Serving Small Claims Papers in Dallas County

Who arranges it

See below

Cost per defendant

$80

Lawful methods

4

Filing fee

$54

Who serves the papers in Dallas County

The plaintiff pays for service; the court or clerk issues the citation after filing, then the plaintiff chooses the method (usually the constable). Clerks do not perform physical service. In Dallas County the charge is $80 per defendant.

• Sheriff or constable (for a fee, per county constable fee schedule)
• Private process server certified under order of the Texas Supreme Court
• Clerk of the court by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested
• Any other person authorized by written court order who is 18 or older and not a party to or interested in the outcome (Tex. R. Civ. P. 501.2)

Service by certified mail is not complete unless the return receipt is signed by the addressee; an unsigned or unreturned green card will stall the case.

What the court checks, and when

Two things people get wrong about service:

• The clerk accepts your filing whether or not service is done properly — the counter is not the check.
• Whether service was good is tested later, usually when the defendant does not appear and you ask for a default.

Citation is issued by the clerk or justice of the peace after filing (Tex. R. Civ. P. 501.1). The defendant's answer is due by the end of the 14th day after service. There is no pretrial conference; the case is set for trial after it is at issue.

Service by certified mail is not complete unless the return receipt is signed by the addressee; an unsigned or unreturned green card will stall the case.

Getting it done in the right order

1. 1. File first. The court issues the summons; you cannot serve papers that have not been issued. Budget $80 per defendant on top of the $54 filing fee.
2. 2. Give the server a real address. A business's registered agent address, or the person's residence. A PO box or a stale address is the most common reason service fails and the case stalls.
3. 3. Get the proof filed. The server files a return of service with the court. Without it on the docket, the court treats the defendant as never notified — however certain you are that they received it.
4. 4. Watch the hearing date. If service is not complete in time, the first date is wasted and the case is reset.

Common questions

Who serves small claims papers in Dallas County?

The plaintiff pays for service; the court or clerk issues the citation after filing, then the plaintiff chooses the method (usually the constable). Clerks do not perform physical service.

How much does service cost in Dallas County?

$80 per defendant through the court's process. A private process server sets its own fee.

Can I serve the papers myself in Dallas County?

No. Service is done by someone who is not a party to the case — a sheriff's civil division, an authorised process server, or another permitted method. Handing them over yourself does not count.

What happens if the defendant cannot be found?

The case does not move. Courts have alternative-service procedures for that situation, but they have to be applied for and they are not automatic.