Texas District Court Records Search

Texas state courts · Felony, civil, family, divorce, judgment and docket searches

Route a Texas Court Case to the Clerk Who Actually Holds It

Texas does not have one complete public search that returns every district-court case from all 254 counties. The reliable starting point is the district clerk in the county where the case was filed. Search with the cause number when you have it; otherwise use the party name, filing year and case type.

This guide separates state district courts from county, municipal and federal courts. It also explains re:SearchTX, county portals, felony and civil case fields, docket entries, restricted documents, historical files, certified copies, appeals and what to do when a case or document does not appear.

Filing county Cause number Full party name Approximate filing year Case type Court number
TEXAS COURT SIGNAL MAP LOCATING CUSTODIAN
CAUSE NUMBER FOUND
OFFICIAL CASE FILE
COPY ROUTE VERIFIED
FILE
COUNTY + CLERK + CASE MATCHED
Important statewide limitation: The Texas Office of Court Administration does not maintain individual district-court case files, and the Texas Judicial Branch does not offer one complete trial-court name search. The district clerk or county clerk that maintains the case is the controlling source.
Best search key

Use the complete cause number whenever possible.

Felony records

Usually maintained by the county’s district clerk.

Misdemeanors

Often belong to the county clerk or county court.

Official copies

Order them from the clerk holding the case.

Federal cases

Use PACER, not a Texas county portal.

Start with the real question

Which search route fits the record you need?

CAUSE NUMBER KNOWN Go directly to the filing county

Open that county’s district-clerk portal and search the complete cause number before trying a name.

Follow the exact-case workflow
NAME ONLY Identify the likely county first

Use the arrest location, residence, lawsuit venue, divorce county or attorney information to narrow the search.

Find a case without the county
FELONY CRIMINAL CASE Search the district clerk

Confirm the cause number, filed offense, court, bond history, docket and final disposition.

Search a felony case
CIVIL OR DIVORCE CASE Use the civil or family division

Search by party, company, filing year, attorney or cause number and request the judgment or decree.

Search civil and family records
CERTIFIED DOCUMENT Contact the record custodian

Provide the cause number and exact document title; ask about electronic certification and current fees.

Order an official copy
U.S. DISTRICT COURT Use federal PACER

Federal Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western District of Texas cases are not county district-clerk records.

Search a federal case

Go directly to the Texas court-record task

Use the early sections to find the correct clerk and portal. The later sections explain copies, appeals and restricted files.

Avoid the wrong courthouse

Texas “district court” does not mean every local court

Texas trial courts overlap in some areas, and large counties may use specialized civil, criminal, family or juvenile district courts. Before searching, identify both the case type and the court level.

District court

General-jurisdiction trial court. Common matters include felonies, divorce, land-title disputes, election contests and larger civil cases.

County court or county court at law

Often handles Class A and B misdemeanors, lower-value civil cases, appeals from JP or municipal court and other locally assigned matters.

Justice or municipal court

Commonly handles fine-only Class C criminal cases, city ordinances, traffic matters, evictions and smaller civil claims.

United States district court

Federal civil and criminal cases use PACER and a federal clerk—not a Texas county district clerk.

Choose the clerk by the type of case
Case or document
Likely court level
Usual custodian
First search
Felony indictment or judgment
State district or criminal district court
District clerk
County district-clerk criminal portal
Class A or B misdemeanor
County court or county court at law
Usually county clerk
County-clerk criminal portal
Class C or city citation
Municipal or justice court
Municipal or JP clerk
City court or precinct portal
Divorce decree
District or family district court
District clerk
Civil or family case search
Civil lawsuit
District or county-level court
District or county clerk
Use the court shown on the petition
Probate or guardianship
Probate, county or statutory court
Usually county clerk
County probate records
Federal indictment or lawsuit
U.S. District Court
Federal district clerk
PACER
Do not assume “criminal court record” means district court. A felony, misdemeanor, municipal citation and federal indictment can involve four different record systems.
Official court locator

Find the district clerk for any Texas county

Open the live Texas Judicial Directory The live database is updated as the Office of Court Administration receives changes and is more current than a static annual list. Open the live Texas court directory
Select the appropriate search type Look for district and county clerks, court personnel or the particular court level.
Choose the filing county Search where the case was filed—not automatically where a party currently lives.
Confirm the clerk and court number Large counties can have many specialized district courts. Record the exact court number shown in the case.
Open the clerk’s official county website Look for sections labelled Case Search, Court Records, Records Inquiry, Odyssey, Online Records or Dockets.
Use the clerk, not a general open-records form Court case files are generally requested through the judicial record custodian rather than a county’s ordinary public-information portal.
A judicial district can serve one county, part of a county or several counties. Confirm both the county and the numbered district court rather than relying only on the city name.
When you have only a name

Find the filing county before searching all of Texas

A common name can return unrelated cases in several counties. Before running broad searches, use the facts surrounding the dispute or arrest to identify likely venues.

Criminal case Start with the county where the alleged offense, arrest, indictment or jail booking occurred.
Divorce or custody case Check the county where either spouse lived when the case was filed or where prior court paperwork was served.
Property or land-title dispute Start with the county where the real property is located.
Business lawsuit Check the county named in the contract, registered-agent service, business address or prior demand letter.
Personal-injury case Search where the incident occurred and where the defendant was served or resided.
Attorney name is known Search the attorney’s case notices, county portal or appellate record for the trial-court county and cause number.
re:SearchTX can help when the county is uncertain, but it should not be treated as proof that no case exists. Local portal integration, older files and document access vary.
Statewide electronic access

What re:SearchTX can—and cannot—do

Useful for

  • Searching electronic Texas court records through one account
  • Locating cases in participating integrated courts
  • Receiving available civil and family case notices
  • Opening public documents made available through the system
  • Using an existing eFileTexas account to sign in

Do not assume

  • Every county has full case-management integration
  • Every historical paper case has been uploaded
  • Every public document is remotely viewable
  • A missing result means no case exists
  • re:SearchTX replaces a certified clerk copy
eFileTexas describes full search as county case-management integration that can transmit existing case data when a case number is searched. Limited search may provide access only after a filing has been submitted and accepted through the electronic system.

How to use re:SearchTX without over-trusting it

Create or use an eFileTexas account Follow the access instructions shown on the re:SearchTX login page.
Search the complete cause number first A name search can return unrelated parties and common-name matches.
Limit the county and case category Narrow the results when the system provides filters.
Compare the result with the county portal The county clerk’s system may show newer, older or differently indexed information.
Request the official document from the clerk Use the clerk when a certified, exemplified, authenticated or complete file is needed.
Major-county starting points

Official Texas district-court search pages by county

The table below is a practical starting point—not a complete list of Texas counties. For another county, use the live Texas Judicial Directory.

Use the county page to reach its current public portal
County
Official starting page
What it covers
Important limitation
Harris
Criminal, civil, family, dockets, documents and background searches
A free registered login is currently required for public case details.
Dallas
Felony, misdemeanor, civil, family, county and probate information
Family document images and sensitive files may be restricted.
Tarrant
Felony, civil, family, dockets, warrants and record requests
Some online document access uses a paid web-access service; onsite lookup may be free.
Bexar
Criminal, civil and online court dockets
Use the county-level Justice Information Portal for some misdemeanor records.
Travis
Free digital public records plus paid certified-record requests
The published portal range begins in 2006 for family/civil and 2008 for criminal cases.
Collin
Felony, civil, family, public portal and historical requests
Older criminal cases before 1988 and civil cases before 1984 require a separate records request.
Denton
District-court case records, calendars and formal record requests
Sealed cases and sealed documents are not available for public viewing.
Fort Bend
Case search, electronic certified records, historical records and re:SearchTX
The county may post service alerts when re:SearchTX or another vendor is unavailable.
Montgomery
Criminal, civil, family and court-calendar searches
Choose District Clerk records rather than the separate County Clerk portal.
Portal navigation tip: When an official county page opens instead of the search form, look for “Online Record Search,” “Case Search,” “Court Records Inquiry,” “Dockets & Records,” “Odyssey” or “Web Access.”
Case-result decoder

Understand the fields in a Texas district-court result

A search result is an index to the case—not always the complete court file
Field
What it usually means
What it does not guarantee
What to verify
Cause number
The local case identifier assigned by the clerk.
That similarly formatted numbers belong to the same county or court.
County, court number and case style.
Case style
The caption naming the principal parties, such as State v. Defendant or Plaintiff v. Defendant.
That every party or alias appears in the short caption.
Full party list and roles.
Court
The numbered district or specialized court assigned to the case.
That the case has never been transferred.
Newest docket and transfer orders.
Filed date
The date the clerk opened or accepted the case.
The date of the underlying incident, arrest or dispute.
Petition, indictment or original filing.
Case type
The clerk’s classification, such as felony, divorce, injury, tax or family.
That the classification never changed.
Latest pleadings and orders.
Status
A broad label such as active, pending, disposed or closed.
The legal outcome of every claim or count.
Signed judgment, dismissal, sentence or decree.
Docket entry
A clerk notation showing a filing, hearing, order or event.
That the document image is publicly available online.
Document title, date and signed image.
Disposition
The recorded result of a criminal count, claim or case.
That every count ended the same way.
Each count and the controlling judgment.
Judgment date
The date a judgment or final order was signed or entered.
That appellate deadlines or post-judgment matters have ended.
Notice, motion, appeal and mandate activity.
Document image
A remotely viewable copy of an available filing.
That it is certified or complete.
Certification and page completeness.
Felony criminal records

Search the filed charge—not only the arrest record

An arrest record and district-court case are different records. A jail entry shows booking and custody information. The district clerk shows whether a felony was indicted or otherwise filed, the court events and the final disposition.
Arrest or referral Law enforcement creates the arrest, incident and probable-cause records.
Magistration and early bond activity Initial conditions may appear in jail, magistrate or county systems before a district-court cause is available.
Prosecutor review The filed offense may differ from the original booking description.
Felony district-court filing The district clerk assigns or records the cause number, court, parties and docket.
Hearings, motions and plea or trial The docket records filings and settings, but the signed document controls the result.
Disposition and sentence Check every count for dismissal, plea, deferred adjudication, conviction, acquittal or another outcome.

Information worth saving from a criminal case

Complete cause number
Defendant’s full court name
Court number
Filed offense and degree
Indictment or charging date
Bond orders and conditions
Attorney of record
Plea and judgment
Sentence or supervision terms
Appeal or post-conviction activity
A “dismissed” count, deferred-adjudication order and conviction are legally different results. Obtain the signed order or judgment rather than relying only on a short status label.
Civil, divorce and family records

Search by case style, party role and filing period

Civil case

Search the plaintiff, defendant, company name, cause number, attorney and filing year.

Look for the petition, answer, summary-judgment filings, trial setting, dismissal and final judgment.

Divorce or family case

Search both spouses’ names, former names and approximate filing year.

Request the signed decree or order directly because online family-document access may be limited.

Tax or land case

Search the owner, taxing entity, property description, cause number and court.

A property-record portal does not replace the court judgment or order.

Documents commonly needed from civil and family cases
Need
Document to locate
Why the docket label is not enough
Proof a lawsuit was filed
Original petition and file stamp
The case summary may omit detailed allegations and parties.
Proof of service
Return of service, waiver or citation return
A setting does not prove valid service.
Divorce result
Final decree of divorce
A closed status does not show the decree’s terms.
Civil outcome
Final judgment or signed dismissal
Individual claims can end differently.
Name change proof
Signed name-change order
The case caption is not certified proof of the order.
Appeal status
Notice of appeal, appellate opinion and mandate
The original judgment may have been modified or reversed.
Family privacy: A case number or party listing may be public while document images involving children, protected addresses, financial data or other sensitive information remain unavailable remotely.
Case summary versus court file

Know whether you need a docket, document or certified record

Case summary

Usually shows the cause number, parties, court, filing date, case type and broad status.

Use it for: locating the right case.

Docket

Lists filings, hearings, orders, settings and other recorded events in date order.

Use it for: understanding the timeline.

Document image

Shows the actual petition, motion, order, judgment, indictment or other available filing.

Use it for: reading the substance.

Certified copy

Includes the clerk’s certification that the copy is a true record from the court file.

Use it for: official proof.

A useful research pattern: Find the case summary, read the full docket, identify the exact signed document, preview a plain copy when available and purchase certification only when the recipient requires it.
Troubleshooting

Why the Texas district-court search returns nothing

Wrong county The case may have been filed where the event occurred, where property is located or where another party resided.
Wrong clerk A misdemeanor, probate, municipal or JP case may belong to another clerk.
Wrong court system A federal case belongs in PACER, not a county district-clerk portal.
Name variation Try maiden names, former names, suffixes, business names, middle initials and alternate spellings.
Cause-number formatting Re-enter letters, dashes, year prefixes and leading zeros exactly as issued.
Search range is too narrow Expand the filing period by several years when the date is uncertain.
New case is still indexing A filing may have been accepted but not yet visible in the public portal.
Old paper file The index or document may predate the county’s online coverage.
Transferred or consolidated case Search the original and receiving court numbers and read transfer orders.
Restricted record The case or document may be sealed, confidential, expunged or unavailable remotely.
Clerk call script when a case is missing
I am trying to locate a district-court case involving [full party name] that may have been filed around [year] in [county]. The case may concern [felony/civil/divorce/family/other]. I do not have the complete cause number. Can you confirm whether your office maintains the record, whether an older index must be searched, and what information and fee are required for a clerk-assisted search?
Sealed and limited records

Why a public case may have non-public documents

Remote access is often narrower than courthouse access. Even when a case listing appears online, particular images or data can be restricted by statute, court rule or court order.

Sealed by court order

A public user generally cannot open a sealed case or document without further court authority.

Confidential by law

Juvenile, adoption, child-protection, mental-health and other sensitive records can have statutory restrictions.

Protected personal data

Addresses, birth dates, financial identifiers, children’s names and victim information may be redacted or withheld remotely.

Expunged criminal record

An expunction can remove covered records from public systems and government repositories as ordered.

Remote-access restriction

The document may remain public at the clerk’s office even when its image is not published online.

Pending redaction or scanning

A docket entry may appear before the public image is processed or approved for release.

Do not try to bypass a restriction. Ask the district clerk whether the document is sealed, confidential, remotely restricted or available through an in-person public terminal.
Plain and certified records

Order the exact Texas court document you need

Write down the complete cause number Missing it can lead to a clerk research fee in some counties.
Identify the document precisely Examples include indictment, final judgment, dismissal order, divorce decree, name-change order or sentencing document.
Include the document date when known This helps distinguish amended orders and similarly titled filings.
Choose plain or certified Ask the recipient what level of authentication is required before paying.
Ask about electronic certification Some Texas district clerks provide tamper-evident certified PDF documents.
Request a written cost total Charges vary by county, number of pages, research time, certification and delivery method.
Use the clerk’s approved payment method Do not send cash or a personal check unless the official instructions expressly allow it.
Verify the digital certificate When the county provides an electronic verification code or upload tool, use it before forwarding the record.
Published examples show why fees must be checked county by county
County example
Published search or copy approach
Practical lesson
Tarrant County
Publishes plain paper, electronic and certified-copy charges and a $5 research fee when the case number is unavailable.
Bring the cause number to avoid unnecessary research cost.
Fort Bend County
Publishes separate electronic and paper copy prices, certification fees and clerk-performed name-search charges.
Ask whether electronic certification is accepted by the recipient.
Travis County
Offers free online public digital records within stated date ranges and a separate paid route for official physical copies.
Use the free portal for research before ordering.
Dallas County
Makes many current public records available online and requires direct contact for certified or unavailable records.
Obtain the exact quoted amount before using a payment portal.
Copy-ready certified-record request
Please provide a certified [electronic/paper] copy of [exact document title] filed or signed on approximately [date] in cause number [complete cause number], styled [case name], in the [number] District Court of [county] County, Texas. Please advise the page count, certification charge, available delivery methods and total cost before processing.
Older and archived cases

Search beyond the county portal’s online date range

A missing online image does not mean the file was destroyed. The clerk may hold a paper file, microfilm, index book, archived image or offsite record.
Check the county’s stated online coverage dates Criminal, civil and family portals may begin in different years.
Search the party index Historical indexes may identify the cause number, book, volume, page or court.
Contact the records or archives division General customer service may not perform historical research.
Provide a wide date range Include name variations, spouse or opposing-party names and the type of case.
Ask whether retrieval takes additional time Offsite files may not be available during a walk-in visit.
Request the index before the whole file First identify the exact cause and controlling document to avoid unnecessary copying.
Collin County’s current guidance, for example, routes criminal cases before 1988 and civil cases before 1984 through a written historical-record request. Other counties use different cutoff years.
Court-specific procedure

Check local rules and standing orders before acting on a case

A case search tells you what has been filed. Local rules and standing orders tell parties how that court expects matters to be scheduled, submitted and handled.

Open the statewide local-rules search Search Texas local rules and standing orders
Enter the county or court number Use the exact court shown in the district-clerk result.
Filter by document type Choose local rule, form or standing order.
Check the posted and effective dates Do not rely on an older downloaded copy when a replacement is available.
Contact the court for procedural interpretation Clerk staff can explain office procedure but generally cannot provide legal advice.
Texas district and county courts must post their local rules, forms and standing orders to the Office of Court Administration’s statewide website for those materials to be effective.
After the trial court

Search a Texas appeal without losing the trial-court cause

Trial-court file

Maintained by the district clerk in the filing county.

Contains the pleadings, evidence filed with the clerk, trial-court orders and judgment.

Appellate case

Maintained by the appropriate court of appeals, Supreme Court of Texas or Court of Criminal Appeals.

Contains appellate briefs, orders, opinions and mandate information available to the public.

Open Texas appellate Case Search Search Texas appellate cases
Select all courts when the appellate court is unknown Otherwise choose the specific court of appeals, Supreme Court or Court of Criminal Appeals.
Search the appellate number or trial-court cause The trial-court cause number can connect the appeal to the local district-court file.
Add the trial county and court These filters help distinguish parties with common names.
Read the opinion and mandate Determine whether the judgment was affirmed, reversed, modified, dismissed or remanded.
Return to the district clerk after mandate The trial-court docket may show proceedings after a remand or final appellate action.
Texas appellate search data is refreshed nightly rather than in real time. Contact the appellate clerk when a new filing or order is not yet visible.
State versus federal

Use PACER for United States district-court cases in Texas

A Texas state district court is not a U.S. District Court. Federal cases in Texas are filed in the Northern, Southern, Eastern or Western District of Texas and are not maintained by county district clerks.
Northern District

Includes federal divisions serving Dallas, Fort Worth, Amarillo, Lubbock, Abilene, San Angelo and Wichita Falls areas.

Southern District

Includes Houston, Galveston, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen, Laredo and Victoria divisions.

Eastern District

Includes federal divisions serving areas such as Tyler, Sherman, Beaumont, Marshall, Texarkana and Lufkin.

Western District

Includes Austin, San Antonio, El Paso, Waco, Midland-Odessa, Del Rio and Pecos divisions.

Create a PACER account Registration is free, but most remote searches and documents can generate access fees.
Use the nationwide Case Locator when the district is unknown Search by party, case number, filing date or other available criteria.
Use the specific federal court when known Court-specific PACER data is updated as records are entered.
Review the cost before opening documents PACER currently charges by page for many searches and filings, subject to waivers and exceptions.
Use courthouse terminals when appropriate Federal clerk offices provide public-terminal access under their current procedures.
PACER Service Center: 800-676-6856
Monday–Friday, 7:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. Central Time
Public notices and protective orders

Use the statewide topic portal for specialized records

Citations and notices

Search online notices by name, cause number, court, county and status.

Search Texas citations and notices
Local rules and forms

Filter by court name, county, court group, court type and document title.

Search local court documents
Protective-order registry

Public access is limited and does not include confidential or sealed protective-order information.

Open Texas court topics
Information in a statewide registry or notice search may not be the official court record. Obtain the official proceeding record from the court or clerk maintaining the case.
Before relying on a result

Verify identity and legal outcome

Full party name is consistent
Date of birth matches when lawfully displayed
County and court are correct
Cause number matches exactly
Filing date fits the known timeline
Party role is correct
Every criminal count is reviewed
Final signed order is located
Appeal and mandate are checked
Certification is obtained when required
A name match is not enough. Common names, businesses with similar names, changed names and incomplete indexes can connect the wrong person to a lawsuit or criminal case.
10 title-specific questions

Texas district-court record questions answered

Is there one free statewide Texas district court records search?

No single Texas Judicial Branch search contains every trial-court case and document from all 254 counties. Start with the district clerk in the county where the case was filed. re:SearchTX may provide statewide electronic access to participating records, but coverage, document images and public access vary by county, court and case type.

How do I find the correct Texas district clerk?

Open the Texas Judicial Branch live directory, choose a clerk or court search type, select the county and look for the district clerk. The district clerk normally maintains felony, civil, family and other district-court records. Use the county clerk instead for many misdemeanor, probate and county-court-at-law cases.

What information do I need to search a Texas district court case?

A complete cause number is the most precise search key. When it is unavailable, prepare the party’s full legal name, date of birth for a criminal search when permitted, approximate filing year, county, case type, court number, attorney name and the names of other parties.

Are felony criminal cases filed in Texas district courts?

Texas district courts generally have original jurisdiction over felony criminal cases. Class A and Class B misdemeanors are commonly handled by constitutional county courts or county courts at law, while fine-only Class C cases are commonly handled by municipal or justice courts. Local jurisdiction can vary, so verify the court shown on the cause.

Can I view Texas district court documents online for free?

Many counties provide free public case summaries and some document images, but access differs. Some portals require registration, some show only docket information, and some older documents remain on paper. Certified copies, clerk-assisted searches and historical retrieval may require a fee.

Why can I find a Texas case but not open its documents?

The portal may provide case-index information without public document images. A document may also be confidential, sealed, restricted from remote access, too old to be digitized, pending redaction or available only at a clerk’s public terminal. Contact the district clerk and provide the cause number and document title.

How do I get a certified Texas district court record?

Request the document from the district clerk in the county where the case was filed. Provide the complete cause number, case style, document title and filing date when known. Ask whether the office offers electronic certification, paper certification, exemplification or authentication, and obtain the current cost before paying.

Are Texas divorce records kept by the district clerk?

Divorce cases are generally filed in Texas district or specialized family district courts, and the district clerk commonly maintains the decree and case file. Public access to family documents may be more limited than access to ordinary civil records. Request a certified divorce decree directly from the filing county’s district clerk.

How do I search an appeal from a Texas district court case?

Use the Texas appellate case search and enter the appellate case number, party name, trial-court cause number, trial-court county or filing date. The appellate system does not replace the district clerk’s trial-court file. Contact the appropriate appellate clerk for an official appellate document or record.

Are federal Texas district court records searched through the county district clerk?

No. The United States district courts for the Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western Districts of Texas are federal courts. Their public case records are searched through PACER or obtained from the federal clerk’s office. County district clerks maintain Texas state district-court records.

Official resources reviewed

Primary sources for this statewide court-record guide

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