Harris County TX Court Records Search

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Independent court-record guide: Public-Court-Records.us is not Harris County, the Harris County District Clerk, Harris County Clerk, a Justice Court, the City of Houston, the Texas Judicial Branch, PACER, a law firm, law-enforcement agency, or background-check company. This page explains where public court records are maintained and how official search and copy systems work. It does not certify, seal, expunge, alter, or remove court records and does not provide legal advice. Verify time-sensitive information with the court that maintains the record.

Harris County court records are split between several different court systems

A Harris County TX court records search cannot reliably be completed through one database. District criminal, district civil and family cases are generally maintained by the Harris County District Clerk, while County Civil and Probate records are maintained by the Harris County Clerk.

Justice of the Peace cases use another system. City of Houston Municipal Court cases use a city system. Appeals can go to either of Houston’s two state appellate courts, while federal and bankruptcy cases use federal court systems and PACER.

Portals checked: August 30, 2026 District Clerk hours checked: August 30, 2026 PACER pricing checked: August 30, 2026 Harris County, Texas

First identify which Harris County court handled the case

District Clerk

Harris County District Clerk

Start here for:

  • felony criminal cases;
  • County Criminal Courts at Law cases;
  • district civil lawsuits;
  • Family District Court cases;
  • divorce cases;
  • child custody/support cases;
  • district-level juvenile matters subject to access rules; and
  • district-court judgments and filed documents.
County Clerk

Harris County Clerk

Start here for:

  • County Civil Courts at Law;
  • probate proceedings;
  • estates;
  • guardianships;
  • probate documents; and
  • certain historical county/probate court records.
Local Harris County detail: the District Clerk and County Clerk both have operations at 201 Caroline Street in downtown Houston, but they are separate record custodians. A probate request should not be sent to the District Clerk merely because both offices are located in the same courthouse complex.

Harris County court records routing table

What you need Correct system Custodian Avoid
Felony criminal case District Clerk criminal search Harris County District Clerk County Clerk Probate/Civil search
County Criminal Court at Law District Clerk criminal records Harris County District Clerk County Clerk
District civil lawsuit District Clerk Civil / Family search Harris County District Clerk County Clerk County Civil search
Divorce / family case District Clerk Civil / Family search Harris County District Clerk County Clerk
County Civil Court at Law County Clerk Document Search Harris County Clerk District Clerk
Probate / estate County Clerk → Probate Harris County Clerk District Clerk
Eviction / small claims Harris County Justice Courts Assigned Justice Court District Clerk unless it is actually a district case
Justice Court traffic case Harris County JP case services Assigned Justice Court Houston Municipal Court unless citation belongs there
Houston city citation Houston Municipal Courts City of Houston Harris County District Clerk
State appeal First or Fourteenth Court of Appeals Assigned appellate court Trial portal as complete appeal record
Federal case PACER / Southern District of Texas U.S. District Court County systems
Bankruptcy PACER / Bankruptcy Court U.S. Bankruptcy Court County Civil Court

Which Harris County system should I use?

Select the type of record. This tool does not search names and does not collect personal information.

Use the Harris County District Clerk.

The District Clerk maintains district criminal records and County Criminal Courts at Law records.

Open official District Clerk search
Determine the civil court level first.

District Civil uses the District Clerk. County Civil Court at Law uses the County Clerk. Small claims and many eviction matters use Justice Courts.

Use the Harris County District Clerk Civil / Family search.

Family District Court cases include divorce, custody, child support and related proceedings, subject to privacy restrictions.

Open District Clerk search
Use the Harris County Clerk probate search.

The County Clerk maintains probate case records and records for Harris County Probate Courts.

Open County Clerk Document Search
Use Harris County Justice Courts.

Justice Courts handle small claims, evictions, traffic cases and other matters within JP jurisdiction.

Open Justice Court case services
Use Houston Municipal Courts.

A City of Houston ticket does not automatically belong to the Harris County Justice Court or District Clerk systems.

Open Houston Municipal Courts
Check the First or Fourteenth Court of Appeals.

Harris County appeals can be assigned to either Houston appellate court.

Use PACER and the Southern District of Texas.

Federal civil, criminal and bankruptcy cases are outside Harris County’s state court portals.

Open PACER

How to search Harris County District Clerk court records

Office

Harris County District Clerk

Main location

201 Caroline, Suite 420, Houston, TX 77002

Customer service

832-927-5800

Current lobby-hours note: Harris County District Clerk changed general lobby hours beginning June 15, 2026 to approximately 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday until further notice. Recheck the official hours page before making an in-person visit.
  1. Open the official District Clerk search. Confirm that the website is the Harris County District Clerk.
  2. Sign in or register if required. The current public case-search system uses registered access.
  3. Select Civil / Family or Criminal. Use the section corresponding to the court record you actually need.
  4. Use the cause number when known. A cause number is generally more precise than searching a common party name.
  5. If searching by name, enter only the information needed. Do not send personal identifiers to Public-Court-Records.us.
  6. Review the returned court and case type. Confirm that it is the expected court.
  7. Confirm the complete case/cause number. Do not rely only on a matching name.
  8. Open case details. Review parties, docket activity, documents, court information and current case status.
  9. Read the disposition or latest order. A charge, complaint or filing is not necessarily the final outcome.
  10. Order an official copy if needed. A search-results page or screenshot is not a certified court document.
Official District Clerk Search District Clerk Hours & Locations

How to avoid matching the wrong person

A party-name match should be treated only as a possible match.

  • Compare the complete first and last name.
  • Check middle name, initial or suffix when displayed.
  • Confirm the case/cause number.
  • Confirm the filing court.
  • Compare filing date and approximate expected case year.
  • Check party role.
  • Review attorney information when useful.
  • Use DOB only where lawfully available on the official system.
  • Do not identify a private individual based solely on a common name.
Name-collision warning: multiple people can have the same name. Confirm the case number, filing date, court, party role and other lawful identifying details before deciding that a Harris County record belongs to a particular person.

Harris County historical District Clerk records

The District Clerk has a historical preservation program involving older court records dating into the nineteenth century.

1837–1951

This period is an important focus of Harris County District Clerk historical court-record preservation and digitization work.

1837–1913

The District Clerk provides historical naturalization-record index information for this period.

Older undigitized files

An index result does not necessarily mean every historical document image is available online.

Information that helps locate an older case

  • cause number;
  • case style or party names;
  • approximate filing date;
  • civil/family or criminal category;
  • court number when known; and
  • party role.
Search-fee tip: when essential information needed to identify a file is missing, a clerk-assisted primary-information search can involve an additional fee. Use available free official search tools first.

Harris County District Clerk copy fees

Service Current listed fee What to know
Paper copy $1.00 per page Used for paper reproductions.
Electronic document 1–10 pages $1.00 Current listed electronic document charge.
Electronic document over 10 pages $0.10 per page Review the portal’s calculated amount before purchase.
Paper converted to electronic $1.00 per page Can apply when paper conversion is required.
Certification and seal $5.00 per document Added when certification is requested.
Primary information search $5.00 additional Can apply when necessary identifying information is unavailable.

Certified District Clerk copy workflow

  1. Find the case using the District Clerk’s official portal.
  2. Save the complete cause number.
  3. Identify the exact docket document you need.
  4. Ask the receiving organization whether it requires a plain or certified copy.
  5. Open the District Clerk Purchase Copies service.
  6. Review the document/page charge.
  7. Add certification when required.
  8. Select an available fulfillment method.
  9. Save the order confirmation or receipt.
  10. For international use, separately check apostille/authentication requirements.
District Clerk Copy Instructions

County Civil records use the Harris County Clerk

The Harris County Clerk Document Search Portal contains a specific County Civil category.

Do not confuse this with District Civil litigation. District Civil belongs to the District Clerk.

  1. Open the Harris County Clerk Document Search Portal.
  2. Sign in or register if the function requires an account.
  3. Select County Civil.
  4. Enter the supported search information.
  5. Confirm the County Civil Court at Law.
  6. Open the correct record.
  7. Review available case/document information.
  8. Order a certified copy if an official record is required.
Useful County Clerk feature: electronically available copies can often be viewed or printed with an unofficial watermark. This can be useful for research, but an unofficial-watermarked copy should not be represented as a certified court record.

County Clerk copy costs

Service Current fee Notes
Non-certified paper copy $1.00 per page Applicable public records.
Certified paper copy $5 certification + $1.00 per page Per document.
Electronic non-certified copy $1 up to 10 pages; $0.10/page after For qualifying electronic records.
Electronic certified copy $5 certification + page charge Verify total before purchase.
Search fee $5 per search Can apply if necessary identifying information is not supplied.
Probate Letters $2.00 each Letters Testamentary, Administration or Guardianship.

Harris County probate records

Probate records are maintained by the Harris County Clerk Probate Department, not the District Clerk.

Probate records can involve:

  • estate administration;
  • wills filed in probate proceedings;
  • Letters Testamentary;
  • Letters of Administration;
  • guardianship cases;
  • probate court orders;
  • inventory/accounting documents where public; and
  • other probate matters.
Current Harris County probate-site detail: some older County Clerk wording still refers to four statutory Probate Courts, while the current court listings include Probate Courts numbered 1 through 5. Use the live case record and current court directory to identify the assigned court rather than relying on an old court-count statement.
  1. Open the County Clerk Document Search Portal.
  2. Select Probate.
  3. Search using the live portal’s supported fields.
  4. Verify the decedent, estate or other relevant party.
  5. Confirm the probate case number.
  6. Confirm the assigned Probate Court.
  7. Review available documents.
  8. Use the County Clerk’s official copy procedure for certified documents.
County Clerk Document Search Probate Department

Older County Clerk records and historical research

The Harris County Clerk operates a separate Historical Records warehouse for older county records, including historical county-court and probate material.

Harris County Clerk Historical Records

Address: 11525 Todd Street, Suite 300, Houston, TX 77055

Research hours: verify current hours before visiting.

Use this archive route when the County Clerk identifies the requested historical county/probate record as being maintained there.

Harris County Justice Court case search

Justice of the Peace Courts are separate from both the District Clerk and County Clerk court systems.

Justice Court matters can include:

  • small claims;
  • evictions;
  • Justice Court civil cases;
  • traffic matters;
  • certain criminal citations; and
  • other cases within Justice Court jurisdiction.

Find My Case and Court Date

Harris County Justice Courts provide a dedicated case/court-date service. When a case number is unknown, the official service can request identifying information such as a name together with another identifier.

Do not enter sensitive identifiers on this website. Date-of-birth, driver’s-license and similar search information should be entered only into the official Harris County Justice Court system when required.
Find case Official JP tool
Confirm precinct Correct JP court
Save case number Complete identifier
Open Odyssey Case / documents
Review docket Status / events
Harris County JP Services JP Odyssey Portal

Houston Municipal Court is another separate court system

A City of Houston municipal citation should not automatically be searched through Harris County District Clerk or Justice Court.

Type Correct system Where to start
Harris County JP traffic matter Harris County Justice Courts JP case services
City of Houston citation Houston Municipal Courts Municipal Courts website
County Criminal Court at Law District Clerk District Clerk criminal search
Felony case District Clerk District Clerk criminal search

Herbert W. Gee Municipal Courthouse

Address: 1400 Lubbock Street, Houston, TX 77002

Phone: 713-247-5479

Check the official Houston Municipal Courts site for current courthouse and service hours before visiting.

Municipal Court Public Information Office

Location: 1400 Lubbock Street, 2nd Floor, Room N203

Phone: 713-247-5479

Use this office for municipal court public-record requests rather than sending a Houston city citation request to a Harris County clerk.

Houston Municipal Court record-copy costs

Record Current listed charge
Certified Letter of Disposition $20.00 each
Certified Case Details $3.40 first page; $1.70 each additional page
Certified system image $3.40 first page; $1.70 each additional page
Non-certified system image $0.75 per page
Other information request Varies

Harris County District Clerk and County Clerk at 201 Caroline

Suite 420

Harris County District Clerk

Address: 201 Caroline, Suite 420, Houston, TX 77002

Phone: 832-927-5800

Use for: district civil, family, district criminal and County Criminal Court at Law records.

Suite 310

Harris County Clerk

Address: 201 Caroline, Suite 310, Houston, TX 77002

Public Records phone: 713-274-6390

Use for: County Civil and Probate court records.

Family and divorce court records

Harris County Family District Court records are maintained by the District Clerk.

  • Search through the District Clerk Civil / Family system.
  • Confirm the complete cause number.
  • Distinguish a petition from a final decree.
  • Review later docket entries before assuming an old filing remains current.
  • Request a certified divorce decree when official proof is needed.
  • Do not republish children’s names, school information or medical information.
  • Respect sealed and restricted filings.
Complaint or petition ≠ proof. A complaint, petition, motion or allegation appearing in a court case does not establish that the allegation is true.

How to read Harris County criminal records responsibly

Term What it indicates Do not conclude
Arrest / booking Custody event That a conviction occurred
Charge Criminal accusation That the charge was proved
Filed case Court proceeding opened That guilt was established
Plea Formal response to charge That this alone shows the complete outcome
Dismissal Case/count dismissed as recorded That no other case/count exists
Conviction Conviction entered That every original accusation became a conviction
Sentence Court-ordered punishment That it equals current custody status

District Civil, County Civil and Justice Court are different

District Civil District Clerk
County Civil County Clerk
Small Claims Justice Court
Eviction Justice Court
Federal Civil PACER

The word civil is not enough to choose the correct Harris County portal. Identify the actual court level first.

A civil judgment does not necessarily show today’s balance

After locating a judgment, review later docket activity for:

  • satisfaction;
  • release;
  • vacatur;
  • amendment;
  • appeal;
  • settlement-related activity; and
  • other post-judgment orders.

Do not describe the original judgment amount as the current amount due unless a current official source supports that conclusion.

Harris County appeals can go to two appellate courts

First Court of Appeals

Harris County is within the jurisdiction of Houston’s First Court of Appeals.

Confirm that the appeal was actually assigned to this court before relying on its docket.

Fourteenth Court of Appeals

Address: 301 Fannin, Room 245, Houston, TX 77002

Phone: 713-274-2800

Harris County appeals can also be assigned to this court.

Trial docket vs appeal: the trial clerk maintains the trial-court record, while the assigned appellate court maintains the appellate docket. Do not assume the Harris County trial portal contains every appellate filing.

Federal cases from Harris County

Harris County is served by the Houston Division of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas.

Bob Casey United States Courthouse

Address: 515 Rusk Avenue, Houston, TX 77002

Phone: 713-250-5500

Verify current operating hours and security requirements on the official Southern District of Texas website before visiting.

How to search federal Harris County cases

  1. Confirm that the case is federal.
  2. Open PACER.
  3. Sign in or create a PACER account.
  4. Use the Southern District of Texas if the court is already known.
  5. Use PACER Case Locator if the federal court is unknown.
  6. Use the case number when available.
  7. Verify parties and federal court.
  8. Open the docket.
  9. Use date filters where useful.
  10. Review charges before opening large reports/documents.

PACER pricing verified August 30, 2026

PACER item Current information
Electronic access $0.10 per billable page
Single document Generally capped at $3.00, subject to exceptions
Audio file $2.40 per file
Current quarterly waiver Charges of $30 or less are currently waived
Scheduled January 1, 2027 change $0.12/page and $40 quarterly threshold announced
Official PACER Houston Federal Court

Bankruptcy records are federal

Bankruptcy proceedings from the Houston/Harris County area use the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Texas. Search those records through PACER rather than Harris County civil portals.

What if no Harris County court case appears?

No-result troubleshooting

  1. Wrong clerk? Check District Clerk versus County Clerk.
  2. Wrong court level? District Civil, County Civil and Justice Court are separate.
  3. Houston city ticket? Search Houston Municipal Courts.
  4. Justice Court matter? Search Harris County JP.
  5. Federal case? Search PACER.
  6. Appeal? Check the First or Fourteenth Court of Appeals.
  7. Name spelling? Use only the search variations supported by the official portal.
  8. Old case? Check the appropriate Harris County historical-record route.
  9. No case number? Use free official searches before paying for clerk-assisted research.
  10. Restricted record? Respect sealing/confidentiality restrictions.
  11. Still unresolved? Contact the office that legally maintains that type of case.

Search result, docket, image and certified record are different

Record level What it gives you Limitation
Search result Basic case identification Does not mean every filing is online
Docket / case details Case chronology and parties Does not guarantee every document image
Document image Viewable copy of a filing May be unofficial
Certified copy Clerk-certified reproduction May need further authentication for some uses

Party-role decoder

Plaintiff

The party generally bringing a civil claim. A complaint remains an allegation unless and until resolved by the court.

Defendant

The party against whom a civil claim or criminal proceeding is brought. The label does not establish liability or guilt.

Petitioner / Respondent

Common roles in family and other petition-based cases.

Decedent / Personal Representative

Common probate roles connected to an estate proceeding.

Guardian / Ward

Roles used in guardianship proceedings, which can contain sensitive information.

Appellant / Appellee

Roles used after a case moves into an appellate court.

Common docket entries

Complaint / Petition

A filing that begins or requests relief in a proceeding. It is not proof that the allegations are true.

Motion

A request asking the court to take action. It is not itself a ruling.

Order

A direction or ruling entered by the court.

Continuance

A hearing or deadline can be moved. Check newer docket activity for the latest setting.

Judgment

A formal judgment entered by the court. Later activity can include appeal, amendment, vacation or satisfaction.

Dismissal

A case, claim or charge was dismissed in the manner recorded. Check whether other claims/counts remained.

Court records vs jail, property and vital records

Need Correct source
Court case / docket / disposition Court clerk / official court system
Current custody / booking Sheriff / jail authority
Texas state prison custody Texas Department of Criminal Justice
Federal prison custody Federal Bureau of Prisons
Deed / mortgage / recorded instrument Harris County Clerk real-property records
Marriage record Harris County Clerk marriage records
Birth / death certificate Applicable vital-record authority

Restricted and sensitive court information

A public case index does not mean that every filed document is publicly downloadable.

  • Do not bypass a sealed record.
  • Do not reconstruct redacted Social Security numbers.
  • Do not reproduce bank/account details.
  • Do not unnecessarily republish children’s information.
  • Do not expose victim addresses.
  • Do not reproduce confidential medical information.
  • Do not search leaked copies to recreate an expunged or sealed record.

FCRA and background-screening limitation

Public-Court-Records.us is not a Consumer Reporting Agency and does not provide FCRA consumer reports.

This page should not be used as an employment, tenant, credit, insurance or similar eligibility-screening product.

Official sources reviewed

Verification date: August 30, 2026. Court portals, hours, copy fees and procedures can change. Recheck time-sensitive information with the appropriate official court or clerk.

Frequently asked questions

1. What is the official Harris County court records search?

There is no single portal covering every Harris County court. District civil, family and criminal cases generally use the Harris County District Clerk. County Civil and Probate records use the Harris County Clerk. Justice Court, Houston Municipal Court, appellate and federal cases use separate systems.

2. Which clerk handles Harris County criminal court records?

The Harris County District Clerk maintains district criminal records and records for County Criminal Courts at Law.

3. Where do I search Harris County divorce records?

Use the Harris County District Clerk Civil / Family search because Harris County Family District Court records are maintained by the District Clerk.

4. Where are Harris County probate cases searched?

Use the Harris County Clerk Document Search Portal and select Probate. Probate records are maintained by the County Clerk Probate Department.

5. Where do I search Harris County small claims and eviction cases?

These commonly belong to Harris County Justice Courts rather than District Court or County Civil Court. Use the official Harris County JP case services to identify the correct precinct and case.

6. Is a Houston traffic ticket searched through the District Clerk?

Not necessarily. A City of Houston citation normally uses Houston Municipal Courts. A Harris County Justice Court citation uses the Justice Court system. Identify the court shown on the citation before searching.

7. How do I get a certified Harris County court record?

First identify which office maintains the case, locate the complete cause/case number, identify the exact document and then use that clerk or court’s official certified-copy ordering process.

8. Why can’t I find an old Harris County case online?

The case may be in a different clerk’s system, may not be fully digitized, or may require historical-record research. District Clerk historical court records and County Clerk historical records use separate retrieval routes.

9. Which appellate court handles Harris County appeals?

Harris County appeals can be assigned to Houston’s First Court of Appeals or Fourteenth Court of Appeals. Verify the assigned appellate court from the trial and appellate case information.

10. Where are federal Harris County court cases searched?

Federal cases involving Harris County are generally within the Houston Division of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas and are searched electronically through PACER. Bankruptcy records also use the federal court system.

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