Tarrant County Small Claims Court Locations

Tarrant County Justice of the Peace Courts

• Electronically via eFileTexas.gov — e-filing is mandatory for all filings in the Tarrant County Justice Courts (effective August 1, 2021)
• Guide & File guided-interview petition through eFileTexas (self-represented filers)
• A filer using a Statement of Inability to Afford Payment of Court Costs files directly through eFileTexas rather than Guide & File

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

Filing fee

$54

File without going in

Yes, online

Every location that takes a small claims filing

Tarrant County accepts small claims filings at:

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

Tarrant County has eight justice of the peace precincts (Precincts 1-8). Which justice court hears your case is set by venue under Tex. R. Civ. P. 502.4 — generally where the defendant resides, where the events giving rise to the claim occurred, where a contract was to be performed, or where the property is located — so there is no single central filing office.

Is Tarrant 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.

Tarrant County has eight justice of the peace precincts (Precincts 1-8). Which justice court hears your case is set by venue under Tex. R. Civ. P. 502.4 — generally where the defendant resides, where the events giving rise to the claim occurred, 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 Tarrant 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. 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. Tarrant County Justice of the Peace Courts accepts 3 forms of payment — cash is not always one of them, and cards are not always one either. Service is a further $90 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. Tarrant 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

Tarrant County Justice of the Peace Courts accepts a filing:

• Electronically via eFileTexas.gov — e-filing is mandatory for all filings in the Tarrant County Justice Courts (effective August 1, 2021)
• Guide & File guided-interview petition through eFileTexas (self-represented filers)
• A filer using a Statement of Inability to Afford Payment of Court Costs files directly through eFileTexas rather than Guide & File

Free help at the courthouse

Tarrant 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 Justice Court clerks are barred from giving legal advice. Self-help is provided by the Texas State Law Library Small Claims guide and TexasLawHelp.org.

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 Tarrant County?

Tarrant County Justice of the Peace Courts, 100 W. Weatherford St., Room 450, Fort Worth, TX 76196.

What are the Tarrant County small claims court hours?

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

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

Not necessarily. Tarrant County accepts a filing electronically via efiletexas.gov — e-filing is mandatory for all filings in the tarrant county justice courts (effective august 1, 2021); guide & file guided-interview petition through efiletexas (self-represented filers); a filer using a statement of inability to afford payment of court costs files directly through efiletexas rather than guide & file.

Which Tarrant County location do I file at?

Tarrant County has eight justice of the peace precincts (Precincts 1-8). Which justice court hears your case is set by venue under Tex. R. Civ. P. 502.4 — generally where the defendant resides, where the events giving rise to the claim occurred, where a contract was to be performed, or where the property is located — so there is no single central filing office.