Denton County District Court Case Search

In Denton County, the district court clerk's office maintains information on all court cases and judicial actions that occurred in the courthouse.

Public members may conduct searches for these records to obtain information about court events and to ensure transparency in court conduct. To obtain court records, public members are generally required to use resources provided by government entities. The record entity may, however, withhold court documents whose disclosure is deemed to not be in the public interest. Such records may include the following:

• Judicial drafts that were used by court officials to make decisions in a court-related event.
• Documents that are exempt due to court orders or statutes.
• Documents that reveal personal data of crime victims, witnesses, or minors.

What Kinds of Cases Are heard in the Denton District Court?

The Denton County district court has original jurisdiction over criminal, civil, and family law cases. Court case types that fall under the court’s jurisdiction include the following:

• Criminal: Felonies and some misdemeanors, ordinance violations, and juvenile criminal cases.
• Civil: General civil (unlimited), civil equity, complex commercial, administrative agency appeals, and real estate title and boundary,
• Family law: All family law cases, including those that fall under juvenile case types.

Denton County’s district court does not have a specialized division for handling specific cases. All case types are heard in any of the court’s physical locations.

Denton County District Court

The Denton County District Court is the county's highest trial-level court. It has original jurisdiction over most criminal, civil, and family cases. When the court has limited jurisdiction, it will hear cases that are more severe or have a higher financial threshold.

In Denton County, the district courts are the central pillar of the county’s justice system since they mostly oversee cases that are considered to be of public importance. For this reason, residents may file cases with the court to resolve important disputes, ensure justice, and protect their civil rights and liberties. The Denton County district courts are located at these addresses:

District Courts in Denton County
Denton County 16th District Court
Denton County Courts Building
1450 East McKinney Street
P.O. Box 2146
Denton, TX 76202
Phone: (940) 349-2200
Fax: (940) 349-2201 (Civil/Family)
Fax: (940) 349-2211 (Criminal)

Denton County 158th District Court
Denton County Courts Building
1450 East McKinney Street
P.O. Box 2146
Denton, TX 76202
Phone: (940) 349-2200
Fax: (940) 349-2201 (Civil/Family)
Fax: (940) 349-2211 (Criminal)

Denton County 211th District Court
Denton County Courts Building
1450 East McKinney Street
P.O. Box 2146, Denton, TX 76202
Phone: (940) 349-2200
Fax: (940) 349-2201 (Civil/Family)
Fax: (940) 349-2211 (Criminal)

Denton County 362nd District Court
Denton County Courts Building
1450 East McKinney Street
P.O. Box 2146
Denton, TX 76202
Phone: (940) 349-2200
Fax: (940) 349-2201 (Civil/Family)
Fax: (940) 349-2211 (Criminal)

Denton County 367th District Court
Denton County Courts Building
1450 East McKinney Street
P.O. Box 2146
Denton, TX 76202
Phone: (940) 349-2200
Fax: (940) 349-2201 (Civil/Family)
Fax: (940) 349-2211 (Criminal)

Denton County 393rd District Court
Denton County Courts Building
1450 East McKinney Street
P.O. Box 2146
Denton, TX 76202
Phone: (940) 349-2200
Fax: (940) 349-2201 (Civil/Family)
Fax: (940) 349-2211 (Criminal)

Denton County 431st District Court
Denton County Courts Building
1450 East McKinney Street
P.O. Box 2146
Denton, TX 76202
Phone: (940) 349-2200
Fax: (940) 349-2201 (Civil/Family)
Fax: (940) 349-2211 (Criminal)

Denton County Case Lookup

There are multiple options or resources for looking up and accessing court case records in Denton County. Such options may include the following:

Online searches or requests for Denton County court records

Interested parties can conduct online searches for court records through databases maintained by local and state-level entities. At the local level, Denton County maintains a judicial and law enforcement record search platform for accessing case records and calendars. To use the platform, inquirers must select the court that handled the case before inputting relevant search information.

In contrast, the Texas Judicial Branch hosts a searchable database for cases filed with courts in the appellate system. To view records on the platform, inquirers must select the following criteria:

• The court name
• Case number
• Case status
• Trial court number
• Trial county.

Walk-in requests for court records

Denton County court records are accessible through in-person requests to the designated record custodians. For instance, you can get district court records by visiting the district court clerk’s office at this location:

1450 East McKinney Street
1st Floor
Denton, TX 76209
Phone: (940) 349-2200

For access to municipal court records, inquirers must direct their request to the Denton County clerk’s office at:

1450 East McKinney Street
Denton, TX 76209

Note: The courts may attend to in-person requests during weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. There are no self-service terminals for viewing records at the courthouses.

Mail-in requests for court records in Denton County

To access Denton County’s district court records via mail or email, interested parties must follow these steps:

1. Download and fill out the record request form
2. Include the required fee in your preferred payment option. Court records are $1 per page, while certified copies are $5 per certification.
3. Attach a valid ID to access confidential records.
4. Mail or email the documents and fees to:

P.O. Box 2146
Denton, TX 76209
Denton, TX 76202
Email: dcrecords@dentoncounty.gov

Note: The clerk’s office processes mail-based requests within 10 business days.

Denton District Court Case Search by Name

Name-based inquiries allow inquirers to retrieve court records by providing only the case party’s names. To name-search Denton County district court records, inquirers may use an online search database or make an in-person request to the court clerk’s office. To view the records on the search database, inquirers must first select the "district court" in the dropdown menu. Next, they must input the case party’s name in the search option.

Note that name-based searches are mostly inaccurate and may bring up case files of persons with similar names. To fine-tune the search result, inquirers must include additional case information like case filing date, number, and type.

Denton District Court Docket Search

Court dockets provide information on all court events related to case proceedings. Such records may include information on filed motions, upcoming hearing dates, party names, judgments, and orders.

To find court dockets in Denton County, record seekers may conduct searches via the county’s online case platform. Record seekers using the platform must first click "District Court Case Records & Calendar" and then select "District Court Calendar" to view court dockets. Conversely, you can view court docket information by visiting the court clerk’s office at:

1450 East McKinney Street
1st Floor
Denton, TX 76209
Phone: (940) 349-2200

Note: Court docket searches are important for staying updated on future court events and to track case progress.

Lookup Denton County District Court Online

Interested persons or entities can access Denton County district court records through the county’s online case repository, which provides information on case files and court dockets. Alternatively, third-party search platforms like Texascourtrecords.us may offer online access to district court records in Denton County. Such platforms are typically easy to use and do not restrict out-of-state requesters from accessing court documents. However, these sites operate outside government jurisdiction and may not contain accurate court data.

Supreme Court vs. District Court

In Denton County, the Supreme Court differs from the district court in terms of court system, jurisdiction, and functions. The Supreme Court has the highest appellate authority, while the District Court is the highest trial-level court in the county. Based on function, the District Court is a trial-level court that oversees most criminal, civil, and family law cases. However, the Supreme Court hears final appeals concerning criminal and civil cases and issues writs.