Reviewed and updated October 7, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site between September 23, 2026 and October 1, 2026.
Houston, Texas, in Harris County, has about 2.4 million residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its court cases are filed in the Harris County District Court and the County Courts and Justice Courts, and the file of each case, kept by the District Clerk for district court cases and the County Clerk for county court cases, is the public record of it. This guide says which court hears what, where to look a case up and who keeps the files.
This guide covers the courts, the records page, criminal cases, kinds of files, directory links and common questions.
Related guides: Houston public records, Harris County public records, Houston warrants, Houston inmate search, Houston criminal records, Houston police reports, Texas arrest records and Texas inmate search.
The Courts That Hear Cases from Houston
In Houston, the Harris County District Court hears felonies, divorces, land title cases and civil cases without a dollar limit.
The County Courts and Justice Courts take misdemeanors in the County Court or County Court at Law; traffic tickets, evictions and small claims in the Justice Courts.
A city with a municipal court of its own tries the tickets written under its ordinances.
Divorces go to the District Court, and the file stays with the District Clerk.
The District Clerk for district court cases and the County Clerk for county court cases keep the files, and a copy of anything in a file comes from that office, under the court's own rules rather than the Texas Public Information Act.
Looking Up a Case from Houston
For Harris County, SearchSystems opened and checked the court records page for the county at jpwebsite.harriscountytx.gov/FindMyCase/search.jsp (page title: Harris County JP Public Access -- Welcome), which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026. That page belongs to a lower court, the County Courts and Justice Courts, not to the Harris County District Court.
Texas has no single public index of every trial court case; each court's records are looked up through that court.
The appellate courts' case search is at search.txcourts.gov/CaseSearch.aspx?coa=cossup.
What Reaches the Court from Houston
The District Attorney decides which arrests in Harris County become cases in the Harris County District Court or the County Courts and Justice Courts.
The District Attorney's page SearchSystems verified is at dao.harriscountytx.gov (page title: District Attorney’s Office), phone 713-274-5800, which answered when SearchSystems opened it on September 23, 2026.
The Kinds of Court Files
Criminal cases, divorces, traffic tickets and evictions all end up as files of these courts, and the file is what the public sees of each.
The other Houston guides take the kinds of file one at a time: Houston criminal records, Houston divorce records, Houston traffic tickets, Houston DUI and Houston property records.
More Official Court Pages for Harris County
The SearchSystems directory, online since 1997, lists the official pages for Harris County and Texas. These court pages from its Harris County listing were opened again on October 1, 2026 and each one still answers:
- First Court of Appeals (txcourts.gov)
- Harris County Clerk's Office (cclerk.hctx.net)
- Office of Harris County District Clerk (hcdistrictclerk.com)
- Office of Harris County District Clerk (hcdistrictclerk.com)
- Real Property Records Services (cclerk.hctx.net)
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I look up a court case in Houston?
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at jpwebsite.harriscountytx.gov; it belongs to a lower court, the County Courts and Justice Courts, not to the Harris County District Court.
Which court hears felonies in Houston?
The Harris County District Court, which hears felonies, divorces, land title cases and civil cases without a dollar limit. The County Courts and Justice Courts take misdemeanors in the County Court or County Court at Law; traffic tickets, evictions and small claims in the Justice Courts.
Who keeps the court records in Houston?
The District Clerk for district court cases and the County Clerk for county court cases. Copies come from that office under the court's own rules.
Is there a statewide court case search in Texas?
No. Each court's records are looked up through that court.
Is this the official Houston website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official city, county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.