Bexar County, Texas: CPS Courts, Court Records, DFPS Offices and Free Legal Help

This page is for families in Bexar County, Texas, including San Antonio. It gives you official local contacts for CPS cases: the courts, the clerk who keeps court records, the DFPS offices, and free or low-cost legal help. This is legal information, not legal advice.

The short answer

The Bexar County District Clerk says the Civil Courts have Child Abuse & Neglect Courts. These courts handle emergency protection cases, and the termination and adoption cases that come from them Bexar County District Clerk, Civil Courts. The county's Children's Court is at 100 Dolorosa, 3rd Floor, San Antonio, phone 210-335-2768 Bexar County, Children's Court. DFPS (the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services Texas DFPS, Contact Us, the state agency whose programs include Child Protective Services Texas DFPS, Office of Consumer Affairs) lists Bexar County in its Region 8 Texas DFPS, Counties in DFPS Regions and Districts.

Courts that handle CPS cases in Bexar County

The Bexar County District Clerk lists Child Abuse & Neglect Courts within the county's Civil Courts Bexar County District Clerk, Civil Courts. The clerk says these courts handle emergency protection cases, plus the termination (ending parental rights) and adoption cases that come from those emergency protection cases Bexar County District Clerk, Civil Courts. To ask for a court setting or hearing with the Children's Courts, the clerk says to call 210-335-2768 Bexar County District Clerk, Civil Courts.

The Children's Court. The county's Commissioners Court paid to create a courtroom that is child-friendly and sensitive to the needs of abused and neglected children. It is on the renovated 3rd floor of the historic Bexar County Courthouse Bexar County, Children's Court.

• Address: 100 Dolorosa, 3rd Floor, San Antonio, TX 78205. Phone: 210-335-2768 Bexar County, Children's Court.
• The courtroom has a Children's Protection Room. It is a secure space inside the courtrooms for children who come to hearings Bexar County, Children's Court.
• The court uses video-conferencing so that parents who are in jail or prison can testify Bexar County, Children's Court.

Programs at the Children's Court. The county's Children's Court pages list programs that include an Early Childhood Court and a Family Drug Court Bexar County, Children's Court:

• Family Drug Court. Its mission is to serve families separated by alcohol and drug abuse, and to help parents recover from addiction and care for their children Bexar County, Family Drug Court. See also CPS Drug Testing in Texas: What DFPS Policy Says.
• Early Childhood Court. Its mission is to support families with infants and toddlers in the child welfare system, with wraparound services (many kinds of help coordinated together) Bexar County, Early Childhood Court.

District Clerk employees may not give legal advice Bexar County District Clerk, Civil Filing. Ask a lawyer instead (see below).

Getting court records

The Bexar County District Clerk is the official custodian of record (the official keeper of the files) for civil district court records in Bexar County Bexar County District Clerk, Records. Its Civil Courts Section keeps the civil courts' daily non-jury dockets on all civil and family matters Bexar County District Clerk, Civil Courts. A clerk is the office that files court papers and keeps the official record of each case.

Bexar County District Clerk

• Main downtown location: Paul Elizondo Tower, 101 W Nueva, Suite 217, San Antonio, TX 78205-3411. Phone: 210-335-2113. All mail should go to this address Bexar County District Clerk, Administration (Offices and Contact Information).
• Civil Records (to buy copies in person): 210-335-2661, Paul Elizondo Tower, 101 W. Nueva St. Bexar County District Clerk, Records. The clerk also lists its Records Office at 210-335-2653 Bexar County District Clerk, Administration (Offices and Contact Information). The Records Division answers public questions about the status and outcome of civil cases Bexar County District Clerk, Administration (Offices and Contact Information).
• Online search: The clerk's Civil Court Records Search finds court records by name or record number Bexar County District Clerk, Records.
• Civil Filing takes new suits and later filings for civil and some family matters in the district courts. Main line: 210-335-2621 Bexar County District Clerk, Civil Filing. In-person filing at the counter is accepted only in an emergency or from people who don't have a lawyer Bexar County District Clerk, Civil Filing.

Fees and payment

• Copies are $1.00 per page. A certified copy is $5.00 per document, after the copy fee. A searching fee is $5.00 Bexar County District Clerk, Fee Schedule.
• The clerk does not accept personal checks. It accepts cash, cashier's checks, money orders, Discover, Visa and Mastercard Bexar County District Clerk, Fee Schedule.

Court records are different from DFPS's own case records. To ask DFPS for its records, see How to Get Your CPS Case Records in Texas.

DFPS in Bexar County

DFPS lists Bexar County in DFPS Region 8 Texas DFPS, Counties in DFPS Regions and Districts. The Region 8 headquarters is at 3635 S.E. Military Drive, San Antonio, TX 78223 Texas DFPS, Region 8.

DFPS's office list shows these locations in Bexar County Texas DFPS, Region 8 Office Locations:

• 3635 S.E. Military Dr., San Antonio, Texas 78223. Phone: (210) 333-2004. Programs: APS, CCI, CPI, CPS, MS, RCI.
• 2118 S. Zarzamora, San Antonio, Texas 78207. Phone: (210) 270-4000. Programs: CPI, CPS.
• 2538 Castroville Rd., San Antonio, Texas 78237. Phone: (210) 431-5600. Programs: CPS, RCI.
• 905 Pleasanton Rd., San Antonio, Texas 78214. Phone: (210) 977-1263. Programs: CPI, CPS.
• 10223 Nacogdoches Rd., San Antonio, Texas 78217-2858. Phone: (210) 871-3000. Programs: APS, CPI, CPS, MS.

In DFPS's list, APS means Adult Protective Services, CCI means Child Care Investigations, CPI means Child Protective Investigations, CPS means Child Protective Services, MS means Management Services and RCI means Residential Care Investigations Texas DFPS, Region 8 Office Locations.

If you have a question or complaint about your own case, DFPS says to contact its Office of Consumer Affairs Texas DFPS, Questions and Complaints. Its contact details are under "Statewide numbers" below.

Free and low-cost legal help

TexasLawHelp.org lists four free legal aid groups for Bexar County under Child Protective Services (CPS) TexasLawHelp.org, Legal Help Directory (Bexar County, Child Protective Services). Here are three of them:

• Texas RioGrande Legal Aid (TRLA) provides free advocacy, legal representation and referrals TexasLawHelp.org, Legal Help Directory (Bexar County, Child Protective Services). TRLA lists Bexar among the counties it serves. To ask for help, call (956) 996-8752 or (833) 329-8752 (toll free). The line is open weekdays, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Central Time Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, Offices. TRLA lists a San Antonio office at 9501 Console Dr., San Antonio, TX 78229 Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, Offices.
• Texas Foster Youth Justice Project gives free legal help to current and former foster youth in Texas. Phone: (877) 313-3688 TexasLawHelp.org, Legal Help Directory (Bexar County, Child Protective Services).
• Texas Free Legal Answers lets Texans with low or modest incomes work online with a volunteer lawyer for free TexasLawHelp.org, Legal Help Directory (Bexar County, Child Protective Services).

Can the court give you a lawyer? In some CPS cases, yes. If DFPS sues to end your parental rights or to be named your child's conservator (the person or agency the court gives legal custody), the court must appoint a lawyer for a parent who is indigent (can't afford a lawyer) and who opposes the case Tex. Fam. Code §107.013(a). If you don't have a lawyer the first time you appear in court in that kind of case, the court must tell you about your right to a lawyer and, if you are indigent and oppose the case, your right to a court-appointed one Tex. Fam. Code §107.013(a-1). Learn more in Your Right to a Lawyer in a Texas CPS Case.

Lawyer referral (to hire a lawyer): For Bexar County, the State Bar of Texas sends people to its list of certified local referral services State Bar of Texas, Lawyer Referral & Information Service. That list includes the San Antonio Bar Association (www.salawhelp.org) State Bar of Texas, Certified Lawyer Referral Services. TexasLawHelp.org lists the San Antonio Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service at (210) 227-8822. It helps Bexar County residents find a lawyer to hire TexasLawHelp.org, Legal Help Directory (Bexar County, Child Protective Services).

Statewide numbers

• Emergency: DFPS says to call 9-1-1 Texas DFPS, Contact Us.
• Texas Abuse/Neglect Hotline: 1-800-252-5400, or report online at www.txabusehotline.org. Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week Texas DFPS, Hotlines.
• DFPS Office of Consumer Affairs (OCA): (800) 720-7777, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Texas DFPS, Office of Consumer Affairs. The OCA handles complaints about specific cases that involve DFPS program policy. You can also use its online question and complaint form, or write to OCA/DFPS, PO Box 149030, MC: Y946, Austin TX 78714-9030 Texas DFPS, Office of Consumer Affairs.
• The OCA also does formal reviews when a CPS investigation concludes that a person abused or neglected a child Texas DFPS, Office of Consumer Affairs. See How to Ask for an ARIF (Administrative Review of CPS Findings) in Texas and CPS Investigation Findings in Texas: Reason to Believe, Ruled Out and More.
• The OCA does not review what courts or law enforcement do or order Texas DFPS, Office of Consumer Affairs.
• Texas Parent Helpline: 1-833-680-0611. Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week Texas DFPS, Hotlines.
• DFPS Records Management Group (to ask for a DFPS record): 1-877-764-7230. Open 8:30 a.m. to noon and 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Central Time, Monday through Friday Texas DFPS, Hotlines.

Guides that apply in Bexar County

• The Texas CPS Investigation Process, Step by Step (Family Code §§261.301–261.302)
• Your Rights When Texas CPS Contacts You (Family Code §261.307)
• CPS Investigation Findings in Texas: Reason to Believe, Ruled Out and More
• Family-Based Safety Services (FBSS) in Texas: What Families Should Know
• Court-Ordered Services in Texas CPS Cases (Family Code §264.203)
• CPS Drug Testing in Texas: What DFPS Policy Says
• Your Right to a Lawyer in a Texas CPS Case
• How to Get Your CPS Case Records in Texas

Information verified against official sources on 2026-10-02. Call ahead; hours and locations can change.