Harris County Small Claims Court Locations

Harris County Justice of the Peace Courts

• In person at the Justice Court of the precinct and place with proper venue
• By mail to that Justice Court
• Electronically via eFileTexas.gov

Walk-in filing is available at 8 locations: Precinct 1, Precinct 2, Precinct 3, Precinct 4, Precinct 5, Precinct 6, Precinct 7, Precinct 8.

Filing locations

8

Hours

8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday (excluding county holidays)

Filing fee

$54

File without going in

Yes, online

Every location that takes a small claims filing

Harris County accepts small claims filings at:

• Precinct 1
• Precinct 2
• Precinct 3
• Precinct 4
• Precinct 5
• Precinct 6
• Precinct 7
• Precinct 8

Harris County has 16 justice courts (8 precincts, each with a Place 1 and a Place 2). Which court hears your case is set by venue under Tex. R. Civ. P. 502.4 — generally where the defendant lives, where the events happened, where a contract was to be performed, or where the property is located — so there is no single central filing office.

Is Harris County the right court for your case?

Which court may hear a small claims case turns on where the dispute belongs, not on where it is convenient for you to go. It is normally:

• Where the defendant lives — or, for a business, where it has its place of business.
• Where the events you are suing about actually happened.
• Where a contract was to be performed, where the claim is about an agreement.

Harris County has 16 justice courts (8 precincts, each with a Place 1 and a Place 2). Which court hears your case is set by venue under Tex. R. Civ. P. 502.4 — generally where the defendant lives, where the events happened, where a contract was to be performed, or where the property is located — so there is no single central filing office.

We cannot advise you which venue to choose. Where two courts would both be proper, either is a valid filing.

Going to Harris County Justice of the Peace Courts in person

If you are filing at the counter rather than by mail or online, this is the shape of the visit.

1. Go during filing hours, not court hours. The counter is open 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday (excluding county holidays). Clerks stop accepting new filings before closing, so arriving in the last half hour is how people end up coming back.
2. Bring the completed claim form and your copies. Bring a copy for the court, one for each defendant, and one for yourself.
3. Bring the fee, in a form this clerk takes. The filing fee is $54. Harris County Justice of the Peace Courts accepts 5 forms of payment — cash is not always one of them, and cards are not always one either. Service is a further $85 per defendant.
4. Know the defendant's exact legal name and address. The clerk will not look it up for you, and a judgment against a trade name that is not the legal entity is difficult to collect on afterwards.
5. Expect the date to follow. Harris County sets the first date after the defendant has been served, so the date follows by post rather than being handed to you.

Court staff can explain procedure and check a form is complete. They cannot tell you what to write in your claim, or whether to bring it at all.

Ways to file without standing in line

Harris County Justice of the Peace Courts accepts a filing:

• In person at the Justice Court of the precinct and place with proper venue
• By mail to that Justice Court
• Electronically via eFileTexas.gov

Free help at the courthouse

Harris County runs a self-help center for people filing without a lawyer. It can:

• Point you at the right form for your case type
• Check a form is complete before you hand it in
• The Harris County JP courts and clerks are barred from giving legal advice. Self-help is provided by the Texas State Law Library Small Claims guide and the Harris County Robert W. Hainsworth Law Library.

Court staff can explain procedure. They cannot tell you what to write in your claim, or whether you should file at all — that is the line they are not allowed to cross, and it is the part most people actually need.

Common questions

Where is small claims court in Harris County?

Harris County Justice of the Peace Courts, 7300 North Shepherd Dr., Houston, TX 77091.

What are the Harris County small claims court hours?

8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday (excluding county holidays). Confirm before travelling — court hours change around holidays.

Do I have to go to the courthouse to file in Harris County?

Not necessarily. Harris County accepts a filing in person at the justice court of the precinct and place with proper venue; by mail to that justice court; electronically via efiletexas.gov.

Which Harris County location do I file at?

Harris County has 16 justice courts (8 precincts, each with a Place 1 and a Place 2). Which court hears your case is set by venue under Tex. R. Civ. P. 502.4 — generally where the defendant lives, where the events happened, where a contract was to be performed, or where the property is located — so there is no single central filing office.