Court fees in Texas start at $54 for a small claims case in justice court, run about $350 for most civil suits in district court, and land between $350 and $401 for a divorce depending on whether children are involved. Those are just the filing fees. Service of process, jury demands, witness payments, and court reporter charges pile on top, and the totals shift from county to county because Texas lets each commissioners court set parts of the fee schedule.
Civil Filing Fees in District Court
A standard civil lawsuit filed in a Texas district court costs about $350 for a single plaintiff. That total stacks multiple mandatory charges set by different statutes: the clerk’s basic filing fee, a state consolidated fee, judicial support, e-filing, records management, and an indigent legal services fee, among others. Some are fixed statewide; others sit within ranges each county sets on its own.
Harris County charges $350 for a new civil suit.1Harris County District Clerk. Fee Schedule Civil and Family Dallas County matches that $350 base.2Dallas County. Civil/Family Filing Fees Cost Detail Bexar County also sets its standard civil filing fee at $350, climbing to $375 or more when a suit involves 11 or more plaintiffs.3Bexar County, TX. Fee Schedule Smaller counties fall in the same ballpark, with slight differences based on local fees the commissioners court has adopted.
Justice Court and Small Claims Fees
Small claims cases go to justice court, where filing is far cheaper. The justice of the peace collects a total filing fee of $54, set by Section 118.121 of the Texas Local Government Code.4Harris County Justice of the Peace Courts. Filing Small Claims Cases Justice courts handle disputes up to $20,000, which is why the fee is scaled to the kinds of matters they hear: unpaid debts, security deposit fights, property damage claims, and similar relatively small-dollar disagreements.
Service of process in justice court is a separate cost and depends on how the other party gets served.
Divorce and Family Law Filing Fees
A Texas divorce filing runs about $350 without children and roughly $365 to $401 with children. The extra charge in cases involving children funds domestic relations offices, which handle child support and custody services.
Harris County charges $350 for a divorce without children and $365 with children.1Harris County District Clerk. Fee Schedule Civil and Family Dallas County charges $350 without children and $401 with.2Dallas County. Civil/Family Filing Fees Cost Detail Bexar County matches Dallas: $350 without children, $401 with.3Bexar County, TX. Fee Schedule Custody modifications, paternity suits, name changes, and other family law filings generally fall in the same $350 to $401 range depending on whether children are part of the case.
These fees cover the petition. Mediation, which many Texas family courts require before trial, is not a court fee. A private mediator typically charges several hundred dollars per hour, and a full-day divorce mediation session can run into the thousands per side.
Costs Beyond the Filing Fee
The filing fee is only the first bill. Several other charges show up as a case moves forward.
Service of Process
Once you file, the other side has to be officially served. A sheriff, constable, or private process server delivers the citation, and the price varies by county because commissioners courts set the rates. Williamson County charges $80 for a citation or subpoena.5Williamson County, TX. Service Fees Randall County charges $100 for citations, subpoenas, and most standard service, and $200 for writs of execution and other complex service.6Randall County Sheriff’s Office. Civil Service Fees Across most Texas counties, basic service runs $75 to $200.
Jury Fee
A jury demand in a Texas civil case costs $10, and you have to file a written request to trigger it.7Texas Judicial Branch. District Court Civil Filing Fees The fee is set by the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure. Miss the deadline to demand a jury and you waive the right to one, so the low price is not a reason to delay.
Witness Fees
A subpoenaed witness in a Texas civil case is entitled to $10 for each day they attend court. That amount covers travel; there is no separate mileage reimbursement. The party issuing the subpoena must pay the first day’s fee when the subpoena is served.8State of Texas. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 22.001
Court Reporter Fees
If your case involves depositions or you need a transcript of a hearing, you pay a court reporter directly. Rates depend on length and the reporter, but a rough estimate is $3 to $7 per page. Rush orders and real-time transcription cost more.
Federal Court in Texas
Cases filed in federal court in Texas follow a separate fee structure set nationally by the Judicial Conference of the United States, not the county schedules above. As of 2026, filing a new civil action in a U.S. District Court costs $405, which includes a $55 administrative fee.9United States District Court Eastern District of Arkansas. Fee Schedule That applies whether you file in the Northern, Southern, Eastern, or Western District of Texas. Filing an appeal from a district court to a circuit court of appeals costs $605.10United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. Filing Fees
How to Request a Fee Waiver
If you can’t afford court costs, Texas law lets you file a “Statement of Inability to Afford Payment of Court Costs,” sometimes still called the affidavit of inability to pay. Once accepted, you can proceed without paying fees unless a judge later orders otherwise.11Texas Courts. Statement of Inability to Afford Payment of Court Costs or an Appeal Bond
The form is approved by the Supreme Court of Texas and asks for your personal information, dependents, monthly income sources, property and bank account values, debts, and monthly expenses. You either swear to it before a notary or sign under penalty of perjury.
You are more likely to qualify if one of these applies:
- You receive means-tested government benefits such as SNAP, TANF, Medicaid, CHIP, SSI, public housing or Section 8, or low-income energy assistance.11Texas Courts. Statement of Inability to Afford Payment of Court Costs or an Appeal Bond
- You are being represented free of charge by a legal aid provider funded by the Texas Access to Justice Foundation or the Legal Services Corporation, or by a nonprofit serving people at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines.
- You simply don’t have enough money to cover court costs after paying for basic necessities like rent, food, and utilities.
After you file the statement, the clerk must docket your case, issue citation, and provide the same services any other party receives. The other side or the clerk can challenge the statement, but only by filing a sworn motion with evidence that your financial information was materially false or that circumstances have changed. A judge then holds a hearing to decide whether you need to pay. A properly filed statement also preserves your right to appeal without posting a bond.
Who Pays Costs After Judgment
In Texas civil cases, the general rule is that the winning party recovers court costs from the losing party. Court costs here means filing fees, service of process fees, jury fees, and similar charges assessed by the court, not attorney’s fees, which follow different rules. The judge includes court costs in the final judgment, and the losing party becomes responsible for reimbursing them. Collecting those costs from someone who doesn’t pay voluntarily requires additional enforcement steps like a writ of execution, which itself carries a fee.
The allocation is not automatic in every situation. A judge has some discretion, and certain statutes shift costs differently in specific types of cases. As a planning matter, if you file a lawsuit and lose, expect to owe both your own costs and the other side’s court costs.
How to Pay
Most Texas courts accept cash, checks, and money orders for in-person payments at the clerk’s office. Credit and debit cards are widely accepted, though some courts add a convenience fee for card transactions. Many district and county clerks offer online payment through their e-filing systems, and because Texas requires e-filing in most courts, you’ll often pay the filing fee electronically when you submit your documents. Confirm accepted methods with the specific clerk’s office where your case is filed, particularly if you plan to pay by mail or need to arrange a payment plan.