Mission Statement

Direct business activities to provide first class service to our customers; contribute to the welfare of county government through efficient, cost-effective management; maximize customer satisfaction by meeting customer expectations; maximize employee participation in management decisions; and ensure that we are first class public servants.

About the District Clerk's Office

The District Clerk's Office is an integral part of the function of the district courts as provided by Article 5, Section 9 of the Texas Constitution. The district clerk performs the Constitutional duties as registrar, recorder, and custodian of all court pleadings, instruments, and papers that are part of any legal cause of action in any district court. Fort Bend County Consists of:

  • 8 District Courts
  • 8 Associate Judges
  • Attorney General Court
  • CPS Cluster Court
  • Sanctions Court
  • E.N.D Court

The clerk's office is the nerve center of the district courts, the link between the courts and the people, as well as the heart of a large network that provides vital information to other agencies and offices.

One important duty of the clerk is the managing and summoning of jurors for all of the District, County, and Justice Courts, as well as the Grand Jury. Persons are summoned for petit jury service from a computerized tape that consists of the names of registered voters and persons having a Texas Driver License or identification card. Names are randomly selected from the tape and the list is reconstituted every three years.

Case filed and disposed with the District Clerk's Office from January 2022 to January 2024 are as follows:

Text hidden Filed Disposed
Civil 14,239 14,472
Family 14,936 14,537
Criminal   9,822 7,230

The District Clerk is a fee officer. The majority of civil legal filings require a fee or the filing of an Affidavit of Inability to Pay. From January 2022 to January 2024, this office collected $11,815,980.08 in fees. Court costs are collected for other county departments such as the cost for service of process by the sheriff or constables. This office also collects fines levied by the courts in criminal cases. 

 Some of the other ministerial duties that the district clerk performs are:

  • Filing and assigning causes of action in civil, criminal, and family matters, including divorces, name changes, serious personal injury, child support and custody, delinquent taxes, product liability, contracts, real estate, felony indictments, revocations, bond forfeitures, and expunctions;
  • Issuing writs, citations, abstracts of judgment, executions, warrants, restraining orders, temporary orders, show cause orders, and subpoenas;
  • Preparing civil and criminal appeals;
  • Maintaining exhibits;
  • Attending trials;
  • Providing clerical support in courtrooms;
  • Indexing records;
  • Performing background searches;
  • Maintaining permanent court records; and
  • Depositing and maintaining funds paid into the Registry of the Court