Lubbock County, Texas

Features

Frequently Asked Questions

• How do I get a death certificate?
• How do I get a birth certificate?
• How do I get a Marriage License?
• Where can I pay a city police ticket?
• Where can I pay a Lubbock County Justice of the Peace ticket?
• Where do I go to report for a Jury Summons
• I need information about jobs available.
• Where do I pay property taxes?
• I need help with child support.
• Where is the Social Security office located?
• Where do I go to get my driver's license?
• Where is the IRS location in Lubbock?
• Where is the Lubbock office of the U.S. Bankruptcy County, Northern District of Texas?
• Where do I apply for welfare or food stamps?
• I need to register my vehicle and get a title for it. Where do I go?

How do I get a death certificate?
At the City of Lubbock Vital Records, 1625 13th Street, Room 102, 775-2934

CJAD

Employee Questions

• How to amend payroll deductions.
  
  
• Does Lubbock County have direct deposit?
  
  
• When do employees get paid?
  
  
• Payroll Schedule
  
  
• Where do I get a copy of my Check Stub?
  
  
• Employee Parking
  
  
• How much personal leave will I receive?
  
  
• How much leave can I carry over at the fiscal year end?
  
  
• Does Lubbock County have automatic draft for retiree insurance?
  
  
• How do I do a Line Item Transfer?
  
  
• Accounts Payable:  Submitting invoices for payment
  
  
• AP Schedule
  
  
• Departmental Budgets
  
  

Civil

Hot Check Office

Lubbock County Courthouse
904 Broadway-First Floor Room 112
PO Box 10536
Lubbock, TX 79408

806-775-1111
HotCheck@co.lubbock.tx.us

In order to file a theft by check or issuance of bad check with the Hot Check Office, you will need to do the following:

1. Send a Statutory Notice to the writer of the check giving them 10 days to pay you in full. Although this notice was once required to be sent by certified mail, that no longer holds true. You can now send this by first class mail.
   
   
2. Complete an affidavit. You can either get a copy of the affidavit when you come into our office or you can find it on our website and print it out at your convenience. It can be found at www.co.lubbock.tx.us under Departments, District Attorney, then Related Pages. Information needed on the affidavit includes the check writer’s name, address, date of birth, driver’s license or identification number and state from which it’s issued, phone number, sex, race, height, weight, hair and eye color. The more information you have, the better our chances of prosecuting the writer in the case they do not repay you. This affidavit must be notarized. If you bring it into our office, we can notarize it at no cost to you. Please remember to bring your ID/DL if you need us to notarize it.
   
   
3. Bring necessary documentation. In addition to the completed and notarized affidavit, we will need the original legal check copy provided to you by your bank. If you deposit checks electronically, we will need the original check and the letter the bank sends to you with all of the required information, including the date of deposit, the check number, the amount for which it was written, and the reason the check was not honored. Please note that currently we cannot accept ACH payment returns. If you accept ACH payments and your bank notifies you that a scheduled ACH payment did not go through, you will need to file it with the Lubbock Police Department, Crimes Against Properties.

In addition to the face value of the check, our office will also collect a $30 merchant fee, per check, on your behalf. This is intended to cover any returned check fees you may have been charged by your bank. The writer will also be charged a Criminal District Attorney fee. The amount of this fee depends on the amount for which the check is written. It is anywhere from $15 to $75 per check. Any money collected on your behalf will be sent, in the form of a check, to the address you provide on the affidavit. Note that if the writer cannot pay in one payment, we will allow them to set up a payment agreement. Money will be sent to you as it is collected.

Understand that the purpose of this office is not collection, but rather prosecution of individuals who commit acts prohibited by Texas law. While we will do our best to recover restitution for you, we may not be able to do that. If the defendant does not repay the money owed, the judge may order the defendant to serve time in jail in order to pay back his/her debt to society.

About Us

Who We Are

The Office of Dispute Resolution provides numerous domestic relations, rural mediation, and alternative dispute resolution services.

Our Areas of Operation

Texas Rural Mediation Services provides dispute resolution services to people affected by the actions of the USDA, as well as to rural Texans for any type of dispute.

South Plains Alternative Dispute Resolution System provides mediation services within the South Plains region.  Mediation services are available if ordered by the judge.  Counties within the region are responsible for any fees not paid by the parties.

Domestic Relations Office provides family-related mediation, Community Supervision for non-payment of child support obligations, adoption evaluations, supervised visitation, and other services allowed by the Texas Family Code.

Training

As the Dispute Resolution Training Institute, the Office of Dispute Resolution provides a variety of trainings including a 40-hour Basic Mediation Training, 24-hour Family Mediation Training, 24-hour Guardianship Mediation Training, as well as a variety of continuing education workshops.

History

The Lubbock County Commissioners' Court created an Alternative Dispute Resolution System in 1985.  In 1988, the Office of Dispute Resolution began receiving regular referrals from the District Attorney.  Mandatory mediation for divorcing couples began in 1989.  In 1991, mediation for civil cases became mandatory, as well as moderated settlement conferences for County Court-at-Law cases.  Since 1999, the Scheduling Order for all civil cases has included a mandatory mediation date.

The South Plains Association of Governments administered these services until 2003.  At that time, Lubbock County assumed responsibility for operating the System and the various services it provides.

In 2000, Governor Bush appointed Lubbock County, through the Office of Dispute Resolution, to administer the USDA Mediation Program in Texas.  Each Governor since this initial appointment as reaffirmed. 

In January 2006, the Office of Dispute Resolution officially became a Domestic Relations Office (DRO), providing family-related services.

History

Lubbock County's history is as diverse and interesting as the people who inhabit this vast plain. The legacy of the "Diamond in the West" can be traced back years ago, when this whole area (now known as the plains) was one vast lake. As the years went by so did the water, giving way to the arrival of the famous South Plains winds and the leveling of this once vast caprock.

 

The lands of the High plains have been inhabited for thousands of years, tracing back to the first tribe of elephant. It was across these plains in 1540 that the Spanish explorer, Captain Francisco Vaquez de Coronado came to explore the flat lands of the Southwest in search of the much fantasized Golden city of Quivira. Historians and archeologists have found evidence that these Spanish expeditions camped in the famous "Lubbock Lake Site and Yellow House Canyon," which is present day north of the city of Lubbock. The Lubbock Lake Site is considered one of the archeological wonders of the United States.

 

Many of the natural geographical features discovered by the Spanish explorers were named by these exploring heroes of humanity, and some of these names are still used today. The Lubbock Lake Site was known as La Punto de Agua or the place of Water, Llano Estacado translated into the Southern High Plains, Canon Casos Amarillos was Yellow House Canyon, and Canon de Rescate was Canyon of Ransom, or better known as present day Ransom Canyon.

 

Later, Indians of the Comanche tribe roamed this whole area because it was a haven for their basic livelihood, the buffalo. The Comanche tribe had free reign of the South Plains until the 1870's when the white settlers and hunters arrived and deprived the Comanche people of their livelihood. These hunters were responsible for many of the Indian uprisings and eventually the demise of the Comanche civilizations on the South Plains. After the slaughter of the buffalo, very few people stayed on these level plains as many of the first explorers moved on to other parts of the world.

 TAMING THE SOUTH PLAINS

After the Civil War many citizens from the North and the South headed to Texas because of economic hardships caused by the bloody brother vs. brother war. The first wave of the migrating hordes reached the South Plains by March, 1873. During that year a group of migrating adventurers joined together and formed a group to explore the South Plains and to open the way for others who wished to seek homesteads on the Llano Estacado.

 

The cattle boom in the late 1860s gave new motivation to settle this region and take advantage of the vast pastures and other abundant natural resources. The lure of vast open and cheap land brought many adventuresome settlers to this part of the country for a chance to colonize one of the final western frontiers.

 THE FORMING OF A COUNTY

Lubbock County was created on August 21, 1876 by an act of legislation in Austin that divided Bexar county which included parts of Northwest Texas and the South Plains into forty-eight counties. One of the newly formed counties, know as Lubbock County, was named after Tom S. Lubbock, a former Texas Ranger, Confederate Officer and brother of Francis R. Lubbock, Civil War Governor of Texas. At its creation, Lubbock County was attached to Baylor County and remained an appendage of that County until the organization of Crosby County in 1887.

 

Many distinct individuals were responsible for the formation of Lubbock County, some the more notorious were: W.E. Rainer, W.D. Crump and Associates, and Frank Wheelock.

 

W.E. Rainer was a wealthy cattleman, manager, and part owner of the Rayner Cattle Company, with home offices in St. Louis, MO. Once established in the county, Rainer decided to form a city on the north side of the canyon, and call his new town Monterey. At the same time, another father of Lubbock, W.D. Crump, wished to build on the north side of the canyon, and name his new establishment Old Lubbock. After the development of these new townships talk began as to where the county seat would be established. Hence conflict. Crump wanted the seat in Old Lubbock and Rainer wanted Monterey. Eventually the two factions compromised and land was purchased for $1,920.00, January 21, 1891, by the groups for the formation of the city of Lubbock and the establishment of the county seat. Almost immediately the movement from Monterey and Old Lubbock began.

 

Once the county seat was determined, the election to organize the county was held on March 10, 1891. Colonel G.W. Shannon, was elected the first County Judge. His term lasted until November 17th 1894 where he was succeeded by P.F. Brown. The first County Commissioners of Lubbock were: J.D. Caldwell, F.E. Wheelock, L.D. Hund and Van Sanders. The first Sheriff was William M. Lay, while Will F. Hendrix took his role as the first County Attorney and George Wolffarth, was termed the first County Clerk.

 

By 1891 the Lubbock County Government was fully functional, so to make everything official the county jail was approved May 11, 1891, giving the first churches of Lubbock a place to congregate. The jailhouse also served the community as a temporary school and a sort of social center. The city of Lubbock incorporated in 1909, so from 1891 to 1909 the Commissioners Court was the governing body of the town and county.

 

The first courthouse was a large 2-story frame building. All construction materials had to be hauled from Amarillo and Colorado City, since the Lubbock area did not have an abundance of trees. When the courthouse was built, churches left the jail and used this new county building as their meeting place.

 

In 1900 there were nearly 300 people in the county which included 70 to 80 families. The four cornered frame courthouse was the heart of the community in this little High plains town. Two of the reasons being was because of the public water trough by the windmill, which was for very many years the town's nearest approach to a water system; also surrounding the courthouse were the public barbecue pits that had been dug on the east side of the square. The first hotel in Lubbock, the Nicolett Hotel, still shared domination of the landscape with the courthouse, but to the residents and visitors of the plains, the most striking feature would have undoubtedly been the windmill, an engineering spectacle which dotted the horizon and fields of the South Plains. The windmill has been a major necessity for the survival and growth of the civilization of the High plains, by supplying water and a livelihood to the pioneers, crops and cattle of the dusty plain.

 

INFORMATION COMPILED FROM THE LUBBOCK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND M.S.. HORACE HURTSELL

 

COMPILED FROM THESES WRITTEN TO M.S.. MYRA ANN WALLACE, G.P. RUCH AND H.B. CARROLL AND FILED IN THE LIBRARY OF TEXAS TECHNOLOGICAL COLLEGE

 

Judges and County Commissioners

 

County Judges

1891-1894 G.W. Shannon	1931-1936 Egbert Lee Pitts
1894-1898 P.F. Brown	1936-1941 John James Dillard
1898-1902 W.D. Crump	1941-1945 Garland V. Pardue
1902-1906 George R. Bean	1945-1955 Walter Davies
1906-1912 John R. McGee	1955-1958 Dudley K. Brummett
1912-1916 E.R. Haynes	1959-1964 Bill Davis
1916-1920 J.H. Moore	1964-1964 William R. Shaver
1920-1924 P.F. Brown	1964-1990 Rodrick L. Shaw
1924-1928 Charles Nordyke	1991-1998 Don McBeath
1929-1930 Robert H. Bean	1999- 2018 Thomas V. Head
	2019-           Curtis Parrish

 

Precinct 1 Commissioners

1891-1892 J.D. Caldwell
1893-1894 J.K. Caraway	1927-1930 Nathan Alexander Payne
1895-1898 J.C. Coleman	1931-1934 Claude A. Burrus
1899-1900 H.S. Graham	1935-1940 P.B. Penny
1899-1902 G.H. Butler	1941-1942 Guy K. Horton
1903-1904 J.W. Winn	1943-1948 P.B. Penny
1903-1904 J.S. Slover	1949-1953 Robert Oscar Short
1905-1911 L.M. Knight	1954-1976 Arch G. Lamb
1912-1914 R.A. Barclay	1977-1980 Edgar Chance
1915-1916 N.R. Porter	1981-1988 Boyd Roberts
1917-1918 S.A. Richmond	1989-1992 Randall Carpenter
1919-1920 M.E. Merril	1993-2004 Kenny Maines
1921-1922 M.M. Crawford	2005- 2020 Bill McCay
1923-1926 Marvin T. Warlick	2021-           Terence Kovar

 

Precinct 2 Commissioners

1891-1894 F.E. Wheelock	1933-1934 W.P. Florence
1895-1896 R.C. Burus	1935-1936 J.T. Pinkston
1897-1898 M.S. Acuff	1937-1948 Benjamin Mansker
1899-1906 R.C. Burns	1949-1967 George G. Green
1907-1912 George M. Boles	1967-1977 Max Arrants
1913-1916 C.A. Joplin	1977-1990 Coy Biggs
1917-1918 James L. Benton	1991-2006 James Kitten
1919-1928 H.D. Talley	2007-2018 Mark Heinrich
1929-1932 J.T. Pinkston	2019-          Jason Corley

 

Precinct 3 Commissioners

1891-1892 L.D. Hunt	1943-1946 T. L. Holt
1892, Feb-1894, Feb M.A. Wood	1947-1950 Albert O. Isom
1894, May-1894, Nov J.C. Bowles	1951-1952 James H. Robbins
1894, Nov-1895 G.F. Stevenson	1953-1956 Albert O. Isom
1896-1898 G.P. Smith	1957-1976 L.C. Derrick
1899-1900 H.B. Reed	1977-1980 James Lancaster
1901-1902 H.V. Edsall	1981-1984 Franklin Dunn
1903-1906 J.T. Brown	1985-1992 Eliseo Solis
1907-1910 H.B. Reed	1993-2004 Gilbert A. Flores
1911-1920 L.O. Burford	2005-2008 Ysidro Gutierrez
1921-1922 C.W. Beene	2009-2012 Gilbert A. Flores
1923-1926 B.N. Wheeler	2013-2016 Lorenzo "Bubba" Sedeño
1927-1932 William L. Brashear	2017-          Gilbert A. Flores
1933-1940 Thomas L. Holt
1941-1942 Edgar Elias Gray

 

Precinct 4 Commissioners

1891-1892 Van Sanders	1933-1938 Burton O. McWhorter
1893-1894 W.H. White	1939-1940 V.J. Farris
1895-1898 G.O. Groves	1941-1944 Perry L. Corley
1899-1900 E.P. Earhart	1951-1954 Newton Stokes
1901-1904 H.D. Beal	1955-1958 Fred Gentry
1905-1906 W.S. Elkin	1959-1994 Alton Brazell
1907-1910 R.A. Barclay	1995-1999 Gary Schwantz
1911-1912 Bob Penney	1999-2000 Nathan Ziegler
1913-1914 J.M.Wright	2000-2018 Patti Jones
1915-1922 Paul Van Rosenberg	2019-2022 Chad Seay
1923-1932 L.C. Denton	2023-           Jordan Rackler

Benefit Package

• Benefit Guide
• Personal Leave -
  Full-time (40 hour) employees earn 6 hours each bi-weekly period. Full-time employees with eight or more years of regular service earn 8 hours each bi-weekly period.  171 hour and 24/7 civilian law enforcement/correctional employees earn 9.75 hours each bi-weekly period, which includes holiday time.  171 hour and 24/7 civilian law enforcement/correctional employees with eight or more years of service earn 11.75 hours each bi-weekly period, which includes holiday time. Part-time employees earn 2 hours each bi-weekly period. Employees are eligible to use accrued personal leave after two weeks of continuous service.
  
  
• Holidays - 
  Holidays are designated each year by the Commissioners' Court and are days when County offices will be closed for business.  Full-time employees are eligible for all holiday leave/pay.  171 hour employees, 24/7 civilian law enforcement/correctional employees, part-time and temporary employees are not eligible for holiday pay. Departments may track holidays worked by employees and grant leave for that holiday within one month, preferably within the same work period.
  
  
• Funeral Leave -
  Employees may take three days leave with pay for the death of an immediate family member.
  
  
• Retirement Plan -
  Lubbock County participates in the Texas County and District Retirement System. Employees are vested after eight years of service. Once vested, employees are eligible for a retirement benefit when one of the following requirements are met:  
  

  Age 60 with 8 years of service; or

  Any age with 20 years of service; or

  Age plus years of service equals 75.

   
• Deferred Compensation -
  Employees can participate in a pre-tax retirement savings plan with financial services via payroll deduction.
  
  
• Credit Union -
  Employees are eligible to join the Alliance Federal Credit Union and open savings accounts, credit cards and low interest loans and make payments through payroll deduction.
  
  
• Other Benefits -
  County employees are eligible for discounted gym memberships. Contact Wellness Today at 806-771-8010 for more information.
  
  
• Federal Transparency in Coverage Rule
  This link (above) leads to the machine-readable files that are made available in response to the federal Transparency in Coverage Rule and includes negotiated service rates and out-of-network allowed amounts between health plans and healthcare providers. The machine-readable files are formatted to allow researchers, regulators, and application developers to access and analyze data more easily.

Court Payment

Online Payments

Local Rules for Lubbock County Justice Courts

Civil

There are three types of civil lawsuits in JP Court: Small Claims, Justice Court, and Evictions. Eviction and Justice Court cases are conducted according to the rules of civil procedure and evidence. Small Claims cases are not bound by the rules of civil procedure or evidence and the judge may ask questions. Small Claims and Justice Court cases have a jurisdictional limit of $10, 000. All Eviction cases are heard in the Justice of the Peace Court with out limits to value of the property.

Motion for Continuance Civil - Attorney

Motion for Continuance Civil - Pro Se

Public Information

SSV 2021

Zero Tolerance Policy

Final PREA Report 2019

PREA Final Audit Report - 2016

PREA Facility Audit Report Final 2022

Reporting Abuse

Referring Allegations to Law Enforcement

SSV2019

SSV2020

Contract Facility 389 Data Access

Annual Sex Abuse Data Sheet - 2021

2022 Annual 388 Report

About Us

The Mission of the Lubbock County LEPC is to:

• Furnish training, development and testing of the City of Lubbock/Lubbock County Emergency Management Plan.
• Develop procedures for regulated facilities to notify the LEPC, and for receiving and processing requests from the public.
• Collect, manage and supply public access to information on hazardous chemicals in Lubbock County.
• Provide public notification of committee activities.
• Educate the public about risks from accidental and routine releases of chemicals, and work with facilities to minimize the risks.
• Implement other related activities required by Public Law 99-499, Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA), Title III, the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986 (EPCRA), the State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) or the County Judge.

On October 17, 1986 President Ronald Reagan signed into law the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA). This act amended the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA), commonly known as "Superfund."

The Lubbock County LEPC provides a forum for emergency management agencies, responders, industry and the public to work together to understand chemical hazards in the community, develop emergency plans in the event of an accidental release and look at ways to prevent chemical accidents.

Local industries are required to provide information to the LEPC about chemical hazards at their facilities. The LEPC then makes this information available to any citizen who requests it.

To make our Lubbock County LEPC effective and be a valued resource within the community, we need your input and invite you to get involved and be a part of our LEPC and attend one of our quarterly meetings. They are held the first Thursday in the months of February, May, August and November.

EPCRA does not place limits on which chemicals can be stored, used, released, disposed, or transferred at a facility. It only requires a facility to document, notify and report that information. Each section of the law has different requirements and deadlines. It also covers a different group of chemicals.

• Laws and regulations frequently change or are modified. Always read the applicable regulation or consult a knowledgeable environmental consultant, compliance specialist or attorney prior to making decisions about your organizations compliance activities.

Office of Court Administration

Courts Strategic Plan (10/2012)

Joint and Administrative Orders

Local Rules

Wedding Information

Judge Gutierrez will perform weddings at the Lubbock County Courthouse, inside and outside, or in the surrounding area (by approval). Walk-ins are welcome (upon availability). 

For information, pricing, and scheduling, please call (806) 775-1328.

Appointments and Fees

2024

October 2024
September 2024
August 2024
July 2024
June 2024
May 2024
April 2024
March 2024
February 2024
January 2024

2023

December 2023
November 2023
October 2023
September 2023
August 2023
July 2023
June 2023
May 2023
April 2023
March 2023
February 2023
January 2023

2022

November 2022
October 2022
August 2022
July 2022
June 2022
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
February 2022
January 2022

2021

December 2021
November 2021
October 2021
September 2021
August 2021
July 2021
June 2021
May 2021
April 2021
March 2021
February 2021
January 2021

2020

December 2020
November 2020
October 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
April 2020
February 2020

2019

December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
July 2019
June 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019

2018

December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018

2017

December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017

2016

December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016

Commissioner's Court Live Stream

Watch Commissioners Court Live when in Session & View indexed Agendas for past meetings

Click Here For Agendas and Minutes

Beginning December 14, 2015, videos are linked with the agenda. You can now quickly find the specific place in the video related to a specific agenda item. Also, archived Commissioner's Court meetings are arranged by date, with the most recent at the top of the list. You may search for specific words and topics in the search bar under Commissioners’ Court heading below.

Please Note: Online agendas are posted 72 hours prior to the meeting start time. A hard copy of this Notice has been placed on the outside bulletin board of the Lubbock County Courthouse, 904 Broadway, Lubbock, TX. Unless otherwise noted, regular meetings take place in Commissioner's Court, Lubbock County Courthouse, 904 Broadway, 5th Floor, Lubbock, Texas 79401. Said place is readily accessible to the general public at all times. Court is scheduled to begin at 10:00 AM.  Webcast begins just prior to the actual start of the meeting. A copy of the webcast will be uploaded 72 hours after the cast.

• Click on the Live tab for viewing of the livestream.
• Click on Commissioners' Court tab to view previous recordings.
• For questions about an agenda item, contact your County Commissioner at 806-775-1335.
• For copies of the Official Minutes or Agenda, contact the Lubbock County Clerk’s Office at 806-775-1076.
  • You may also view the Agendas and Minutes link in the drop-down of the Related Pages heading on the right.
• In the event of technical or audio difficulties please refer to the Minutes in the drop-down of the Related Pages heading on the right.

If you plan on Speaking during the Public Comment Portion You may fill out this form and follow the information listed.

Mission Statement

The Purchasing Director shall administer an effective program for the county by:

• Carrying out the policy directives of the Commissioner's Court.
• Providing timely, effective and efficient service to using departments and to vendors doing business with the county.
• Maintaining open communications with departmental representatives and the public.
• Controlling and reducing the cost of purchasing supplies, materials, equipment services.
• Encouraging free and open competition in bidding.

Venue Tax

Hoteliers and B&Bs

• June 11, 2019 Letter from Ronnie Keister
• June 10, 2019 Commissioners' Court Tax Levy Order
• Hotel Occupancy Tax Remittance Form

Short-Term Motor Vehicle Rental

• June 11, 2019 Letter from Ronnie Keister
• June 10, 2019 Commissioners' Court Tax Levy Order
• Short-Term Motor Vehicle Tax Remittance Form

Email a PDF of your Remittance Form to VenueTax@lubbockcounty.gov.

Payment can by made by credit card here.

If you have questions please call our office 806-775-1350.       

Constable Precinct 1 Paul Hanna

Office Number 806-775-1538 Email: PHanna@lubbockcounty.gov Mailing Address: P.O. Box 10536 Lubbock Texas 79401 Physical Address: 904 Broadway Room 120  Lubbock Texas 79408

The mission of the Precinct Constable's Office is to provide services that exceed community expectations as a law enforcement service and enforcement arm of the judiciary.

This includes:

• Protecting the public from criminal activities through innovative crime prevention and suppression techniques.
• Preserving the peace and dignity of the community.
• Providing traffic enforcement directed at safe movement of the public throughout the community.
• Utilizing professionalism and courtesy, integrated with compassion and ethical standards, to meet the needs of our community.

Transparency Policies

Services

Important Information

2024 Commissioner's Court Dates

Criminal

County Judge

Honorable Curtis Parrish

The County Judge is the most visible official in county government.  Often thought of as the county's chief executive officer, the Texas Constitution vests broad judicial and administrative powers in the County Judge, including serving as the presiding officer of the county's policy-making body, the Commissioner's Court, which is responsible for budgetary matters and administrative duties for Lubbock County.

General County Administration as provided by law, including:

• Director of Emergency Management
• Prepare County budget for approval by the County Commissioners
• Preside over Commissioners Court
• Conducts mental competency hearings and other mental health related duties prescribed by law
• Serve on Juvenile Board, SPAG Board, Bail Bond Board, and others  
• Responsibilities associated of holding elections
• Give notice of public hearings

The County Judge also handles widely varying judicial matters such as conducting hearings for probating the estate of a deceased person, establishing guardianships for incapacitated persons and minors, and presiding over civil commitments to mental hospitals.  The County Judge is also responsible for emergency management, calling elections, and representing Lubbock County in many administrative functions.

• Information regarding Probate, Guardianship, and Mental Health

Storm Shelter Registration

South Plains Auto Theft Task Force

Doug Clements Administrator 806-775-1566 Andy Gentry Chief Investigator 806-775-1565 Jennifer Anderson Analyst/Crime Prevention Coordinator 806-775-1569 Brian McNeill Investigator 806-775-1564 Michael Benson Investigator 806-775-1567 Peter Steppe Investigator 806-775-1572 John Hill Investigator 806-775-1563

The South Plains Auto Theft Task Force specializes in auto theft and crime prevention.  It covers 26 counties:    WATCH YOUR CAR Bailey Borden Briscoe Castro Childress Cochran Crosby Dawson Deaf Smith Dickens Donley Floyd Gaines Garza Hale Hall Hockley Lamb Lubbock Lynn Motley Parmer Scurry Swisher Terry Yoakum

District Clerk Forms

Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Services

What is Alternative Dispute Resolution?

Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) generally refers to the use of third parties to facilitate, evaluate, or decide a dispute in a cost-effective manner.  Different ADR procedures include mediation, mini-trials, moderated settlement conferences, summary jury trials, and binding and non-binding arbitration.

The most common type of ADR process is mediation.  In mediation, people in dispute meet with a trained and neutral mediator who assists the parties in reaching their own solution to a problem.  During these mediation services, goals are created in order to increase awareness and understanding of the issues.

The following lists the different types of ADR services available through the Texas Dispute Resolution System.

Citizen Referral

Citizens can voluntarily request mediation for almost any type of dispute.  The following are just a few examples:

• landlord/tenant
• neighbor
• contractor
• school
• infrastructure
• consumer
• community
• financial
• estate
• business
• peer

Civil ADR

Courts such as the following automatically or selectively refer cases to ADR:

• Federal Courts
• State Courts
• District Courts
• County Courts-at-Law
• County Courts
• Justice of the Peace Courts
• Municipal Courts

Criminal ADR

Courts, District Attorneys, Sheriff's Offices, and Police Departments refer misdemeanors and felonies.

Educational Institutions

Universities and various school districts have created partnerships that enable student, personnel, and/or community matters to be mediated by neutral parties.

Healthcare Mediation

Patients, physicians, insurance companies, hospitals, or other involved parties can request mediation when the dispute involves a healthcare issue or related services.

Intergovernmental

Through contracts and agreements with governmental agencies, various types of disputes are facilitated, mediated, arbitrated, or evaluated.

Rural Mediation

Texas Rural Mediation Services (TRMS) is the only provider of the USDA Mediation Program in Texas.  For more information, choose the Rural Mediation Link on the main menu.

Presentations

Please email requests or information to the email below. You can also visit us on Facebook at Historic Lubbock County .

Email: lchtx@gmail.com

Phone : 806-775-1330
Fax: 806-775-7950

Job Postings

Online Payments

Search Map of JP Precincts

ADR Civil Rules

Criminal

LEPC

LEPC Membership Form

LEPC Handbook

LEPC - Committee Responsibilities


LEPC By-Laws

To obtain a copy of our By-Laws or other public documents, please contact our LEPC by email at LEPC@lubbockcounty.gov.

LEPC Subcommittees

 Our LEPC is composed of standing committees which include:

Right-to-know and Certification Committee

Public Education and Information Committee

• Bill Curnow

Training and Membership Committee

• David Jones

Emergency Response and Resource Committee

• Thomas (TJ) Smith

Hazardous Materials Facilities Liaison Committee

• Jason Bland

Current Bid Opportunities

District Courts

72nd District Court - Honorable John C. Grace

99th District Court - Honorable Phillip Hays

137th District Court - Honorable John J. McClendon III

140th District Court - Honorable Douglas H. Freitag

237th District Court - Honorable Les Hatch

364th District Court - Honorable William R. Eichman II

Traffic Tickets

ALL MINORS MUST ENTER A PLEA IN OPEN COURT WITH PARENT OR GUARDIAN PRESENT.

What are my options?

On any traffic offense, you have the absolute right to plead Not Guilty and request a trial. The court will set a pretrial conference with the district attorney for you to appear and discuss the ticket. If you wish to plead Not Guilty, you may also request trial by Judge or Jury. You are not required to have an attorney in Court, but you may hire one if you wish.

If you choose to go to Court, you are responsible for bringing all papers, pictures, and exhibits with you to the Court hearing. You may also contact the Court for information on how to subpoena witnesses.

You may also plead Guilty or Nolo Contendre (No Contest) and pay the fine amount listed or you may be eligible for Defensive Driving. Drivers under 17 who get tickets are required to appear in Court with their parents.

What about Defensive Driving?

Where can a citizen get a copy of their driving record from D.P.S? (click here)

If your ticket is in Judge Hernandez's Court, and you have not taken Defensive Driving in the last twelve months, you may request to take the course to keep the offense off your record. You are not allowed to take defensive driving for some offenses, including but not limited to speeding more than 24 miles per hour over the limit, passing a school bus, fleeing a police officer, and certain other offenses. You must enter a plea and request permission from the Court to take defensive driving. The traffic offense will be reported to the Texas Department of Public safety as a completion of defensive driving if you take the course and present proof to the Court along with your driving record within the time frame given.

To apply for defensive driving, you must do the following: (in person or by mail) Must be postmarked by the appearance date 

1) Submit a written request entering your plea

2) Submit a check or Money Order for the fees (call 775-1328 for amount)

3) Submit a copy of driver license and insurance to the Court. The insurance must have the phone number and name of your insurance company to be considered valid and you must be listed on the policy.

The course must be state approved. YOU are responsible for making sure the course is completed and that the Court receives the certificate of completion. If the Court has not received proof of a defensive driving course within the time prescribed by law remaining fines will be reassessed  and it will become a part of your record.

Theft Tickets

Theft Tickets must appear before Judge to enter plea and find out fine and other possible requirements.

Lubbock County Transportation Roadway Improvement Program (TRIP)

Lubbock County initiated its first transportation roadway improvement program (TRIP) in the spring of 2018.  The first task was to identify all of the roadway infrastructure needs throughout Lubbock County through the 2045 planning year.

During the spring and summer of 2018, Lubbock County coordinated with each city, ISD, state and federal entity to catalog the transportation needs of Lubbock County.

The resulting list of projects were prioritized  based on the potential impact to increasing the safety of the facility, providing “all weather” school bus routes, the potential to attract partnership funds (local, state and federal) to promote economic development.  The identified projects include TxDOT on-system facilities, municipal streets, and county roads.

TRIP is organized into tiers of projects. The first tier of projects represents some of the most urgent needs in Lubbock County. The remaining tiers identify mid-range and long-range planned improvements.  As Lubbock County addresses needs, the TRIP will document the improvements while still planning for future improvements.  Each year the TRIP will be evaluated to be responsive to the transportation needs of Lubbock County.

Interactive Map

Transportation Roadway Improvement Program Map

This map is an interactive map, meaning you can zoom in, scroll or click on the map and it will bring up more detail.

If you are using a desktop computer, clicking on the actual roads or tabs at the top of the page, you can will navigate through the story map. 

If you are using a tablet or phone, clicking on the following icons will provide you with more information.

  This icon, found in the upper right of the screen, provides general description of the projects and then you can click on the individual roadways to get detailed information.

   This icon, found in the upper left of the screen, functions as a table of contents.

Thank you again for your interest.  Lubbock County transportation road improvement is worth the TRIP.

Additional Information 

• Presentation to Commissioners Court 1-14-19
• Presentation to Commissioners Court 1-28-19
• Roadway Improvements Projects Tiers
• Financial Model, 1-31-19
• Schedule and estimates for projects 
• City of Lubbock Comprehensive Plan Transportation Excerpt
• City of Wolfforth Comprehensive Plan Transportation Excerpt
• TxDOT 2019 Unified Transportation Plan

Testing Clubhouse

Wedding Information

By appointment. Available most weekends and holidays.

 JP2 - Judge Susan Rowley

JP2 - Wedding Information

JP3 - Judge Francisco Gutierrez

JP3 - Wedding Information

I Want To...

Probate / Guardianship

County Commissioner, Precinct 1 (link)

Electronic Filing - Civil/Family

Lubbock County District Clerk, Electronic Filing Information - Civil/Family

The Lubbock County District Clerk began mandatory eFiling on July 1, 2014.  All civil and family related documents are required to be eFiled with very limited exceptions.  This office began permissive eFiling for criminal documents on April 1, 2017. Mandatory criminal eFiling began on January 1, 2018.  EFiling exceptions for civil and criminal documents are listed in the Supreme Court Rules.

To register for an approved e-filing service provider, please visit www.eFileTexas.gov.

eFile Support:

FAQS:

1. Case number format – how to search?  When searching for a civil or family law case, you will search using Lubbock County – District Clerk. You will use the following case number format: DC-2023-CV-XXXX (4 digit number sequence at the end) for civil cases, and DC-2023-FM-XXXX (4 digit sequence at the end) for family cases. You must use hyphens. For cases prior to August of 2021, you will use the following format with no hyphens or commas: 2015123456 or 2015123456A if it has a suffix. If you are not able to find a case, please contact our office at 806-775-1577 or email: agongora@lubbockcounty.gov
   
   

2. Initial Filings/New Cases, where to find my court designation? Due to how the case management system assigns a court, the court will not be assigned until after we accept your filing. Because the court is assigned after we accept, the clerk will not be able to type the court on the document itself. The court designation should populate in the filing/envelope details in the eFiling portal after the case is accepted. If you are subscribed to the Lubbock County Electronic Access System you can also view the court in that system or you can call our office to confirm court designation.   It is our hope that as our case management system and the eFiling portal evolve, the option to have the court field placed on the document itself will be available.
   
   

3. Lead Documents vs. Attachments?  The District Clerk's office has opted out of using the attachment feature.  Each document that needs file marked will need to be uploaded as a separate lead document.  On initial filings you can choose "Application" as the filing code for your case information sheet and service request form.

    

4. How to upload exhibits to my petition?  All exhibits/attachments to the petition should be combined as one lead document with that petition.  If you separate each exhibit as a separate lead document the filing will be returned so you can combine it as one PDF.

    

5. I forgot to attach a signature page or exhibit to my already accepted filing?  Once the clerk accepts a filing we are not able to alter or add to that document.  If a page or other attachment is left off your filing you will need to amend and resubmit.

    

6. What filing code do I use?  The filing codes that you see are mandated by the state - they are meant to be generic.  If you do not see one specific to what you are filing, use the closest and the clerk will update to the correct filing code upon acceptance.  Feel free to also contact our office at 806-775-1577 for clarification of filing codes.

    

7. How to submit proposed orders?  All proposed orders must be submitted in an envelope by itself using the "Proposed Order" filing code.  If the proposed order is being filed subsequent to a motion or petition, you will first submit your motion or petition, wait for that to be accepted then submit your proposed order by itself as a lead document.

    

8. My motion has a notice of hearing or order to appear within the motion.  How is this completed?  If you submit a motion that has a notice of hearing or order to appear within that document, that document will come over as a motion only upon acceptance.  Your motion is entered directly into our case management system and cannot be altered.  You will need to submit a separate notice of hearing or order to appear for us to forward to the court.

    

9. How to request Citation or other process through eFiling & pay for it?  You will need to complete a Civil Process Request (service request) form.  This form is located on our website under District Clerk Forms or you may contact our service clerk to get this form emailed to you, 806-775-1319.  This form will be uploaded as a lead document using the "Application" filing code on Initial/New Cases and the "Request" filing code on subsequent filings.  All issuance fees are located under optional services; you will select each one based on your need.

    

   • By default we will eServe all process issued back to the filing attorney unless another method of service is requested and paid for. 

   • If you would like a private process server to pick up the service packet in our office, you will need to pay for that service copy - $1.00/page of each document to be attached to the process.   To avoid this fee, you may clearly indicate that you will mail or physically bring us a service copy.

   • If you request service by certified mail, you will need to pay $1.00/page of each document to be attached to the process.   To avoid this fee, you may clearly indicate that you will mail or physically bring us a service copy.

   • If you request sheriff service, you will need to pay $1.00/page of each document to be attached to the process.   To avoid this fee, you may clearly indicate that you will mail or physically bring us a service copy.

    

10. I just received my signed file marked order, how do I request a certified copy?  Within 5 business days of your order being file marked, bring as many signed/file marked copies as you need certified to our main office, room 105 and our front counter clerks will certify.  After 5 business days you will need to contact our archives department to request a certified copy for $1.00/page:  dcarchives@co.lubbock.tx.us or 806-775-1322

     

11. My filing was returned for correction, will my original filing date be honored?  The only way we will know to honor the original filing date is if you tell us to in the resubmission.  You will need to clearly indicate in the filing comments that this filing is a resubmission and give us the previous envelope # and filing date/ time.

     

12. My filing was returned for correction, will I be charged for that envelope?  If an envelope is returned for correction "rejected", no fees are collected by our office.  When we reject the envelope it cuts that transaction preventing the clerk from processing that envelope any further.  Depending on your financial institution, those funds could be pre-authorized/held for up to 3-5 business days - we have heard from some filers that it takes up to 2 weeks.  You will need to contact your financial institution to have this pre-authorization removed if it is an issue.  This does not mean that we are holding these funds or charging them from our office.  Generally we have seen these pre-authorizations being an issue if you use your regular checking account or bank card as your payment account vs. a standard credit card. 

     

13. Criminal eFiling?  The Lubbock County District Clerk’s office began permissive eFiling for criminal documents on April 1, 2017. Mandatory criminal eFiling began on January 1, 2018.  Exceptions are listed in the Supreme Court Rules. 

14. Documents filed under seal pursuant to a protective order?  If filed, must be filed over the counter or by mail in a sealed envelope clearly marked:
    
    

    "THIS ENVELOPE CONTAINS CONFIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS COVERED BY A PROTECTIVE ORDER OF THE COURT AND IS SUBMITTED UNDER SEAL PURSUANT TO THAT PROTECTIVE ORDER." 

 The www.eFileTexas.gov website has useful information about mandatory e-Filing schedules, EFSPs, active courts and frequently asked questions.

Domestic Relations

The Domestic Relations Office (DRO) in Lubbock County was established in early 2006.  As a statutorily-created DRO, we provide the following services:

Family/Divorce Mediation

Conservatorship, rights and duties during possession, visitation, child support, spousal maintenance, property/asset division, and debt/liability distribution are issues that can be mediated by a neutral third party.  Mediators are trained in the areas of family dynamics, child development, and family law.

Parent Coordinator or Facilitator

A parent coordinator or parent facilitator is an impartial person appointed by the Domestic Relations Office who works in accordance with the Texas Family Code Section 153.  They help parents implement a workable co-parenting plan and assure that the child will have a safe, stable, and nonviolent environment.  The neutral coordinator/facilitator assists the parents with issues such as conservatorship, rights and duties during possession, visitation and child support.

Community Supervision

Under a contract with the Office of the Attorney General for Texas (OAG), our office supervised non-custodial parents who have been found in contempt of a child support order.  Staff verifies employment and place of residence and makes periodic reports to the Court and OAG.  This service is designed to identify and reconcile the issues that prevent parents from making timely payments for the support of their children.  This service is also available outside the OAG contract.  

Supervised Visitation / Neutral Exchange

Monitors and law enforcement will supervise the visit and/or exchange of the children in a safe, neutral environment.

Adoption Evaluations

In 2015, the Texas Legislature eliminated social studies and substituted it with contested custody, adoption, and contested adoption evaluations.  Adoption evaluations are conducted by DRO evaluators whom have agreed to complete the evaluations in accordance with the Texas Administrative Code.

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