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

This page is for families in Collin County, Texas, including McKinney and Plano. It gives you official local contacts for CPS cases: the courts, the clerk who keeps court records, a court program for parents with a pending CPS case, the DFPS office, and free or low-cost legal help. This is legal information, not legal advice.

The short answer

Collin County says its district courts' jurisdiction includes family law matters Collin County, Texas, Public Safety and Courts. Jurisdiction means the kinds of cases a court has the power to decide. The District Clerk keeps the records for those courts. Its office is at 2100 Bloomdale Rd., McKinney, Texas, 75071, phone (972) 548-4320 Collin County, Texas, District Clerk. 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 Collin County in its Region 3 Texas DFPS, Counties in DFPS Regions and Districts.

Courts that handle CPS cases in Collin County

Collin County's district courts handle felony cases, major civil cases and family law matters Collin County, Texas, Public Safety and Courts. The county's District Courts page lists 15 district courts: the 199th, 219th, 296th, 366th, 380th, 401st, 416th, 417th, 429th, 468th, 469th, 470th, 471st, 493rd and 494th Collin County, Texas, District Courts. The District Clerk says it runs the business operations of these 15 District Courts, which handle civil, family and felony criminal matters Collin County, Texas, District Clerk.

Not sure which court has your case? Collin County's Judicial Online Search app can search cases, along with warrants, inmates and civil papers Collin County, Texas, Public Safety and Courts. You can also ask the District Clerk (see below).

Before you go:

• Everyone goes through security screening before entering the Collin County Courthouse, so plan to arrive early Collin County, Texas, Public Safety and Courts.
• No metal drink containers are allowed in the courthouse Collin County, Texas, District Clerk.
• The Bloomdale Courthouse has free parking, including handicapped parking Collin County, Texas, District Clerk FAQ.

Family Preservation Drug Court (199th District Court)

The 199th District Court's programs page describes a Family Preservation Drug Court. Its mission is to provide substance abuse treatment in a non-adversarial setting, meaning a setting that is not set up as a fight between two sides Collin County, Texas, 199th District Court Programs (Family Preservation Drug Court).

• Who qualifies: parents who live in Collin County, whose allegations come from substance abuse or dependence, and who have a pending CPS case Collin County, Texas, 199th District Court Programs (Family Preservation Drug Court).
• What it involves: parents are asked to take random drug tests while in the program Collin County, Texas, 199th District Court Programs (Family Preservation Drug Court). See CPS Drug Testing in Texas: What DFPS Policy Says.
• What the court says participants get: more visitation with their children Collin County, Texas, 199th District Court Programs (Family Preservation Drug Court) and an attorney assigned to advise them on any legal issue Collin County, Texas, 199th District Court Programs (Family Preservation Drug Court). If a participant's child is in DFPS custody, the child may be placed back with the parent before 6 months of sobriety Collin County, Texas, 199th District Court Programs (Family Preservation Drug Court).
• How to apply: your attorney, or you if you represent yourself, emails the 199th District Court Coordinator to say you want to take part Collin County, Texas, 199th District Court Programs (Family Preservation Drug Court).
• 199th District Court: 2100 Bloomdale Rd., McKinney, Texas, 75071. Phone: (972) 548-4415 Collin County, Texas, 199th District Court.

Getting court records

The Collin County District Clerk is the registrar, recorder and custodian of all pleadings, filings and court records for the District Courts of Collin County Collin County, Texas, District Clerk. A clerk is the office that files court papers and keeps the official record of each case. For copies of court documents, the county says to contact the District Clerk Collin County, Texas, District Courts.

Collin County District Clerk

• Address: 2100 Bloomdale Rd., McKinney, Texas, 75071. Phone: (972) 548-4320 Collin County, Texas, District Clerk.
• Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Collin County, Texas, District Clerk.
• Record searches: Each record search at the clerk's office costs $5 Collin County, Texas, District Clerk. You can ask in person or by mail or email, but not by phone. Searches usually take one or two days Collin County, Texas, District Clerk. If you write in, send the Record Request Form with the person's full name and date of birth, a self-addressed stamped envelope, and a check or money order for the fee Collin County, Texas, District Clerk.

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 Collin County

DFPS lists Collin County in DFPS Region 3 Texas DFPS, Counties in DFPS Regions and Districts. The Region 3 headquarters is at 1200 E. Copeland Road, Arlington, TX 76011 Texas DFPS, Region 3.

DFPS's office list shows one location in Collin County Texas DFPS, Region 3 Office Locations:

• 550 E. 15th St., Ste. 120, Plano, Texas 75074. Phone: (469) 229-6900. Programs listed: APS, CCL and MS Texas DFPS, Region 3 Office Locations. In DFPS's list, APS means Adult Protective Services and CCL means Child Care Licensing Texas DFPS, Region 3 Office Locations; MS means Management Services Texas DFPS, Region 3 Office Locations.

DFPS's list does not show CPI (Child Protective Investigations) or CPS (Child Protective Services) at this location Texas DFPS, Region 3 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 Collin County under Child Protective Services (CPS) TexasLawHelp.org, Legal Help Directory (Collin County, Child Protective Services):

• Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas (LANWT) serves low-income residents in 114 counties in North and West Texas TexasLawHelp.org, Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas. TexasLawHelp.org lists CPS among its areas of work and Collin among the counties linked to it TexasLawHelp.org, Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas. Call its Legal Aid Line at (888) 529-5277, or fill out its online intake form TexasLawHelp.org, Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas.
• LANWT lists a McKinney office at 901 North McDonald St., Ste. 702, McKinney, TX 75069. Phone: 972-542-9405. Toll free: 866-511-8018 Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas, Locations.
• LANWT recommends calling your local office for some issues Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas, How to Apply, including ones related to child custody Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas, How to Apply.
• 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 (Collin 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 (Collin County, Child Protective Services).
• Texas Legal Services Center (TLSC) offers legal education, advocacy, advice and representation to underserved Texans TexasLawHelp.org, Legal Help Directory (Collin County, Child Protective Services).

Free legal information by phone: The Texas Legal Services Center Family Helpline gives free legal information and education about CPS issues TexasLawHelp.org, Child Protective Services (CPS). TexasLawHelp.org lists its number as 844-888-6565 TexasLawHelp.org, I want help and information on dealing with 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.

Collin County's Indigent Defense office lists a Fair Defense Plan for CPS Cases among its indigent defense plans Collin County, Texas, Indigent Defense. The office is at 2100 Bloomdale Rd., McKinney, Texas, 75071. Phone: (214) 491-4824 Collin County, Texas, Indigent Defense. Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed for lunch from noon to 1 p.m. Collin County, Texas, Indigent Defense.

Lawyer referral: TexasLawHelp.org lists three referral services for Collin County: the Dallas Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service, (214) 220-7444 TexasLawHelp.org, Legal Help Directory (Collin County, Child Protective Services); the Plano Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service, (972) 424-6113 TexasLawHelp.org, Legal Help Directory (Collin County, Child Protective Services); and the State Bar of Texas Lawyer Referral and Information Service, (800) 252-9690 TexasLawHelp.org, Legal Help Directory (Collin 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. DFPS's hotline list gives the same hours in Central Time Texas DFPS, Hotlines. The OCA handles complaints about specific cases that involve DFPS program policy Texas DFPS, Office of Consumer Affairs. 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. DFPS used to call this the OCR review process 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.
• Family Helpline (Texas Legal Services Center): 844-888-6565, for free legal information and education about CPS and DFPS issues TexasLawHelp.org, Child Protective Services (CPS) TexasLawHelp.org, I want help and information on dealing with Child Protective Services.

Guides that apply in Collin 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.