Lubbock County, Texas

State Of Texas - County Of Lubbock

Text Size: A | A | A

District Clerk Forms

General Information
FORMS
 
The forms contained on this website are provided for use by law offices or pro se litigants. The office of the Lubbock County District Clerk serves as custodian of records for the six district courts and for family, juvenile, adoption cases. We do not provide legal forms for the use by law offices or pro se litigants.
 
The deputy district clerks will not provide you with legal advice. If you have questions concerning your legal rights, you should contact an attorney of your choice or you may obtain a referral for legal services through the State Bar of Texas, Legal Referral Service by calling 1-800-252-9690 or 1-877-9TEXBAR (toll free).

 

 
Family

 
Civil
 

 
Criminal
 
 

 
Associate Judge
 
 

 
Misc Forms



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:

Technical Support:

Tyler Technologies
support@efiletexas.gov
855-839-3453

Clerk Support:

Alexandra Gongora, Chief Deputy
agongora@lubbockcounty.gov
806-775-1577

Sara L. Smith, District Clerk
slsmith@lubbockcounty.gov
806-775-1310

Amber Cooper, Supervisor
ACooper@lubbockcounty.gov
806-775-1578

Auto Attendant - 806-775-1585

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 email 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@lubbockcounty.gov 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.

Electronic Filing - Criminal

Lubbock County District Clerk Electronic Filing Information – Criminal

Beginning January 1, 2018, the Mandatory Criminal E-Filing deadline will take affect and Lubbock County will be under the Supreme Court mandate to electronically file criminal documents.

If you need to register for an Electronic Filing Service Provider, you may do so here: 

http://efiletexas.gov/service-providers.htm

eFile Support:

Technical Support: Tyler Technologies
support@efiletexas.gov
855-839-3453
Clerk Support: Alexandra Gongora, Chief Deputy
agongora@lubbockcounty.gov
806-775-1577
Sara Smith, District Clerk
slsmith@lubbockcounty.gov
806-775-1310
Amber Cooper, Supervisor
ACooper@lubbockcounty.gov
806-775-1578
Auto Attendant - 806-775-1585

FAQS:

  1. Case number format – how to search? When searching for a felony level case, you will search using Lubbock County – District Clerk – Criminal.  You will use the following case number format: DC-2023-CR-XXXX (4 digit number sequence at the end). You must use hyphens. If you are not able to find a case, please contact our office at 806-775-1577 or email agongora@lubbockcounty.gov.  

  2. Magistrate Cases?  To search for a criminal magistrate case, you will search under Lubbock County – District Clerk – CriminalYou will use a 14-letter/digit sequence assigned to the defendant, ie., PFF-2023-MAG-XXXX (4 digit number sequence at the end). You must use hyphens. If you are not able to find a case, please contact our office at (806) 775-1578 or email acooper@lubbockcounty.gov.

  3. Signature Block – email address required. In addition to the other required information, you must include the email address of the filing attorney in your signature block.

  4. Pre-Trial Motions, how to submit? All pre-trial motions should be submitted electronically.  The Courts will no longer be sending your pretrials down to us for filing.  You should submit multiple pre-trial motions in one envelope as separate lead documents.  Proposed orders should be submitted in separate envelope, as separate lead documents to forward to the Court’s queue.  We have contacted the three District Court Judges to determine their preferences on bringing copies for the court with you for hearing.

137th – Per Judge McClendon – he wants attorneys to bring file-marked copies of the motions with them to hearings and prefers filing 48 hours prior to hearing.

140th - Per Judge Douglas Freitag - he wants attorneys to file pretrial motions 48 hours in advance. If pretrials are not filed by 24 hours prior to hearing, attorneys will need to bring or email a copy to be sure he has them. 

364th – Per Judge Eichman – he wants attorneys to bring file-marked copies of the motions with them to hearings and prefers filing 48 house prior to hearing. 

  1. 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, you will first submit your motion, then submit your proposed order in a separate envelope.

  2. 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.

  3. Indictments and courtroom paperwork? Indictments will still be processed in the same manner.  Plea paperwork and other trial documents will still be generated on paper and processed as previously done.

  4. Documents filed ex parte, in camera or under seal? Any documents filed ex parte, in camera, or under seal, should not be e-filed.  These documents should be filed over the counter in your usual manner.

  5. Expunctions – when you submit a proposed order setting hearing on an expunction case, please list the applicant’s name on the proposed order to facilitate the settings through the court coordinator.

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

  7. 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.

  8. 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.

Fees

Civil Fees

Criminal Fees


PLEASE NOTE: 
THE DISTRICT CLERK'S OFFICE DOES NOT ACCEPT PERSONAL CHECKS OVER THE AMOUNT OF $30.  PAYMENT WILL BE ACCEPTED IN THE FORM OF CASH, CREDIT CARD, CASHIER'S CHECK OR MONEY ORDER.

Jury Information

NOTICE: If you are not available during your possible Service Week, you may find instructions on how to reschedule once using this link: Reschedule jury service.

You may also call (806) 775-1369 or email jurypool@lubbockcounty.gov.

*If request to reschedule is not made at least 24 hours before Online Report Date, it will be denied.

Jury Scam Warning: Lubbock County will never call to request payment for missed jury service. Report scam calls to the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office


How to Report for Jury Duty 

1. Read Your Summons.  

2. Complete the online questionnaire before the Online Report Date.

3. If you need to reschedule, you can do so once, but only before your Online Report Date. 

4. Check email/texts on Thursday after your Online Report Date to see if you’re selected. 

5. If Chosen: Follow rules for attire, parking, & electronics.  NO SHORTS, TANK TOPS, OR RUDE CLOTHING PERMITTED.

6. If Not Chosen: Your obligation is complete unless notified otherwise. 

7. Emergency after Selection? Contact your assigned court directly: Lubbock County Courts

Please click the following links for further information and instructions:

Grand Jury:

Use the link below to report. You only need to provide your Juror ID, birthdate, email address, and phone number. Grand Jury Service is once a week for 2 months. 

Click Here to Report Online for Jury Service

You do not have to appear on your Online Report Date if you report online. 

Requirements to Report Online:

  • Email access
  • Cell phone
  • Add jurypool@lubbockcounty.gov to safe senders list. 
  • Don't have access? Call (806) 775-1369 or visit Central Jury with your summons:
  • 1302 Crickets Avenue, Lubbock, TX  79401, Mon-Fri, 8 AM - 4 PM

When Appearing for Panel Assignment:

  • DO NOT bring guns, ammunition, knives, weapons, or sharp objects to the Courthouse. You will be required to pass through metal detectors and are subject to be searched. Purses, briefcases, or other containers may also be searched.
  • Attire: Proper clothing is required. NOT PERMITTED: Shorts, tank tops, t-shirts, hats or caps.
  • Cell phones or other electronic devices must be silenced or turned off. 

Where do I park?

Free parking is available at 13th Street and Crickets Avenue directly across from the Central Jury Room.

What if I need a ride to jury?

If you need a Citibus pass to get to jury service, call (806) 775-1369 or email jurypool@lubbockcounty.gov as soon as you receive your summons. We'll mail one to you before your service date.  

What if I have a disability but can still serve?

Jury service is open to everyone under the American Disabilities Act (ADA). If you need accommodations, contact the Office of Court Administration within 2 business days of receiving your summons at access@lubbockcounty.gov or call (806) 775-1360.

Can I be fired for jury duty?

No. Texas law says a private employer cannot fire a permanent employee for serving on a jury or grand jury. If it happens, you have the right to get your job back if you notify your employer promptly after being released (Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 122.001).

What happens if I ignore my summons?

If you don't respond or give false information to be excused, you can be fined $100-$1,000 (Government Code § 62.0141).  If you don't show up without a good reason or file a false exemption, you can be fined $100-$500 (Government Code § 62.111; see also Code of Criminal Procedure Art. 19.16 and 35.01).

Why is jury service important?

The U.S. and Texas Constitutions guarantee the right to a fair trial by jury. Serving ensures every person, no matter their background, has the chance to be judged by an impartial group of citizens.

Does the information on this page replace the Judge's Instructions? 

No. Always follow the Judge's instructions if they differ.  

If you need further assistance, please call (806) 775-1369 or email jurypool@lubbockcounty.gov.

Passport Information

DC Passport Services

Self-Help Information

Expunctions

   This contact list is provided as a convenience. You are NOT required to include every agency on these lists. DO NOT include agencies in your petition who do not have records related to your case. 

Agency Contact Information

  • Services
     

Contact Us

904 Broadway, P.O. Box 10536, Lubbock, TX 79408
Sara L. Smith
District Clerk

In this Department

Related Pages

More Information