Frequently Asked Questions

Once you have been contacted about an insufficient check, you can immediately redeem the check with two money orders or cashier’s checks: One for the amount of the check and another for the bank service fee of $30.00.

Cash payments must be made in person at the Accounting Department: (which is also the Passport and Court Registry Section):

201 Caroline, Suite. 170
Houston, Texas 77002

By order of the court, the registry may take in the following:

• Awarded funds for a minor child to be held in trust until the child reaches the age of 18, or until further order of the court.
• Funds deposited that are currently in dispute by two or more parties
• Cash bonds posted with the Civil or Family courts
• Personal property

You may contact us at (832) 927-5670 to request a letter to be mailed to you or directed to the investigator at the department of Health and Human services.

Write a brief letter notifying our office of your new address or you may fill out the "Court Registry Change of Address Form" and mail to:

Harris County District Clerk
ATTN: Court Registry
P.O. Box 4651
Houston, TX 77210-4651

You may also fax the letter to (832) 927-0133.

The registry must have a signed court order to release the funds. An order can be prepared through our office or by an attorney.

Once a complete application has been submitted to our office, we prepare the order and send it to court for the judge to sign. The usual timeframe is approximately 4-6 weeks, depending on the court's schedule.

Unclaimed funds are subject to escheatment to the state. You may claim your money from the State Comptrollers Unclaimed Property Division. Tendered money may require further court action to determine who may claim the funds. For further information and assistance, you may contact the State Comptroller’s Office: 1-800-654-3463 or email them.

Comptroller of Public Accounts
Unclaimed Property Division
Research and Correspondence section
P.O Box 12019
Austin, TX 78711-2011

A Form W-9 is a Certification of Taxpayer’s Tax Identification Number. An individual has a social security number whereas a company or other entity has an employer’s identification number. You may obtain a Form W-9 from area banking institutions, the Internal Revenue Service Office, our Website, or from our office.

A percentage of the interest is withheld in accordance with section 3406(a) of the Internal Revenue Service Code.

If reportable interest earned in the tax year is $10 or greater, 1099’s are mailed out on an annual basis on or before January 31st.

To pay online, go to www.hcdistrictclerk.com and log in using your user name and password – if you do not have one, you may create one by clicking "New User" at the top of the page. If you have forgotten your password, click on "Forgot Password" to retrieve it.

To pay in person, go to the Civil Courthouse (1st floor), Room 110. 201 Caroline, Houston, Texas, 77002.

Mail Money Order or Bank Cashier’s Check to:

Marilyn Burgess, District Clerk
Attn: Billing, PO Box 4651
Houston, TX, 77210
Attn: Accounting Department

Payments made by mail must include cause number and the top portion of the invoice.

No personal checks accepted. All other payments Cashier’s check and money orders should be made payable to: Marilyn Burgess, Harris County District Clerk.

Our office does not accept payments by phone. See "What are my payment options?" for more information.

Please supply our office with a signed copy from the court stating the Pauper’s Oath was approved/granted. Otherwise, the costs are due to our office.

Ultimately, you are being billed for court filings and activity that you filed or for costs that you were ordered responsible to pay by Court Order or Texas State Law.


Specific Case Types:

• PROTECTIVE ORDER: We show you have a court order against you for these costs.
• TRANSFER OF VENUE: The fees listed on your bill were costs associated with forwarding documents to the venue (County/Court) the case was transferred to. The fees are billed to the party who requested the documents and/or the transfer.
• SEVERANCE: The party that moved for the severance is billed the costs unless the Summary Judgment or Order of Severance states otherwise.
• PATERNITY: The bill is associated to court costs related to the Paternity case that was filed against you by the Attorney General’s Office. By order of the court (Judgment/Court Order), the judge noted that you were responsible for the court costs and our office has not received full payment to date.

These costs are ordered by the District Courts and set by Texas Law and non-payment of these fees by the due date may result in further penalties including 30% and subsequent legal action taken by the collection agency.

Our office is prioritizing the collection of due fees. Initial notice was given when the court order was signed or when service was completed – the current notice is to serve as a reminder of those fees. Per Texas Law, we have partnered with a collection agency – this notice is to provide an opportunity to reconcile the amount due prior to going to collections and incurring further penalties.

You may contact our DCO Technicians by emailing DCSA@hcdistrictclerk.com (preferred method). Please provide details regarding the difficulties you are experiencing or you may also contact them directly at 832-927-5815 .

We recognize you may be unable to make a full payment at this time. At the least, we encourage that payment be made to lower the balance due which will decrease the amount of penalty incurred at the time it is deemed collectible. Please note, this will not halt - collection activity on your outstanding balance.

We are unable to extend the due date; however, we encourage that payment be made to lower the balance due which will decrease the amount of penalty incurred at the time it is deemed collectible. Please note, this will not halt - collection activity on your outstanding balance.

Mail a copy of the death certificate:

Once received, we will notate the billing record and reference the document in the case file. If you have any other questions regarding the amount due, please contact your attorney.

Civil pleadings can be filed with Civil Intake on the first floor of the Civil Courthouse located at 201 Caroline Street. Civil Intake office hours are 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Pleadings filed after hours may also be filed via the drop box located on the outside of the Civil Courthouse.
Pleadings may also be filed electronically via efiletexas.gov.

All hearings/appointments/correspondence with the Judge must be properly noticed with the court and with the opposing party(s). Please contact the court directly for their procedures on how to set a motion or a status conference for hearing.

Cases are typically set for trial automatically after an answer has been filed. If an answer has been filed and you have not yet been set for trial, please contact the Trial Coordinator for the court. Contact information for all of the court staff can be found at justex.net.

June, July and August are summer designations. All other months (September-May) are non-summer designations. Any days at the beginning of June that fall in the last week of May are also non-summer days. This last week of May is counted fully as a week in May.

For civil cases, please file a motion/order with the Ancillary Clerk either in person at 201 Caroline, 2nd Floor, Room 208 or by mail: Harris County District Clerk, PO Box 4651, Houston, TX 77210 Attn: Ancillary Clerk. For Family cases, please file a motion/order in each court in which the attorney has been set for trial.

The Civil Courts are located at 201 Caroline Street, Houston TX 77002. Please, see the online directory for specific court information, or stop by the information booth on the first floor of 201 Caroline Street.

Please use the Search Records & Documents option located on our website. Once you have searched the case by using the case number or by using the name search, select the service tab to obtain the served date, if it is available.

All service and fee documents are handled by Civil Intake. You can contact Civil Intake at Civil.Intake@hcdistrictclerk.com or by calling 832-927-5600. Civil Intake’s office hours are 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday – Friday.

In order to withdraw funds from the court registry you will need to contact the Court Registry department by emailing them at court.registry@hcdistrictlcerk.com or by calling them at 832-927-5670.

Meeting information for all virtual hearings is published on the court’s website, justex.net. Please visit the website and click on your court in order to access the meeting information.

Yes, all civil cases are public record unless they are sealed, filed as Sensitive Data or are deemed confidential for any reason. You can search for any case by going to our website and clicking on Online Services/ Search Our Records and Documents.

We are unable to delete a document if it is file marked. If something is filed incorrectly, please contact the clerk of the court to have the issue resolved.

Civil Intake handles all fee filings and will be able to assist you in this process. You can contact Civil Intake by emailing them at civil.intake@hcdistrictclerk.com or by calling them at 832-927-5600. Civil Intake’s office hours are 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday – Friday.

It typically takes 1-2 business days once received for a document to be processed and imaged. If more than a few days have passed since the filing was received by the District Clerk and you do not see it online, please contact the clerk of the court for assistance.

Typically orders can take 1-3 days before they are available online. If after a few days have passed and you do not see the order on the website, please contact the clerk of the court for assistance.

We are only able to list one attorney of record per party. Therefore, notice will only be sent to the attorney listed as lead counsel. One of the services that may be helpful is our docket notification service. You can utilize this service by signing in on the Search Records and Documents webpage on the District Clerk’s website and selecting the “Notifications” tab. This allows an attorney(s) to receive various types of notifications and docket alerts directly from our office by choosing the case numbers and specific notifications to receive.

You are welcome to mail your answer in to 201 Caroline St. Houston, TX 77002, file in person at 201 Caroline St., or file electronically via efiletexas.gov.

For employment opportunities please refer to our Employment Opportunities page at www.hcdistrictclerk.com.

Attorneys are mandated to efile their documents at www.efiletexas.gov

Yes. Public computers are located at 201 Caroline, Houston TX 77002 in Room #110 and Room #210.

Yes. You may obtain case information by calling (832) 927-5800. Also, information is available when you register on www.hcdistrictclerk.com. After registering, click on the drop down for ONLINE SERVICES/then select Search Our Records And Documents, enter the appropriate information needed to perform search.

Our fee schedule is located on www.hcdistrictclerk.com. Click on the dropdown for CIVIL/then select Civil Fee Schedules.

The District Clerk’s Office cannot dispense legal advice or carry forms to file a case (cause) in the Civil District Courts.

Surety bonds are released at 201 Caroline, Houston, TX 77002, Room 110.
Cash bonds are released at 201 Caroline, Houston, TX 77002, Room 170.

• Online at www.hcdistrictclerk.com
• In person at 201 Caroline, Houston, TX 77002, Room 110 for Civil matters or Room 210 for Family matters
• In Person at the Records Center at 5900 Canal Street, Houston, TX 77011

You can check your Court Cost balance on the Payment Plan tab under your case details.

Yes, contact the Collections Department at (832)927-5920 to speak to a Collection Clerk. Our clerk will update the arrangement for the payment.

No, however you can make a payment online towards your court fees on the Payment Plan tab under your case details.

Yes, as long as they provide your name and case number.

Yes, online or in person. If in-person, the cardholder must be present with a valid ID.

Yes - the District Clerk will always have a record of the action taken on your case (cause), even in instances of deferred adjudication. Article 42.12, section 5 (f), Code of Criminal Procedure specifically states that a record in the custody of the District Clerk regarding a case (cause) in which a person is granted deferred adjudication is not confidential.

Unfortunately, our office is unable to provide legal advice regarding non-disclosure for deferred adjudication. The Texas Judicial System's website provides information and forms to non-disclosure for deferred adjudication.

Filing Fee: Beginning January 1, 2018, filing a Petition for Non-Disclosure of Deferred Adjudication is $305.00 if filed in the County courts. There is a $315.00 filing fee if filed in the District courts (521.242 Transportation Code and 133.154 Local Government Code).

Yes - Article 55.01 (d), Code of Criminal Procedure explains your entitlement when an arrested person has falsely used your information during an arrest. Article 55.02, Code of Criminal Procedure explains the procedure for expunction of records. Refer to the District Attorney's Misidentification Victim information services. You should not consider this legal advice. You should contact an attorney to advise you of your legal rights.

If you have been a victim of a criminal offense, you should contact the nearest local law enforcement agency to conduct the investigation and file the appropriate criminal charges through the District Attorney's Office.

You can get information from the District Attorney's Web site at District Attorney's website, or from the JIMS Offense Inquiry Screen.

Since we are unable to provide legal assistance, you should review the Code of Criminal Procedure Chapter 55 relating to expunctions or seek counsel from a licensed attorney.

Customers with a specific case (cause) number may call (713) 755-7812 to obtain summary information about that particular case (cause) at no charge. For criminal information select appropriate the option.

The Criminal Customer Service Section is located inside of the Civil Intake Department at Windows 1, 2, 3, and 4 on the first floor, Suite 110 of the Civil Courthouse, 201 Caroline, to assist walk-in customers during regular business hours with criminal record searches, certificates of record search and disposition, viewing of case (cause) files, obtaining copies of documents, and filing documents. The fee for a certificate of record search is $6.00. The fee to obtain copies of documents is $1.00 per page, whether certified or not.

The drop box we had at 201 Caroline, on the left side of the Civil Courthouse, has been moved to the first floor of the Criminal Justice Center.

The Appeal Section is located at 201 Caroline, Suite 250 for the public, and at 5900 Canal for attorneys and court reporters. Personnel in this section will assist customers with questions concerning cases (causes) on appeal. This is also where attorneys of record check out and check in appellate records. The contact number is (713) 755-7812. Customers may also file appeal documents or request copies from appeal cases (causes) in this section.

The Appeal Section also processes Post Conviction Writ of Habeas Corpus. The application for a Post Conviction Writ of Habeas Corpus must be filed on the proper form, which the applicant may obtain online at the Court of Criminal Appeals.

Cash bond deposits are refunded to the depositor if the defendant has successfully complied with all conditions of the bond and the criminal case (cause) is concluded. There fund order is prepared and signed by the judge, then forwarded to the County Auditor's Office. When that process is complete, the County Treasurer will mail the refund check to the depositor at the address noted on the cash bond. Any change of address should be completed prior to the conclusion of the criminal case (cause).

Petition for an occupational driver’s license may be filed in the in the Criminal Customer Service Section located inside of the Civil Intake Department at Windows 1, 2, 3, and 4 on the first floor, Suite 110 of the Civil Courthouse, 201 Caroline. Filing Fee: Beginning January 1, 2018, filing an occupational driver’s license cost are $282.00 if filed in the County courts and $287.00 if filed in the District courts (521.242 Transportation Code and 133.154 Local Government Code).

Customers with only a name and date of birth may call (713) 755-7812 to obtain a criminal record search. A fee of $5.00 is charged for this service. An additional fee of $1.00 is charged for written confirmation or a certificate of the search. All major credit cards are accepted for this transaction.

The Department of Public Safety will be able to provide you more information on this topic. Click on query to obtain information on sex offenders.

Please refer to the Harris County District Attorney's Office for assistance regarding your concern. If you would like more information regarding this topic, you may contact the Check Fraud Division by calling 713-755-7883.

Please visit the Harris County Sheriff's Office Web site. Particularly, you will find the information you are looking for under Inmate Information.

A government agency may obtain the most efficient service by faxing a request on the agency's official letterhead, to (713) 368-3946. If not already displayed on your letterhead, please include a return mailing address and contact person to address returned service. Also, please let us know if your needs require a mailed certified copy or whether a faxed copy is sufficient. You may also obtain this information through our Correspondence Department by writing on your official letterhead to Criminal Correspondence Section, P.O. Box 4651, Houston, Texas 77210-4651, to the attention of Criminal Correspondence. In fulfilling all requests, please include the defendant's name(s), case (cause) number(s) and item(s) you are want returned. (e.g.case (cause) #1234567 - Certified Copy of Judgment and Sentence).

The Appeal Section is located at 1301 Franklin, Suite 100 for pending appeal cases, and at 5900 Canal for disposed appeal cases. Personnel in these sections will assist customers with questions concerning cases (causes) on appeal. This is also where attorneys of record, check out and check in appellate records. The contact number is (832) 927-5945

A Post Conviction Writ of Habeas Corpus (11.07 and 11.071) can be filed at 1301 Franklin, Suite 100 for all prose filers, all attorneys must E-file their applications. The application for a Post Conviction Writ of Habeas Corpus must be filed on the proper form, which the applicant may obtain online at the Court of Criminal Appeals.

Cash bond deposits are refunded to the depositor if the defendant has successfully complied with all conditions of the bond and the criminal case (cause) is concluded. There fund order is prepared and signed by the judge, then forwarded to the County Auditor's Office. When that process is complete, the County Treasurer will mail the refund check to the depositor at the address noted on the cash bond. Any change of address should be completed prior to the conclusion of the criminal case (cause).

The Courts are open Monday through Friday 8:00AM to 5:00 P.M.

Docket call times varies by Court. Please call or email the individual court that your case is assigned. All Courts information are located on the main website www.hcdistrictclerk.com or www.justex.net.

Depending on the court, hearing dates can be scheduled via www.hcdistrictclerk.com, www.justex.net, calling or emailing the Court Clerk after you file your petition or motions. The courts’ information, phone numbers and email address, can be found on the website www.hcdistrictclerk.com.

Please visit the court website at www.justex.net to view each courts procedures.

Unfortunately, our office cannot assist you with the preparation of your documents. However, you can obtain the full package of documents required to file a Protective Order at www.texaslawhelp.org. After completely filing out your documents, you may mail it or drop it off in our 24-hour drop box located at 201 Caroline, Houston, TX 77002.

Unfortunately, the Harris County District Clerk’s Office does not provide Legal Forms for filings. You may obtain free legal forms by visiting the following self-help websites: www.texaslawhelp.org or www.texascourthelp.org.

There are 3 options available to file your case information:

• E-File: efiletexas.gov (for tech. support: 1.855.839.3453)
• Mail: The Harris County District Clerk, Marilyn Burgess
  P.O. Box 4651
  Houston, Texas 77210
• Drop off box, located at The Harris County Civil Courthouse, 201 Caroline, 77002 (available after hours located outside, east side of the building) Please DO NOT deposit cash.

Attorneys are required to e-file all documents

Filing fees vary depending on the type of action. Please refer to the fee schedule on www.hcdistrictclerk.com under the Family Tab, click Family Fee Schedule, and view pages 10-18.

You may obtain case information by visiting our website, www.hcdistrictclerk.com. To obtain an accurate civil records search important information is required i.e. Name of party, year filed, is party the plaintiff or defendant in the case (cause), case type etc.
You may also contact (832) 927-5800 for a record search.

You may obtain a copy online by visiting our website at www.hcdistrictclerk.com. If this is your first time on the website you will need to create an account. Once you have created an account please Click Online Services, then select Search Our Records. You may search for your case by your case number. If you don’t know your case number search for your case by your name. Enter your name in the plaintiff field if you filed the case. If the case was filed against you enter your name in the defendant field. Click on the party names to open the case file. Hit the images tab to view documents in your case. View document by clicking the image number. Add the document that you want a copy of to the basket. Click purchase order to proceed to check out. Hit Purchase. Enter Information and continue to check out as a typical online purchase.

Name Change Certificates is ONLY provided in Divorce Cases. There is a $10 filing fee. Please contact our office at 832-927-5700 to schedule an appointment. If you filed a Name Change case you may purchase copies of the Signed Order Granting Name Change.

You will need to file the appropriate documents into an existing family case to ask the Judge for a Temporary Restraining Order.

The room is located at:

Harris County Civil Courthouse
201 Caroline, Suite 200
Houston, Texas 77002

The room is open by appointment only. Please, call (832) 927-5860 for appointments.

Civil Judicial Court and Criminal Court records in the form of Indexes, court minutes, court executions, court fee dockets, court cost bills, accounting books, civil and criminal case (cause) files dating from 1837 to 1951, declaration of intent, oaths of allegiance and Naturalization records ranging from 1837 to 1913.

This information can be obtained by using the “Search our Records” option on our homepage (www.hcdistrictclerk.com). You will need the case (cause) number if available, the name(s) of the parties involved, and date of birth (for criminal type cases only) to conduct a search. If further assistance is needed you may require an in-depth search of our record archives that may be obtained through our “Purchase Copies” option found under the Online Services tab on our homepage. This type of request does require a $5.00 fee.

You may request any and/or all pages of the historical document.

Government and law enforcement agencies may obtain copies of most court documents by using our e-Gov online portal.

All applicants must apply for any District Clerk position via the internet or the Intranet at www.hcdistrictclerk.com.

There is no limit to the number of positions that an applicant may apply for.

Once your application has been received by our office and if you have met the qualifications for the position that you applied for, your application will be forwarded to management for review. If management would like to interview you, Human Resources will contact you to come in to the office to complete testing and the interview. If you have previously tested and your scores are current, you will be contacted with an interview time.

You will only be contacted for an interview if the management team requests one.

The applicants are able to retest after 6 months from the date of the last test.

There is no specified time limit that must be met before applying for other positions. It is based on the requirements of each particular job posting.

You would log in to STARS at https://hcmprod.erp.hctx.net/psp/ps/?cmd=login using your employee ID and password and click on the payroll tile.

The Supervisor can request a badge on the employee’s first day by completing the badge access request form found on the Intranet.

The United States Constitution and the Texas Constitution guarantee all people, regardless of race, religion, sex, national origin, or economic status, the right to trial by an impartial jury. Justice ultimately depends to a large measure upon the quality of the jurors who serve in our courts.

As a juror, you must be fair and impartial. Your actions and decisions must be free of any bias or prejudice. Your actions and decisions are the foundation of our judicial system.

You were selected at random from the Harris County Voter Registration list and the Texas Department of Public Safety list of drivers or ID card holders living in Harris County.

Jurors will receive $30 for the first day of service and $58 per day after the first day . Jurors serving more than one day of jury service will be compensated at a rate calculated by the State Comptroller based upon available state funding.

Your employer is not required to pay you while on jury duty; however, employers are prohibited by law from firing an employee for serving as a juror.

Any person charged with a criminal offense or any party to a civil case (cause) has a right to a jury trial. All parties are equal before the law and each is entitled to the same fair treatment.

Yes. The Texas Supreme Court has rules to assist you in your conduct as a juror, which will be given to you by the judge.

Cases (Causes) will usually be heard by juries of 6 or 12. The larger group, called a panel, will be sent to the trial court (courtroom) where the jurors will be questioned under the supervision of the judge. A juror may be excused from the panel if it is shown that the juror cannot act impartially concerning the case (cause) to be heard. In addition, each side is allowed to remove a given number of jurors from the panel without having to show any reason. The trial jury will be the first 6 or 12 of the remaining persons on the panel.

It is a way for the parties to select a fair and impartial jury. Under the justice system, you may be questioned by each of the lawyers before they decide to remove a certain number of persons from the jury panel.

For example, the lawyer may ask you questions to see if you are connected to the trial or if you have any prejudice or bias toward anyone in the trial. These questions are not intended to embarrass you, but rather to help the lawyers in the jury selection process. You may ask the judge to allow you to answer some questions away from the other persons on the panel.

After you have been selected as a juror on a trial panel, if you have a special need or an emergency, tell the bailiff.

Please write the word “Deceased” on the summons and mail or fax it back. You must mail the summons to: Marilyn Burgess, District Clerk (Jury Assembly Room) 1201 Congress St. Houston TX 77002. If you fax it, send it to: (832) 927-0132.

You may claim a medical exemption if you have a severe physical or mental condition that makes it impossible for you to serve as a juror, even with reasonable accommodation. To claim a medical exemption, you must present a copy of this form signed by a physician.

Copies can be purchased from our Juvenile Intake department at 1200 Congress, 6th floor (Suite 6015) Houston TX 77002 with a valid identification. The cost to purchase a document is $1.00 per page for certified and $.10 cents per page for uncertified copies. Our website is www.hcdistrictclerk.com.

You can file Delinquency documents either in person or by mail.

Because of the confidentiality of delinquency records, we are not allowed to give out any information over the phone.

The address is: 2525 Murworth Dr., Houston TX 77054. The phone number is: (713) 394-4000.

The address is 1019 Congress St. Houston TX 77002. The phone number is: (713) 755-5101.

Address is 500 Jefferson St. Ste. 600, Houston Texas 77002, phone number 713-274-5800.

Request the PIN by sending an email to: DCSA@hcdistrictclerk.com.

An order to seal records would have to be presented for the court to sign sealing the delinquency case.

A passport is a license to travel outside of the United States into or through other countries. It is our government's assurance to other governments that the bearer is a citizen or a national of the United States and may be extended the usual courtesies and assistance afforded international travelers in accordance with international law and practices as well as reciprocal privileges usually embodied in formal agreements. Passports are issued by the Secretary of State.

• Anyone who has family living abroad including parents and spouses of U.S. military personnel
• Business or technical support personnel whose jobs require foreign travel
• Students and faculty members who are in an academic program that requires foreign study
• Athletes who participate in athletic programs with a likelihood of overseas competition
• Anyone planning vacation or holiday travel within one year
• Travel industry personnel
• Entertainers and other artists

If one of the above pertains to you, it would be to your advantage to apply for a passport, regardless of whether or not you have immediate travel plans.

To apply for a passport, you will need to provide:

Adults

• Completed DS-11 Form
  • Must be legible and fully completed in black ink to avoid delays
  • Do not sign the Form. This must be done after we have administered the prescribed oath during while submitting your application.
• Proof of United States citizenship
  • An original or certified copy of your birth certificate
  • A prior adult U.S. passport book or card (10 year validity)
  • A consular report of birth abroad of a U.S. Citizen
  • A naturalization certificate
• Proof of your identity
  • Texas driver's license or identification card
  • Military I.D. card
  • Out-of-state driver's license or identification card (If your I.D. is out-of-state, you must also bring a secondary form of I.D. such as a social security card, bank card, concealed handgun license, etc.)
• Does my I.D. Have to be in my Current Name?
  • Your I.D. Does not have to be in your current name if your name change occurred within one year of the date you submitted your passport application.
  • Your I.D. can be either in your current or previous name, as long as you submit a court order documenting your name change to the current.
  • If your name change occurred more than one year prior to your application, you must obtain an I.D. in your new name before a passport may be issued.
• Acceptable Documentation
  If the name you are currently using is different from the name on your most recent U.S. passport, you must provide a certified copy of the legal name change document such as:
  
  • Marriage Certificate
  • Divorce Decree
  • Court-Ordered name change document
  For more questions, please see the State Department's Passport FAQ.
• Recent color passport photograph (within six months from applying for passport)
• Fees (please see HOW MUCH DOES A PASSPORT COST? section below)

Children

For minors under age 16, both parents or the child's legal guardian(s) must appear and you will need to provide:

• Completed DS-11 Form
  • Must be legible and fully completed in black ink to avoid delays)
  • Do not sign the Form. This must be done after we have administered the prescribed oath while submitting your application.
• Proof of the minor's U.S. citizenship
  • An original or a certified copy of your birth certificate
  • A consular report of birth abroad of a U.S. citizen
  • A naturalization certificate
• Proof of the minor's relationship to parents/guardian(s)
  • An original or a certified copy of minor’s birth certificate
  • A consular report of birth abroad of a U.S. citizen
• Parental/guardian identification
  • Texas driver's license or identification card
  • Military I.D. card
  • Out-of-state driver’s license or identification card (If your I.D. is out-of-state, you must also bring a secondary form of I.D. such as a social security card, bank card, concealed handgun license, etc.)
• Recent color photograph (within six months from applying for passport)
• Fees (please see HOW MUCH DOES A PASSPORT COST? section below)

If only one parent appears, you must also submit one of the following:

• Second parent's notarized form DS-3053 (statement of consent or special circumstances). It cannot be more than 3 months old and must come with a notarized photocopy of the front and back side of the second parent’s identification, OR
• Second parent's death certificate if second parent is deceased, OR
• Primary evidence of sole authority to apply
  • A certified copy of the final divorce decree or order for parent-child relationship stating you have sole managing conservatorship or you have the sole authority to apply for the minor’s passport without the other parent present, OR
• Notarized form DS-3053 explaining in detail the second parent's unavailability.

Each minor child applying for a passport book and/or passport card must appear in person.

Photo
You will need to provide a passport-sized photograph. If you are unable to bring photographs with you, the District Clerk's Office will take the photos for you at a fee of $12.00. Photographs should be 2 x 2 inches in size. The image size measured from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head (including hair) should be not less than 1 inch or more than 1-3/8 inches.

Pose
Photographs should be portrait-type prints within 6-months of applying for your U.S. Passport. They must be clear, front view, full face, with a plain, light (white or off-white) background. Photographs which depict the applicant as relaxed and smiling are encouraged.

Attire
Photographs should be taken in street or travel attire without hat or other headgear which obscures the hair or hairline, unless the headgear is part of religious attire which is worn daily. Uniforms of any type should not be in passport photographs with the exception of religious attire worn daily. If a hearing device, wig, or similar articles are normally and consistently worn, they should be worn when the photograph is taken.

Passport Fees
The passport fee must be paid in a money order/cashier’s check or personal check because it is sent with the application to National Passports for processing/issuance and must be made payable to the U.S. Department of State. Each application submitted must be accompanied by its individual passport fees (one payment per application submitted). For passports, an applicant is considered an adult at 16 years old, while 15 years and under are considered minors. Please keep in mind, service begins the day National Passports receives the application for processing. If you would like to use expedited service, an additional fee of $60.00 must be included in the money order/cashier's check or personal check. An optional overnight delivery fee of $18.32 can be added to expedited service to shave off the mailing time once the passport book has been issued. The overnight delivery fee is not available for passport cards.

Execution Fee and Photo Fees:
A $35.00 execution fee is charged to accept each application. If you would like for us to take your passport photograph a $12.00 photo fee will apply. These fees must be paid in cash, money order, cashier’s check or by credit card. Sorry, no personal checks. Execution fee and photo fee may be combined in your payment per applicant.

Please refer to the table below for a summary of the above information if needed:

The passport book can be used for any mode of international travel: air, land, and all sea travel. The passport card can only be used for land and sea travel to Mexico, Canada, the Caribbean and Bermuda.

Find this information on the U.S. Department of State website: www.travel.state.gov. As for the visit, upon arrival the actual application process normally takes 10-15 minutes per applicant. Any travel booked before the 3-week mark, you must contact the National Passport Information Center (NPIC) at (877) 487-2778 (TDD: 1-888-874-7793) to make an appointment with the nearest regional passport facility. In this case, it will be the Houston Passport Facility located at 1919 Smith St.

After applications have been processed by our office, status of receiving your passport must be obtained by the U.S. Department of State:

• Online: Check the status of your application online by clicking here or visiting www.travel.state.gov.
• Telephone: 1-877-487-2778 TDD/TTY: 1-888-874-7793
  • Automated Passport Information is available 24 hours, 7 days a week.
  • Speak with a representative Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., EST, excluding federal holidays.
• E-mail: NPIC@state.gov
  • Most e-mail inquiries are answered within 24 hours.

The District Clerk's Passport Application Acceptance Facility is located in Suite 170 on the 1st floor of the Civil Courthouse, 201 Caroline St. Houston, Texas 77002 (on the right hand side of the floor located next to the escalators after passing through courthouse lobby security). By appointment only, hours of operation are Monday – Friday, 8:00am – 3:30pm, excluding County Holidays. You may also contact us at (832) 927-5690 and ask to speak with a passport acceptance agent. You may also email us at Passport Services. If you are unsure about any of the information presented above or require additional information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Further details and information related to U.S. Passport applications and regulations may be obtained by visiting: http://www.travel.state.gov

No. Per Travel.State.Gov, U.S. Department of State - Burea of Consular Affairs:

You can renew by mail using DS-82 if your most recent passport meets all five of these requirements:

If any of the above statements do not apply to you, you must apply in person using form DS-11.

In order to secure our documents, we password-protect all files. The password to unlock your documents is the same password you use to sign-on to www.hcdistrictclerk.com. If you have changed your www.hcdistrictclerk.com password and it has been a few days since you have downloaded the document, then the password will be the same password you used to log in to our website (www.hcdistrictclerk.com) the same day you downloaded the document. NOTE: If you enter the wrong password, some ZIP programs will not allow you to re-enter a password unless you close the ZIP program and re-open it. If you are still having problems, please contact us by calling (832) 927-5815 or sending an email to: dcsa@hcdistrictclerk.com.

Please be advised that in order to open up the PDF file that you downloaded, you will need to install Acrobat PDF reader. You can get this program by going to the Adobe website and downloading it at www.adobe.com.

Yes. Our website only accepts credit cards when you are requesting a document online.

You may choose mail, fax (local numbers only), email, or the download method for delivery of purchased documents.

After searching for a document, our website will allow you to preview any listed document by clicking on the image number link.

Adobe Acrobat Reader is a free program that allows users to view and print documents in a widely supported document format. Adobe Acrobat Reader can be downloaded for free at www.adobe.com.

In order to serve our customers in a fast and efficient manner, our documents are compressed into a .zip format to allow for quicker download times. In order to uncompress these files, you will need a ZIP compression/de-compression program. There are several ZIP compression/de-compression programs available for download at sites such as: http://download.cnet.com. Many of these programs are free. Please visit the site listed above or use a search engine to locate a copy of a compression/de-compression program that supports .zip format.

First, make sure you have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed. If you do, there might be a problem with the browser installation. To obtain technical support from Microsoft, go to: http://support.microsoft.com.

In order to secure our documents, we password-protect all files. To unlock these files, use the password you use to log in to our website.

NOTE: If you enter the wrong password, some ZIP programs will not allow you to re-enter a password unless you close the ZIP program and re-open it.

Family documents are only available to the parties in a given lawsuit at this time.

Monday through Friday from 8 am to 5 pm.

The Texas Attorney General establishes and enforces child support orders on behalf of the State of Texas. In most cases, the Attorney General is involved in cases where a person has received some form of public assistance, such as AFDC, TANF or Medicaid. The A.G. may use administrative collection methods such as writs of withholding and IRS intercepts, and may also review and adjust child support orders to comply with the Texas Family Code guidelines. The A.G. does not represent individuals. When a person applies with the Attorney General for assistance, they must assign their child support rights to them.

Case/Cause numbers can be found on the paperwork you were given/served, by registering online on the District Clerk’s website (www.hcdistrictclerk.com), or by calling our customer service section at: (832) 927-5800.

Docket call may vary by court, check with the court you have been assigned for the docket call time. (Note: Customers can also check in with staff from the Office of the Attorney General in the lobby of the Family Law Center building). Customers can also register on our website at www.hcdistrictclerk.com and click on the “Search our Records and Documents” icon. The search can be done by parties names or the case number.

In order to reschedule a court date, you must appear on the date of your hearing. Court staff is unable to reschedule any hearing date prior to the date assigned.

The mailing address for the Child Support Disbursement Unit is: Office of the Texas Attorney General / Child Support Disbursement Unit P.O. Box 659791, San Antonio, TX 78265-9791. There is a child support payment kiosk located on the first floor of the Civil Courthouse at 201 Caroline St. Houston TX 77002. There is another child support payment kiosk in the basement of the Family Law Center, located at 1115 Congress St. Houston TX 77002. You can also make payments online on the Child Support Interactive Portal on the website for the Office of the Texas Attorney General.

You can get copies of orders by calling (832) 927-5700 or from our Family Intake section, located on the second floor of the Civil Courthouse at 201 Caroline St. Houston TX 77002.

To receive information regarding the last payment or to obtain a copy of your payment history, contact the State Disbursement Unit at 1-800-252-8014. You may also visit the website for the Office of the Texas Attorney General to inquire about the same or visit one of their locations. If you are inquiring on a case prior to 2004, complete the payment history request form located on our website at www.hcdistrictclerk.com. Then, send it by it to P.O. Box 4651, Houston, TX 77210, fax it to (832) 927-0135, or email it to childsupport@hcdistrictclerk.com.

For an outline of website features for the Public, please click here.
For an outline of website features for Attorneys, please click here.
For an outline of website features for Bondsman, please click here.

For instructions on accessing a case, please click here.

For an outline of e-subpoena features, please click here.

For instructions on signing up for a case / docket notification for attorneys, please click here.
For instructions on signing up for case subscriptions for attorneys, please click here.
For instructions on signing up for party / client notification for attorneys, please click here.

For an outline on eHearing features for attorneys, please click here.

For an outline on eIssuance features, please click here.

For information regarding the attorney kiosk, please see our Kiosk User's Guide.

For an outline of website features for the Public, please click here.
For an outline of website features for Attorneys, please click here.

Passwords are case sensitive; make sure the caps lock is off on your keyboard. If you are still unable to sign-on to the website, please contact us by calling (832) 927-5815 or sending an email to: dcsa@hcdistrictclerk.com.

Please check the version of your browser. Our site works best with versions of Internet Explorer 6.0 and higher, Mozilla Firefox 1.5 and higher, Opera 9.0 and higher or Apple Safari 2.0 and higher. If you are using one of these browsers and is still getting the same error message, please contact us by calling (832) 927-5815 or sending an email to: dcsa@hcdistrictclerk.com.

Our website is best viewed with Internet Explorer at 1024 by 768 resolution. We recommend Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 and Chrome. If you are using AOL, we recommend that you minimize your browser and open up Internet Explorer to enter the site. If you are still having problems, please contact us by calling (832) 927-5815 or sending an email to: dcsa@hcdistrictclerk.com

Yes. For security reasons, after 30 minutes of inactivity, your session will expire and you will be returned to the homepage.

For security reasons, after 30 minutes of inactivity, your session will expire and you will be returned to the log in page.

Accounts that have not been used in over six months and have never placed an order will be removed from the system.