Find arraignment dates, hearing schedules, and criminal case status for any Texas county court. Learn how to look up court dates in all 254 Texas county courts, and what the Texas criminal court timeline looks like from arrest to resolution.
ⓘ Calls may be answered by a licensed bail bond agent or attorney referral service.Texas has two main levels of criminal courts. Which court handles your case depends on the offense level.
Class A and B misdemeanor cases (punishable by up to one year in county jail) are handled in the County Court at Law in each Texas county. Class C misdemeanors (fines only) are handled in Justice of the Peace courts or municipal courts. Most misdemeanor cases resolve within 3 to 9 months of arrest through plea agreements.
Common misdemeanors: DWI (first offense), assault, theft under $2,500, possession of marijuana under 2 oz, trespassing, disorderly conduct.
Felony cases are prosecuted in the Texas District Courts after grand jury indictment. Texas has multiple district courts in each county that handle criminal cases. Felony cases typically take 6 to 18 months from arrest to resolution, though complex cases can take years. Grand jury indictment adds 30 to 90 days to the timeline.
Common felonies: DWI 3rd or more, assault causing serious injury, drug possession with intent, robbery, burglary, theft over $2,500.
After arrest, the person is transported to the county jail for booking. Booking typically takes 4 to 12 hours. The arrest record appears in the county jail roster after booking is complete.
A Texas magistrate must appear within 48 hours of arrest. At this hearing, the defendant is informed of the charges, their right to an attorney is explained, and bail conditions are set. This is not yet the formal arraignment.
Felony charges must be presented to a grand jury, which decides whether sufficient evidence exists to indict. If indicted, the case moves to district court. If the grand jury returns a "no bill," the charges are dismissed.
At arraignment, the defendant enters a formal plea of guilty, not guilty, or nolo contendere. Most defendants plead not guilty at arraignment to preserve time for negotiations. The judge sets future court dates.
Before trial, there are typically multiple pre-trial hearings for motions, evidence hearings, and ongoing plea negotiations. The vast majority of Texas criminal cases (over 90 percent) resolve through plea agreements before trial.
For counties not listed, search "[County Name] District Clerk Texas" to find the official court records portal. For any Texas county, call us free at (346) 352-1115 for assistance locating court date information.
To find a court date in Texas, search the district clerk's website for the county where the arrest occurred. Most Texas counties have online case search portals. For Harris County, search at hcdc.hctx.net. For Dallas, use dallascourtsonline.com. For Travis County, use traviscountytx.gov. If no online portal exists, call the county district clerk directly.
Under Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Article 15.17, a magistrate must appear within 48 hours of arrest to inform the defendant of charges and set bail. This is called the magistration hearing. The formal arraignment (where a plea is entered) typically occurs within 2 to 4 weeks for misdemeanors and 4 to 8 weeks for felonies after indictment.
The Article 15.17 magistration hearing must occur within 48 hours of arrest. At this hearing, bail is set and the defendant is informed of their rights. The arraignment is a later hearing, usually after indictment, where the defendant formally enters a plea of guilty, not guilty, or nolo contendere.
If a defendant fails to appear for a scheduled court date in Texas, the judge issues a capias warrant for their immediate arrest. The bail bond is forfeited. A new bail amount is set, often higher than the original. Defendants who miss court dates typically face more difficult circumstances when they eventually appear, including higher bail and less favorable plea options.
Felony court dates in Texas are handled in district courts. Search the district clerk's website for the county where the arrest occurred. You will need the defendant's full legal name or case number. If the case has been indicted by a grand jury, the case number will have changed from the original arrest number.
A defense attorney can file a motion for continuance requesting a postponement of a court date in Texas. Continuances are routinely granted for legitimate reasons such as attorney scheduling conflicts, additional time needed to review evidence, or witness unavailability. The prosecutor and judge must agree to the continuance.
For felony cases, Texas requires grand jury indictment before a case proceeds to district court. The grand jury process typically adds 30 to 90 days to the timeline. After indictment, the defendant is arraigned in district court and receives a new case number. Misdemeanor cases do not require grand jury indictment.
If someone is currently in a Texas county jail, the booking record usually shows the next scheduled court appearance. You can also call the county district clerk directly with the person's full name. The jail staff can sometimes provide court date information for currently incarcerated defendants.
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