The fastest way to find a case number in Texas is through reSearchTX, the state judiciary’s free online portal that now covers all 254 counties. If that does not turn up what you need, the next steps are the county or district clerk’s own online search and, failing that, a phone call or visit to the clerk’s office. Texas treats court records as public information under Government Code Chapter 552, so you have the right to look up nearly any case without explaining why.1Office of the Texas Secretary of State. Open Records Policy
One quick note on vocabulary: Texas courts call their case identifiers cause numbers rather than case numbers. If a search box asks for a cause number, that is the same thing you are looking for. Formats vary by county — one clerk might assign “2025-CI-12345,” another “DC-25-0987” — but every trial-level number generally includes the filing year and a sequential number.
What to Have Ready Before You Search
A few details will save you a lot of scrolling. The most important is the full legal name of one of the parties. Common names return hundreds of hits, so a middle name or an approximate filing date helps narrow things down fast.
The county matters just as much. A case filed in Harris County will not appear in a Dallas County clerk search. If you are not sure which county, start with reSearchTX and let it search all of them at once.
It also helps to know roughly which level of court handled the matter, because district clerks and county clerks keep separate records:
- District courts handle felonies, divorces, land title disputes, and civil lawsuits where the amount at stake is $200 or more.
- County courts at law handle misdemeanors and mid-range civil disputes.
- Justice courts handle civil matters up to $20,000 and eviction cases.2Harris County Justice Courts. Justice Court Suits
In smaller counties, one person may serve as both district and county clerk. In larger counties like Harris or Bexar, they are separate offices with separate websites. Starting at the wrong one is a common reason people come up empty.
Search reSearchTX First
reSearchTX is run by the Texas Office of Court Administration and is the single best starting point. The Texas Supreme Court required every district and county court to integrate with the system by November 2025, which finally makes it a genuinely statewide search.3re:SearchTX. Frequently Asked Questions
Creating a free account takes a few minutes. You can search by party name, case number, attorney, judge, or case description.4re:SearchTX. Search All Counties Guest browsing works but is limited. Results show matching cause numbers, filing dates, court assignments, and case statuses. Click a result and you get the docket sheet and a list of filed documents.
What the Free Account Covers
A free basic account lets you search all 254 counties, preview the first page of any document, and set up to 15 case alerts. For most people who just need to find a cause number and check a case status, that is enough.
Document Fees
If you want to download a full document, the Texas Legislature set the fee at $1.00 for any document up to 10 pages, plus $0.10 for each additional page. An 11-page document costs $1.10. Attorneys of record and parties to the case can access their own case documents for free.3re:SearchTX. Frequently Asked Questions
Paid tiers exist for heavy users. The Premium plan runs $8 per month or $100 per year and adds unlimited case alerts and saved search folders.5re:SearchTX. Pricing For a one-off cause number lookup, the free tier is plenty.
County and District Clerk Portals
Large counties like Harris, Dallas, Tarrant, and Bexar maintain their own online record systems. These pull directly from the local case management software, so a document filed an hour ago may appear on the county site before it reaches reSearchTX.
To find the right portal, search for “[county name] district clerk records search” or “[county name] county clerk case search.” You will land on a page where you enter a party name, date range, or cause number. Pick the right court type before you search: district clerk sites handle felony and district-level civil cases, while county clerk sites handle county court at law cases, including misdemeanors.
Results on local portals typically show the cause number, assigned court, judge, and case status. Many also display the full register of actions — every filing and ruling in chronological order — so you may not need to visit the courthouse at all. If a county does not appear to have its own portal, it probably relies on reSearchTX as its public-facing system.
Call or Visit the Clerk’s Office
When the online tools come up short, the clerk’s office is the fallback. This happens more often than you might expect with older cases filed before electronic record-keeping, cases in smaller counties that were slow to digitize, or situations where you have thin identifying information and need a person to help narrow it down.
You can call during business hours, walk in, or mail a written request. Give the clerk whatever you have: party names, an approximate date, the type of case. Deputy clerks can search internal systems that sometimes hold records not yet visible online.
Looking up a cause number over the counter or by phone is free. Fees start when you want copies. Texas Local Government Code Section 118.011 sets the schedule at $1.00 per page for both certified and non-certified paper copies, plus a $5.00 fee for the clerk’s certification stamp on certified documents.6State of Texas. Texas Local Government Code 118.011 – Fee Schedule Electronic copies of electronic documents follow the reSearchTX pricing.
Written requests fall under the Texas Public Information Act. If the office needs more than 10 business days to produce records, it must notify you in writing with a date when the records will be available.7Office of the Attorney General. Overview of the Public Information Act For a simple cause number lookup by phone, you are usually off the line in a few minutes.
Federal Cases Are Not in State Systems
None of the tools above will help if the case was filed in federal court. Texas has four U.S. District Courts: the Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western Districts.8PACER. Court CM/ECF Lookup Federal matters include bankruptcy filings, federal criminal charges, civil rights lawsuits, and disputes involving federal law.
The federal equivalent is PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records). The PACER Case Locator searches every federal court nationwide by party name and is updated nightly.9PACER. PACER Case Locator Registration is free.10PACER. Register for an Account PACER charges $0.10 per page to view case information, capped at $3.00 per document, and if quarterly usage stays at $30 or less the fees are waived — enough headroom to track down a case number without paying anything. For the most current filing data on a specific case, log into that court’s CM/ECF system directly; the Case Locator runs about 24 hours behind.
Records You Probably Will Not Find
Not every Texas case is searchable. Juvenile records are the biggest restricted category. Under the Texas Family Code, a court can order juvenile records sealed once the person turns 17, or after one year following final discharge if the person is younger. Certain serious offenses and cases involving sex offender registration are excluded from sealing.11State of Texas. Texas Family Code 58.256 – Application for Sealing Records
Other commonly restricted or redacted records include child abuse investigation files, family violence shelter information, and identifying details like Social Security numbers and dates of birth for living persons. A judge’s sealing or expunction order removes a case from public search results entirely.
If you believe a record exists but cannot find it, you can file a Public Information Request with the relevant clerk under Government Code Chapter 552. The request must be in writing, and you do not need to explain why you want the information.1Office of the Texas Secretary of State. Open Records Policy The clerk will either produce the record or cite the exception that prevents disclosure.