP

    Title V

    Major sites need a federal operating permit. A Site Operating Permit (SOP) is customized to the emission sources at an individual site; a General Operating Permit (GOP) has uniform conditions for all sites in a defined class. A source can stay synthetic minor by using a PI-7-CERT to set federally enforceable limits.

    Thresholds (summarized from source, not a quotation)

    10 tpy of a single HAP or 25 tpy of combined HAPs; 100 tpy or more of any other contaminant in attainment counties. Nonattainment counties have lower thresholds under 30 TAC 122.10 (restated from TCEQ RG-404, 2011).

    30 TAC Chapter 122; major source definition at 30 TAC 122.10(13)Official page

Oil & Gas

Oil and gas sites follow the same tiered path: de minimis, then PBR (Subchapter O), then the Air Quality Standard Permit for Oil and Gas Facilities, then a case-by-case NSR permit. Major sites may use Title V general operating permits GOP 511 or 514.

  • PBR 106.352: Oil and Gas Handling and Production Facilities

    Permit by Rule

    PBR for oil and gas handling and production facilities, with registration information and an emissions calculation spreadsheet tool.

    30 TAC §106.352Official page

  • PBR 106.359: Planned MSS at Oil and Gas Facilities

    Permit by Rule

    Planned maintenance, startup, and shutdown at oil and gas production and handling facilities.

    30 TAC §106.359Official page

  • Subchapter O PBRs for oil and gas

    Permit by Rule

    Index of Chapter 106 Subchapter O permits by rule for oil and gas facilities.

    30 TAC Chapter 106, Subchapter OOfficial page

  • Air Quality Standard Permit for Oil and Gas Facilities

    Standard Permit

    For oil and gas facilities that cannot meet a PBR. Includes applicability, registration information, and an emissions calculation tool.

    Official page

  • GOP No. 511: Oil and Gas General Operating Permit

    Title V

    Title V general operating permit for oil and gas sites.

    Official page

  • GOP No. 514: Oil and Gas General Operating Permit

    Title V

    Title V general operating permit for oil and gas sites.

    Official page

  • Barnett Shale and Eagle Ford Shale information

    Other

    TCEQ regional information pages for these shale plays.

    Official page
Oil & Gas industry hub

State air regulations

Forms

Guidance

Compliance

State compliance obligations (reporting, emissions inventory, testing) are being indexed. Use the Compliance dashboard preview to see how they will be tracked.

Sources

Editorial note: Content was reviewed against TCEQ pages and fact sheets on the lastReviewed date. PSD and NNSR thresholds come from RG-636 and RG-635 (2024). The de minimis and Title V summaries come from RG-404 (2011) and should be checked against current rule text. Area classifications can change, so check TCEQ's attainment status pages.

AirPermitHub provides educational, engineering, research, and compliance-support information. Information provided by the platform does not constitute legal advice and should not replace review of applicable regulations, permits, agency guidance, or consultation with qualified professionals. Full disclaimer