Harris County has 16 Justice Courts, two in each of 8 precincts. File in the precinct where the defendant lives, where the incident happened, or where a contract was to be performed. In a two-court precinct, either court works. The nearest courthouse may not be the right one, and a defendant can move to transfer a case filed in the wrong precinct.
| Limit | $20,000 |
|---|---|
| Court | Harris County Justice of the Peace Courts (Justice Court, small claims cases) |
| File online | eFileTexas, https://www.efiletexas.gov |
| Fees | $54 to file. Constable service was $85 per defendant on the latest sheet found, effective January 1, 2025, for $139 total with one defendant. Confirm the current service fee before filing. |
| Timing | The court doesn't say how soon a hearing is set. A defendant must answer by the end of the 14th day after being served. |
| Serving papers | A constable or sheriff, a certified process server, the clerk by certified mail, or an adult authorized by court order can serve the citation. Constable service was $85 per defendant as of January 2025, and service outside Harris County is arranged with that county's officers. |
Harris County Justice of the Peace Courts (Justice Court, small claims cases) small claims page
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General information to help you get organized, last checked November 1, 2026. It isn't legal advice, and SueYou isn't a law firm. Laws change and every case is different, so confirm anything important with a lawyer or the court. No lawyer has reviewed this page yet.
