Dallas Family Court Records
Dallas family court records are filed with the Dallas County District Clerk, and searching them is possible through the county's free online case search or with a visit to the courthouse on Commerce Street. Dallas is the third largest city in Texas with a population of about 1.3 million, and Dallas County operates one of the largest family court systems in the state with nearly twenty family district courts. This page covers how to find Dallas family court records, what the courts handle, where to go for documents, and what resources are available if you need legal help.
Dallas Quick Facts
Dallas County District Clerk
The Dallas County District Clerk is where all family court filings for Dallas are kept. District Clerk Felicia Pitre manages records for all district courts in the county. The main office is at 600 Commerce Street, Suite 120, Dallas, TX 75202, with phone at (214) 653-7425. The office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM.
Dallas County has an extensive set of family district courts. The 9th, 18th, 25th, 30th, 35th, 95th, 102nd, 116th, 131st, 192nd, 254th, 255th, 256th, 301st, 302nd, 303rd, 304th, and 305th Judicial District Courts all handle family matters. That is a lot of courts, which reflects the volume of family cases filed in a county this large. Cases are assigned based on filing date and rotation among the courts.
| Office | Dallas County District Clerk |
|---|---|
| Address | 600 Commerce Street, Suite 120 Dallas, TX 75202 |
| Phone | (214) 653-7425 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM |
| Website | dallascounty.org/district-clerk |
The Dallas County Clerk at the same building (Suite 105, phone (214) 653-7149) handles vital records like birth and death certificates and marriage licenses. For family court case records, you want the District Clerk specifically. Both offices are in the same building, which makes it easy to handle multiple tasks in one visit.
Searching Dallas Family Court Records Online
Dallas County provides a free online case search at dallascounty.org. You can search by case number, party name, attorney name, or date range across all district courts. Records are available from 1979 to present for most case types. Many documents are available for immediate viewing and download, with fees for downloads paid by credit card.
The statewide portal re:SearchTX is also available for Dallas County cases. It is a good starting point if you aren't sure which county a case was filed in. For detailed document access, the Dallas County case search is more complete for local cases.
Dallas County also offers subscription plans for attorneys and professionals who need frequent access to court records. Individual public users can access basic case information for free. In-person access is available at the courthouse, and public terminals are available at the clerk's office for free self-service searches.
Note: Juvenile court records in Dallas County are confidential and are not available through the public case search system. Adult adoption records are also restricted and require a court order to access.
Dallas Courts and City Resources
The Dallas Municipal Court at Dallas City Hall handles Class C misdemeanors, traffic violations, and city ordinance cases. It is not the court for family law matters, but protective order violations and related city code issues may appear in municipal court records. Call (214) 670-5563 for citation inquiries.
The Dallas City Secretary's office at dallascityhall.com processes open records requests under the Texas Public Information Act. The office is at 1500 Marilla Street, Dallas, TX 75201. City-level public records are handled here, but family court filings are managed by the Dallas County District Clerk, a separate office entirely.
Dallas Police Department records are available through dallaspolice.net/records. Police reports available to involved parties with proper identification and a standard processing time of seven to ten business days. DPD Records is at 1400 S. Lamar Street, Dallas, TX 75215.
Family Cases in Dallas Courts
Dallas family courts handle the full scope of cases under the Texas Family Code. Divorce, child custody, child support, paternity, adoption, protective orders, and termination of parental rights all go through the district courts. The courts also handle modifications to prior orders when circumstances change.
Filing for divorce in Dallas requires that at least one spouse have lived in Texas for six months and in Dallas County for 90 days, as set out in Family Code Section 6.301. After filing, Texas law requires a 60-day waiting period before a final decree can be entered. The divorce is finalized when a judge signs the Final Decree of Divorce. That document becomes part of the public court file at the District Clerk's office.
Child support orders in Dallas County follow the state guidelines under Family Code Chapter 154. Support is calculated based on the obligor's net resources and the number of children. The Texas Attorney General's Child Support Division enforces support orders and can file contempt motions when payments are missed. The AG's office can be reached through texasattorneygeneral.gov.
Protective orders in family violence cases are filed in district court and become public record. The request, the court's findings, and the order itself all appear in the case file. Final protective orders issued by Dallas County courts are also entered into a statewide protective order database maintained under Government Code Chapter 72.
Legal Help in Dallas
Dallas Area Legal Services (DALS) provides free civil legal services to low-income residents, including family law matters. Call (214) 748-1234 for information. Lone Star Legal Aid also serves Dallas and can be reached at (800) 733-8394 or through lonestarlegal.org. Both organizations have income eligibility requirements.
The State Bar of Texas operates a lawyer referral service at (800) 252-9690 and through texasbar.com. For self-represented filers, the Texas Courts Self-Help Center at txcourts.gov has guides and forms. TexasLawHelp at texaslawhelp.org also has step-by-step instructions. Electronic filing is required for most represented parties and available to pro se filers through eFileTexas.gov.
Dallas County Family Court Records
Dallas sits within Dallas County, and all family court filings go through the Dallas County District Court. The county page has more information on the clerk's office, copy fees, and related county resources for family court records.
Nearby Cities
Other cities in the Dallas-Fort Worth area also have family court records available through their respective county district clerks.
- Fort Worth - Tarrant County
- Arlington - Tarrant County
- Plano - Collin County