2026 state court fee data · Texas
Small Claims in Texas
Recorded at $46–$112 - among the cheaper civil filings in Texas, and one of 10 states where we price this filing.
Fee rank is not wait rank
Signature reading for Small Claims in Texas: #10 on in-state fee rank among 12 Texas filings. On this filing's state cohort, Texas sits mid-pack on recorded max fees ($46–$112). The published step list sits near the 6-step median for this filing (7 steps). According to PlainCivil's compiled state court fee schedules, Small Claims in Texas ranks #93 of 120 process-state filings by maximum filing fee (highest max fee = #1). Civil Lawsuit lists the highest in-state filing-fee ceiling at $500 among 12 civil filings in Texas; that is not the longest wait: Divorce records 60 days on a $350 ceiling.
Small Claims figures for Texas are compiled schedule reference, not legal advice - verify with the clerk where you intend to file.
In-state wait inventory
Waiting periods among Texas civil filings
Exclusive split of all 12 tracked filings in Texas - orthogonal to in-state fee placement below.
Compare a state record
Compare small claims with another state
Start with Texas, then inspect another published court-schedule record without leaving this page.
In-state placement
Where small claims sits among Texas filings
Of the 12 civil filings we track in Texas, small claims ranks 10 by recorded maximum fee: among the cheaper civil filings in Texas. Neighbours: Tenant Rights at $200 and Domestic Violence Protection at $0.
Same-state corpus only, not a national ranking. How we place filings
The Texas row lists 7 procedural steps against a 6-step median for this filing: a reading of published detail, not difficulty.
Filing Fee Details
$46-$112 depending on county and claim amount. Justice of the Peace Courts handle small claims.
Texas's mid-band fee among states
Texas sits mid-pack in this filing's state cohort at $46–$112 (rank #6 of 10 by max fee).
Source: state court filing-fee schedules (upper-bound fee per state). Verify current amounts with the relevant court. How we calculate this ranking →
Key Requirements
- Claim limit: $20,000
- Attorneys allowed but not required
- Must serve defendant via constable or certified mail
- Can appeal to County Court
Step-by-Step Process
- 1
File claim at Justice of the Peace court
- 2
Pay filing fee based on claim amount
- 3
Defendant served by constable or mail
- 4
Hearing scheduled (2-4 weeks)
- 5
Present your case (bring documents, witnesses)
- 6
Judge issues decision
- 7
Collect via abstract of judgment
Important Notes
Texas Justice Courts handle claims up to $20,000. Attorneys are permitted (unlike some states).
Grounds / Eligibility
Monetary disputes up to $20,000
Quick Reference
- Fee stamp
- CLERK schedule band
- Wait stamp
- OPEN clock band
- Filing Fee
- $46–$112
- Residency
- File in Justice of the Peace precinct where defendant lives or where incident occurred
- Typical Timeline
- 2-4 weeks to hearing after filing
Official Resources
Nearest fee-schedule peers in Texas
Ordered by ABS(filing_fee_max) to this row's CLERK stamp - not an A-Z process catalog.
Take this with you
What to do with small claims in Texas's numbers, next.
- Read the step-by-step guide for small claims Small claims limits guide
- See how every state compares on small claims filing fees View state rankings
- Check where this fee sits against every other filing we track Use the fee percentile tool
Filing fees and requirements change; verify current figures with your local court before filing.
| Publisher | PlainCivil |
| Sources | Public state court datasets and federal civil-justice records |