Search Johnson County Cases Without Choosing the Wrong Court
Johnson County does not have one clerk for every lawsuit or criminal case. Felony and District Court records belong to the District Clerk, while the County Clerk maintains cases filed in County Court at Law No. 1 and No. 2, including misdemeanors, civil cases and probate matters.
The easiest starting point is the county’s public court-record portal. Search the cause number when you have it; otherwise use the party or defendant name, then verify the court, filing date, case type and status before opening a record.
This guide shows what the online fields mean, where to look when nothing appears, how to find court dates and dispositions, and how to order certified records without sending the request to the wrong clerk.
Guinn Justice Center, 204 S. Buffalo Ave., Cleburne.
Johnson County District Clerk.
County Clerk Court Section.
County and District Courts share public case access.
Official details checked August 22, 2026.
Which Johnson County court has your case?
Use for felony criminal cases and District Court civil, family, tax and related cases.
District Court record helpUse for misdemeanor criminal cases, County Court civil matters, family cases, probate, guardianship and traffic appeals.
County Court record helpJustice Courts handle their own records. A case may never appear as a County Court at Law case unless it is appealed.
Find lower-court recordsA Cleburne, Burleson or another municipal citation can remain in that city court rather than the county criminal docket.
Why the case may be elsewhereHow to search Johnson County court records online
Understand the fields before relying on the case
| Field | What it helps identify | What it does not prove | Next step |
|---|---|---|---|
| Case / cause number | One filed court matter. | That another similarly named case involves the same person. | Use it for copies, court-date calls and research requests. |
| Party / defendant | The person or entity listed in the case. | Identity based on a common name alone. | Compare DOB where available, filing date and court. |
| Filed date | When the court case was opened. | When the underlying incident or dispute began. | Compare with arrest, citation or dispute dates. |
| Court | The assigned District Court or County Court at Law. | That the case has never been transferred. | Use that court for scheduling questions. |
| Case type | Felony, misdemeanor, civil, probate or another classification. | The final result. | Open the docket and filings. |
| Active / inactive | A general system status. | Dismissal, conviction, payment, settlement or judgment. | Find the actual disposition. |
| Charge | A criminal allegation filed in court. | Guilt. | Review plea, judgment, dismissal and sentence entries. |
| Docket event | An action, filing, hearing or order in the case. | That an old scheduled event still controls. | Read events in date order. |
| Court setting | A scheduled appearance or hearing. | That it has not been reset. | Confirm the newest setting before travel. |
| Disposition | How a charge, claim or case was resolved. | The contents of every underlying order. | Order the judgment or final order if proof is needed. |
Felony and misdemeanor records go to different clerks
Felony case
Johnson County District Courts have original jurisdiction over felony criminal cases. Search the District Court docket for the indictment, settings, bond-related orders, plea, judgment, sentence, dismissal or other final activity.
Record keeper: Johnson County District Clerk
Misdemeanor case
County Court at Law No. 1 and No. 2 hear Johnson County misdemeanor cases and traffic appeals. The County Clerk’s Court Section maintains those files.
Record keeper: Johnson County County Clerk
From arrest to court record
Law enforcement creates the arrest, incident or citation record. That is not yet the final court outcome.
The prosecutor files the criminal matter in the appropriate court. The court cause number becomes the useful lookup key.
Read the docket for dismissal, plea, judgment, sentence, acquittal or another final action.
County Clerk misdemeanor help
817-556-6323, extension 1323
Guinn Justice Center, 204 S. Buffalo Ave., Cleburne, TX 76033
Do not assume every civil case is filed in the same court
Johnson County’s County Courts at Law have civil jurisdiction over qualifying disputes where the amount in controversy exceeds $200 but is less than $250,000. They also handle eminent-domain matters and civil appeals from Justice Courts. District Courts also exercise broad civil jurisdiction.
Search plaintiff and defendant names, then verify the court, case number, filed date, attorneys and current status.
Divorce and parent-child matters can appear in District or County Courts at Law. Confidential documents may not be viewable publicly.
The County Clerk Court Section maintains probate and guardianship cases heard in the County Courts at Law.
817-556-6323, extension 1300
Probate/Guardianship questions:
817-556-6323, extension 1316
Johnson County District Clerk: felony, civil and family records
Honorable Will Keeton
Guinn Justice Center204 S. Buffalo Avenue
Cleburne, TX 76033
Phone: 817-556-6839
Fax: 817-556-6120
Email: JCDC@johnsoncountytx.org
Monday–Friday
8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
The District Clerk is the official custodian of records filed in Johnson County’s three District Courts.
Johnson County Clerk Court Section: misdemeanors, civil and probate
204 S. Buffalo Ave.
Cleburne, TX 76033
Mailing: P.O. Box 662, Cleburne, TX 76033
Phone: 817-556-6323
Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Closed 12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.
Hours can vary on holidays, and the office notes that it may close early before a holiday.
| Need | Phone | Extension |
|---|---|---|
| Civil / Family | 817-556-6323 | 1300 |
| Probate / Guardianship | 817-556-6323 | 1316 |
| Criminal / Juvenile | 817-556-6323 | 1323 |
| Collections | 817-556-6323 | 1320 |
How to check the next Johnson County court setting
Order the document—not just a screenshot of the docket
A public portal is useful for locating a case, but employers, attorneys, licensing boards, immigration matters and record-clearing applications may require the actual judgment, dismissal, indictment, order or certified disposition.
District Clerk copy fees currently posted by Johnson County
| District Clerk service | Current posted fee | When it helps |
|---|---|---|
| Non-certified paper copy | $1 per page | Ordinary paper copy of a case document. |
| Non-certified electronic copy, up to 10 pages | $1 | Small electronic record request. |
| Electronic pages over 10 | $0.10 each | Additional pages after the first 10. |
| Paper certified copy | $1 per page | Paper record requiring certification. |
| Certificate and seal | $5 | Added certification for the requested record. |
| Research records fee | $5 | When clerk research is required. |
| Certified felony criminal-history record | $5 | Johnson County felony criminal cases only. |
| Card transaction | 2.75% convenience fee | Current District Clerk schedule lists this on credit/debit card transactions. |
What to put in a copy request
Why a Johnson County case may not appear in your search
A missing traffic or small-claims case may be in a lower court
Justice of the Peace
Johnson County Justice Courts hear fine-only criminal matters and civil categories such as eviction, debt claim, small claim, repair-and-remedy and related proceedings.
Do not assume a Justice Court case will appear as a County Court at Law matter unless an appeal or transfer puts it there.
Municipal Court
A city-issued citation or ordinance case normally begins in the municipal court named on the ticket. Search or contact that city court first.
County Courts at Law may later receive certain traffic appeals from a lower court.
226 Featherston St., Cleburne, TX 76033
Phone: 817-556-6032
Monday–Thursday, 7:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; closed Friday
Johnson County Sub-Courthouse
247 Elk Drive, Suite 107, Burleson, TX 76028
Phone: 817-202-2954
Some court records will not be visible online
Juvenile information is subject to special confidentiality rules and should not be expected to appear like an adult criminal case.
Johnson County notes that adoption files are closed records under Texas family-law provisions.
A legally restricted criminal record may disappear from normal public access or have limited visibility.
Documents may be redacted to protect sensitive identifiers, minors or legally confidential information.
The case index can be public even when a particular filing is not downloadable through anonymous web access.
Johnson County provides expanded attorney access for assigned matters, but that is different from ordinary public access.
A Johnson County name search is not a statewide background check
Johnson County court search
- Finds cases filed in covered Johnson County courts.
- Useful for cause numbers, charges, docket events and dispositions.
- Best source for the actual local court case.
- Does not by itself search every Texas county.
Texas DPS criminal history
- Designed for broader Texas criminal-history searches.
- May return possible name-based matches.
- Use strong identifiers before treating a record as belonging to one person.
- Fingerprint comparison is stronger than a name-only assumption.
Do not use the public-record portal to guess how to file a lawsuit
The court-record search is mainly for finding cases that already exist. Starting a lawsuit, responding to a case, requesting service, filing an appeal or submitting a criminal motion follows court-specific rules.
Use the official clerk forms and Texas self-help resources. The clerk can explain filing procedures but cannot give legal advice.
District Clerk form libraryTexas courts use electronic filing for many civil and family matters, and Johnson County publishes local e-filing practices through its clerk resources.
Open eFileTexasJohnson County District and County Courts at Law
| Court | Judge | Criminal contact | Civil contact |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18th District Court | Sydney B. Hewlett | 817-556-6820 | 817-556-6193 |
| 249th District Court | Tiffany Strother | 817-556-6830 | 817-556-6825 |
| 413th District Court | William Bosworth | 817-556-6870 | 817-556-6040 |
| County Court at Law No. 1 | John Neill | 817-556-6357 | 817-556-6353 |
| County Court at Law No. 2 | F. Steven McClure | 817-556-6397 | 817-556-6088 |
Where to go for Johnson County court records
204 S. Buffalo Avenue
Cleburne, TX 76033
Mon–Fri, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
204 S. Buffalo Ave.
Cleburne, TX 76033
Mon–Fri, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; closed noon–1:00 p.m.
Burleson, TX 76028
County Clerk lists court searches among available services.
Cleburne, TX 76033
Use the Court Section instructions for case-record requests.
Guinn Justice Center map
Burleson Sub-Courthouse map
Seven mistakes that make Johnson County records harder to find
Felonies and District Court cases differ from County Court at Law misdemeanors and civil records.
Always locate the actual disposition or final order.
The event can happen months before the case is officially filed.
The original case may still belong to a municipal court.
Ask for the exact judgment, order, dismissal or pleading you actually need.
Compare the court, DOB where available, filing date and known case details.
Many copy and research questions can be routed by email or telephone.
A Johnson County docket is local. Use Texas DPS when the question is statewide criminal history.
A public case index does not mean every underlying document is downloadable from home.
Johnson County court-record questions answered
How do I search Johnson County Texas court records online?
Start with Johnson County’s official County and District Court Records portal. Search by case or cause number when you know it; otherwise search by party or defendant name and narrow the results by court, case type, filing date or status when those filters are available. Johnson County’s public system includes records from the County Courts at Law and District Courts.
Which Johnson County office keeps felony criminal court records?
The Johnson County District Clerk is the official record custodian for the county’s District Courts. Felony criminal cases are handled in the District Courts, including the 18th, 249th and 413th District Courts housed at the Guinn Justice Center in Cleburne.
Which Johnson County office keeps misdemeanor court records?
The Johnson County Clerk’s Court Section keeps cases heard by County Court at Law No. 1 and County Court at Law No. 2, including misdemeanor criminal cases and traffic appeals. Criminal and juvenile questions can be directed to the Court Section at 817-556-6323 extension 1323.
Can I search Johnson County civil and probate cases online?
Yes. Johnson County provides public court-record access that includes civil and probate records. Because civil, family and probate jurisdiction can be divided between District Courts and County Courts at Law, search the countywide court-record system before assuming which clerk holds the case.
Why can I not find a Johnson County traffic ticket in the county court search?
A new fine-only traffic or Class C misdemeanor may be filed in a Justice of the Peace court or municipal court rather than a County Court at Law or District Court. County Courts at Law generally receive traffic matters when they reach the county level on appeal. Check the issuing citation to identify the original court.
How do I get a certified copy of a Johnson County court record?
First identify whether the case belongs to the District Clerk or County Clerk. For a District Court case, contact the Johnson County District Clerk and provide the cause number, party name and the exact document requested. For County Court at Law records, copy, research and public-information requests must be sent to the County Clerk Court Section at ccresearch@jocotx.org.
How much do Johnson County District Clerk court copies cost?
The District Clerk’s current posted schedule lists non-certified paper copies at $1 per page, non-certified electronic copies at $1 for up to 10 pages and $0.10 for each page over 10, and a $5 certificate and seal fee for certified records. A $5 research-record fee is also listed. Confirm the current amount before ordering.
Are all Johnson County court records public?
No. Many court records are public, but access can be restricted by law, court order or confidentiality rules. Examples may include juvenile matters, adoption records, certain family or protective-order information, sealed or expunged criminal records, and documents containing confidential personal information.
How do I find an upcoming Johnson County court date?
Use the official Johnson County public court-record portal and check the case docket or Court Calendar. Verify the assigned court and newest docket entry because settings can be reset, cancelled or moved. If the appearance is important, confirm it with the appropriate court coordinator before traveling.
Can I use Johnson County court records as a complete criminal background check?
No. Johnson County court records show cases filed in Johnson County courts covered by the search. They do not by themselves constitute a statewide or nationwide criminal-history check. For broader Texas criminal-history information, use the Texas Department of Public Safety criminal-history service and verify possible name matches carefully.