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

This page is for families in Denton County, Texas, including Denton, Lewisville and Carrollton. 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

Denton County lists its district courts on one "District / Family Courts" page, with an address of 1450 E McKinney Street, 3rd Floor, Denton, TX 76209 Denton County, Texas, District / Family Courts. The District Clerk keeps the records for the district courts Denton County, Texas, District Clerk. Its office is at 1450 E McKinney Street, 1st Floor, phone 940-349-2200 Denton 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 Denton County in its Region 3 Texas DFPS, Counties in DFPS Regions and Districts. One of its Denton County offices is at 535 S. Loop 288, Ste. 2001, Denton, (940) 381-3400 Texas DFPS, Region 3 Office Locations.

Courts that handle CPS cases in Denton County

Denton County's District / Family Courts page lists 12 district courts: the 16th, 158th, 211th, 362nd, 367th, 393rd, 431st, 442nd, 462nd, 467th, 477th and 481st Denton County, Texas, District / Family Courts. The page gives the address 1450 E McKinney Street, 3rd Floor, Denton, TX 76209 Denton County, Texas, District / Family Courts.

• 442nd District Court: its page has a "CPS Requirements & Forms" section with the court's CPS requirements and a CPS scheduling order Denton County, Texas, 442nd District Court. Address: 1450 E McKinney Street, 4th Floor, Denton, TX 76209 Denton County, Texas, 442nd District Court. Phone: 940-349-4380 Denton County, Texas, 442nd District Court.

Not sure which court has your case? Use Denton County's public access website and choose "District Court Case Records and Calendar" Denton County, Texas, District Clerk FAQs. Cases sealed by a court order or by law can't be viewed there Denton County, Texas, District Clerk FAQs.

Before you go: The county warns not to contact a judge by mail, e-mail, phone or in person about any pending or possible lawsuit. Doing so may have serious consequences Denton County, Texas, District / Family Courts. Talk to your lawyer instead.

Getting court records

The District Clerk supports the district courts. It is the registrar, recorder and custodian of the court papers in any civil or criminal district court case Denton County, Texas, District Clerk. A clerk is the office that files court papers and keeps the official record of each case. The office keeps records for the District Courts of Denton County Denton County, Texas, District Clerk.

Denton County District Clerk

• Address: 1450 E McKinney Street, 1st Floor, Denton, TX 76209 Denton County, Texas, District Clerk.
• Mailing address: P.O. Box 2146, Denton, TX 76202. Phone: 940-349-2200 or 972-434-8822 Denton County, Texas, District Clerk.
• Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Denton County, Texas, District Clerk, except holidays and bad weather Denton County, Texas, District Clerk FAQs.
• How to get copies: Fill out a Record Request Form. You can turn it in at 1450 E McKinney Street, mail it to P.O. Box 2146, Denton, Texas 76202, fax it to 940-349-5754, or email it Denton County, Texas, District Clerk. The clerk lists [email protected], and requests also need payment Denton County, Texas, District Clerk FAQs. No request is worked without a completed form Denton County, Texas, District Clerk.
• Certified copies are made on paper and mailed to you. Plain (uncertified) copies can be emailed Denton County, Texas, District Clerk FAQs.
• Seeing documents: To view documents in a case file, use the public computers in the lobby of the District Clerk's office or the courthouse lobby Denton County, Texas, District Clerk FAQs.
• The District Clerk does not provide legal forms. Some forms are available at the Denton County Law Library, 121 N. Woodrow Lane, Suite 160, Denton, or online at www.texaslawhelp.org Denton County, Texas, District Clerk FAQs.

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 Denton County

DFPS lists Denton 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 four locations in Denton County Texas DFPS, Region 3 Office Locations:

• 535 S. Loop 288, Ste. 2001, Denton, Texas 76205. Phone: (940) 381-3400. Programs listed: APS, CCI, CCL, CPI, CPS, RCCL and RCI Texas DFPS, Region 3 Office Locations.
• 190 Civic Circle Dr., Lewisville, Texas 75067. Phone: (972) 221-3910. Programs listed: CPI, CPS and SWI Texas DFPS, Region 3 Office Locations.
• 1854 Cain Dr., Lewisville, Texas 75077. Phone: (972) 317-2818. Programs listed: CAC and CPI Texas DFPS, Region 3 Office Locations.
• 1712 W. Frankford Rd., Ste. 100, Carrollton, Texas 75007. Phone: (972) 820-1900. Programs listed: CCI, CPS and SWI Texas DFPS, Region 3 Office Locations.

In DFPS's list, APS means Adult Protective Services, CAC means Child Advocacy Center, CCI means Child Care Investigations, CCL means Child Care Licensing, CPI means Child Protective Investigations and CPS means Child Protective Services Texas DFPS, Region 3 Office Locations. RCCL means Residential Child Care Services, RCI means Residential Care Investigations and SWI means Statewide Intake 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 Denton County under Child Protective Services (CPS) TexasLawHelp.org, Legal Help Directory (Denton 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 Denton 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 Denton office at 2220 San Jacinto Blvd., Ste. 205, Denton, TX 76205. Phone: 940-383-1406. Toll free: 800-955-1407 Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas, Locations.
• LANWT says you can apply by phone for any civil legal matter, but it recommends calling your local office in some situations Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas, How to Apply, including issues 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 (Denton 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 (Denton County, Child Protective Services).
• Texas Legal Services Center (TLSC) offers legal education, advocacy, advice and representation to underserved Texans TexasLawHelp.org, Legal Help Directory (Denton 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.

Lawyer referral: TexasLawHelp.org lists the State Bar of Texas Lawyer Referral and Information Service at (800) 252-9690 for help finding a Texas lawyer to hire TexasLawHelp.org, Legal Help Directory (Denton 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 Denton 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.