Austin Family Court Records
Austin family court records are kept by the Travis County District Clerk and can be searched online through the county's free case portal or in person at the courthouse on Guadalupe Street. Austin is the state capital with around one million residents and the county seat of Travis County, which runs six dedicated family district courts. This guide explains how to find Austin family court records for divorce, custody, child support, and other family matters, including where to request copies and what help is available if you need it.
Austin Quick Facts
Travis County District Clerk
The Travis County District Clerk is the primary office for Austin family court records. District Clerk Velva Price manages filings for all Travis County district courts, including the six family courts. The office is located at 1000 Guadalupe Street, Austin, TX 78701, with phone at (512) 854-9457. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Travis County's six family district courts are the 200th, 250th, 261st, 345th, 353rd, and 419th Judicial District Courts. Each handles the full range of family law matters, including dissolution of marriage, child custody and conservatorship, child support, paternity, and family violence protective orders. Austin cases are assigned based on filing date and rotation among these six courts. Travis County is notable for offering free online access to court records from 2006 to present for family and civil cases, and from 2008 for criminal cases.
| Office | Travis County District Clerk |
|---|---|
| Address | 1000 Guadalupe Street Austin, TX 78701 |
| Phone | (512) 854-9457 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM |
| Website | traviscountytx.gov/district-clerk |
The Travis County Clerk, a separate office at 5501 Airport Boulevard, Austin, TX 78751 (phone (512) 854-9188), handles vital records and property records. For family court case records, the District Clerk at Guadalupe Street is the right office. Both offices serve Austin residents but handle different record types.
Searching Austin Family Court Records
The Travis County District Clerk offers free online access to court records through the case information portal at traviscountytx.gov. You can search by case number, party name, or attorney name. Case data from 2006 to present is available at no cost, and document images are available for many cases. Records before 2006 must be requested in person or by mail.
Document images on the Travis County portal have personal identifiers like Social Security Numbers redacted before public posting. Case data is updated every 24 hours, and document images appear within 72 hours of filing. If you need a certified copy, that requires a written request to the office since the online system does not issue certified documents directly.
The statewide tool re:SearchTX also covers Travis County and is a good starting point for cases filed across multiple Texas courts. For Austin-specific cases, the Travis County portal gives more complete results including document images.
Copy fees at Travis County are $1.00 per page for both certified and non-certified copies, with a $5.00 certification fee added for certified copies. A name search costs $5.00. Submit mail requests to the District Clerk's office at 1000 Guadalupe Street with party names, cause number, and payment for estimated fees.
Austin City Courts and Resources
The Austin Municipal Court handles Class C misdemeanors, traffic violations, and city ordinance cases. Municipal Court offers extended hours including evenings and Saturdays, which is uncommon. Call (512) 974-4800 for citation inquiries. Family court matters go to the Travis County District Clerk, not Austin Municipal Court.
The Austin City Clerk at 301 W. Second Street, Austin, TX 78701 processes open records requests under the Texas Public Information Act. The office maintains city council records, agendas, minutes, and ordinances. The Austin History Center also maintains historical city records. City records and family court records are different; for court filings, you need the Travis County District Clerk.
Austin Police Department records are available through the APD Records Division at APD Headquarters, 715 E. 8th Street, Austin, TX 78701. Police reports relevant to a family case, such as a domestic violence incident report, can be requested from APD for involved parties. Online and in-person requests are both accepted.
The city's open records information page at austintexas.gov explains how to submit requests, response timelines, and what records are available from city departments. This is distinct from the Travis County court records system.
Austin also offers citation-related services online. The Handle a Citation portal at austintexas.gov lets you pay, contest, or defer a city citation without appearing in court in many situations.
Again, none of the city-level portals above are for family court records. Divorce, custody, and child support filings are all held by the Travis County District Clerk at 1000 Guadalupe Street.
Family Cases in Austin Courts
Austin and Travis County follow Texas family law statutes. Divorce cases are governed by Family Code Chapter 6. The residency requirement under Section 6.301 is six months in Texas and 90 days in Travis County before filing. Texas has a mandatory 60-day waiting period after the petition is filed before a divorce can be finalized. The no-fault ground of insupportability is most commonly used.
Child custody cases in Austin go through the same family district courts and follow Family Code Chapter 153. Travis County judges have discretion to order parenting classes, mediation, or a guardian ad litem for the child in contested cases. Child support calculations under Chapter 154 are based on the paying parent's net resources. Modifications to existing orders require filing in the original court with a showing of changed circumstances.
Protective orders related to family violence are filed in the district courts and are public record. Texas law under Government Code Chapter 72 requires courts to maintain a statewide registry of protective orders. If you need to verify whether a protective order exists, the Travis County District Clerk case search is the place to start for Austin-area orders.
Legal Help in Austin
Austin has strong legal aid resources. Texas Legal Services Center and Lone Star Legal Aid both serve Austin-area residents with low-income family law assistance. Lone Star Legal Aid can be reached at (800) 733-8394 or through lonestarlegal.org. Austin's Legal Aid referral system also has options through the Travis County Bar Association.
TexasLawHelp at texaslawhelp.org has guides, videos, and forms for self-represented filers. The Texas State Law Library, also in Austin, has family law form guides at guides.sll.texas.gov. The Texas Courts Self-Help Center is at txcourts.gov. For e-filing, all Travis County district court filings can be submitted through eFileTexas.gov.
Travis County Family Court Records
Austin is located in Travis County, and all family court filings go through the Travis County District Court. The county page has more information on the clerk's office, copy fees, and available resources for family court records in the Austin area.
Nearby Cities
Other major Texas cities also have family court records through their county district clerks.
- San Antonio - Bexar County
- Houston - Harris County
- Lubbock - Lubbock County