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

This page is for families in Harris County, Texas, including Houston. 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 Harris County District Clerk lists Texas Department of Family and Protective Services cases among the cases heard in the Juvenile Courts Harris County District Clerk, Juvenile. It posts a Child Protective Services docket schedule for the 313th, 314th and 315th courts Harris County District Clerk, Juvenile. 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 Harris County in its Region 6 Texas DFPS, Counties in DFPS Regions and Districts.

Courts that handle CPS cases in Harris County

In Harris County, the Juvenile Courts hear CPS cases Harris County District Clerk, Juvenile. The District Clerk says the Juvenile Courts decide matters involving young people who are not yet adults. The case types they hear include adoptions, juvenile delinquency and Texas Department of Family and Protective Services cases Harris County District Clerk, Juvenile.

CPS docket schedule. A docket is the court's schedule of hearings. The District Clerk lists these Child Protective Services dockets Harris County District Clerk, Juvenile:

• 313th: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
• 314th: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
• 315th: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoon.

Specialty courts. The District Clerk also lists two specialty courts for CPS cases Harris County District Clerk, Juvenile:

• Child Protective Court (CPC-997) hears all post-trial permanency CPS cases for the Family Courts and the 315th Juvenile Court Harris County District Clerk, Juvenile. (Permanency refers to a child's long-term home.)
• Gulf Coast Children's (GCC) Court hears post-trial permanency CPS cases for the 313th and 314th Juvenile Courts. It also hears all Participation in Services, Aid of Investigation and Texas Family First cases for the 315th Juvenile Court Harris County District Clerk, Juvenile. To learn what these kinds of cases are, see Court-Ordered Services in Texas CPS Cases (Family Code §264.203) and Order in Aid of Investigation: When DFPS Asks a Court for Access (Family Code §261.303).

Finding the courtroom. The District Clerk's juvenile page has a link to the current location of the Juvenile District Courts and the other district courts Harris County District Clerk, Juvenile. The clerk's Call Center can also help with court locations and court date updates (see below) Harris County District Clerk, Contact Us (Hours and Locations).

Getting court records

The Harris County District Clerk has separate intake desks for juvenile and family cases Harris County District Clerk, Juvenile Harris County District Clerk, Contact Us (Hours and Locations), and a Records Center for copies of court documents Harris County District Clerk, Contact Us (Hours and Locations). A clerk is the office that files court papers and keeps the official record of each case.

Harris County District Clerk

• Physical address: 1001 Preston, 6th Floor, Suite 630c, Houston, Texas 77002. Mailing address: P.O. Box 4651, Houston, Texas 77210-4651 Harris County District Clerk, Contact Us (Hours and Locations).
• General hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., unless noted otherwise. Phone: 832-927-5800 Harris County District Clerk, Contact Us (Hours and Locations).
• Call Center and General Customer Service: 1201 Franklin Street, 3rd Floor, Suite 3272, Houston, TX 77002. It helps with court locations, court date updates, how to buy copies and general questions. Call 832-927-5800 and press 1, then 8, to reach an operator Harris County District Clerk, Contact Us (Hours and Locations).
• Juvenile Justice Center location: 1200 Congress, Houston, TX 77002. Phone: (832) 927-5800 Harris County District Clerk, Juvenile.
• Juvenile Intake: 1200 Congress Street, Suite 6015, Houston, TX 77002. Phone: (713) 222-4865 Harris County District Clerk, Juvenile.
• Family Intake (filing, case information and fees for the family courts): 201 Caroline, 2nd Floor, Suite 210, Houston, TX 77002. Phone: 832-927-5700 Harris County District Clerk, Contact Us (Hours and Locations).
• Records Center: 5900 Canal St., Houston, TX 77011. It provides copies of judgments and other court documents, and record searches. Phone: 832-927-5860. Open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Free parking, and walk-ins are welcome Harris County District Clerk, Contact Us (Hours and Locations).

How to get copies

• You can buy copies online or at any of the clerk's customer service locations. In person, copies cost $1.00 per page, plus $5.00 for certification and seal Harris County District Clerk, Purchase Copies.
• Have the case (cause) number and the style (the names of the people in the case). If you don't have them, the clerk must do a search, which costs $5.00 more Harris County District Clerk, Purchase Copies.
• If you filed a Statement of Inability to Afford Payment of Court Costs in the case and no one contested it, you are entitled to copies without charge. The clerk says to call 832-927-5800 or come to the office for them Harris County District Clerk, Purchase Copies.
• The District Clerk's juvenile forms include an order to request confidential documents or sealed records Harris County District Clerk, Juvenile.

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 Harris County

DFPS lists Harris County in DFPS Region 6 Texas DFPS, Counties in DFPS Regions and Districts. The Region 6 headquarters is at 2525 Murworth Drive, Houston, TX 77054 Texas DFPS, Region 6.

DFPS's office list shows these Harris County locations with Child Protective Services (CPS) Texas DFPS, Region 6 Office Locations:

• 2525 Murworth, Houston, Texas 77054. Phone: (713) 394-4000. Programs: CPS, MS.
• 13838 Buffalo Speedway, Houston, Texas 77045. Phone: (713) 433-3145. Program: CPS.
• 2500 Bolsover St., Houston, Texas 77005. Phone: (713) 986-3300. Program: CPS.
• 3 Northpoint Dr., Houston, Texas 77060. Phone: (281) 847-7000. Programs: APS, CPS, MS.
• 5425 Polk St., Houston, Texas 77023. Phone: (713) 767-2000. Programs: APS, CCL, CPS, MS.
• 9111 Eastex Fwy., Ste. 600, Houston, Texas 77093. Phone: (713) 695-1110. Program: CPS.
• 9460 Harwin, Houston, Texas 77036. Phone: (713) 735-8901. Programs: CPS, MS.
• 9702 Bissonnet St., Ste. 2200W, Houston, Texas 77036. CPS phone: (713) 940-5100. Programs: CCL, CPS.
• 6500 FM 2100, Ste. 300, Crosby, Texas 77532. Phone: (281) 328-6613. Program: CPS.
• 3000 Wilson Rd., Humble, Texas 77396. Phone: (281) 964-6501. Program: CPS.

In DFPS's list, APS means Adult Protective Services, CCL means Child Care Licensing, CPS means Child Protective Services and MS means Management Services Texas DFPS, Region 6 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 shows nine Free Legal Aid listings for Harris County under Child Protective Services (CPS) TexasLawHelp.org, Legal Help Directory (Harris County, Child Protective Services). They include:

• Lone Star Legal Aid provides free advocacy, legal representation and referrals TexasLawHelp.org, Legal Help Directory (Harris County, Child Protective Services). It takes walk-in, online and phone applications, and its Houston office serves Harris County Lone Star Legal Aid, Houston Office. The office is at 1415 Fannin Street, Houston, TX 77002. Phone: (713) 652-0077 or (800) 733-8394. In-person hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday Lone Star Legal Aid, Houston Office. Phone applications are taken 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and online applications anytime Lone Star Legal Aid, Houston Office.
• Houston Volunteer Lawyers helps provide free legal services to low-income residents of Harris County. Phone: (713) 228-0735 TexasLawHelp.org, Legal Help Directory (Harris County, Child Protective Services).
• 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 (Harris 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 (Harris County, Child Protective Services).
• Harris County Law Library offers legal resources such as litigation guides and practice manuals. Phone: (713) 755-5183 TexasLawHelp.org, Legal Help Directory (Harris 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 Harris County, the State Bar of Texas sends people to its list of certified local referral services State Bar of Texas, Lawyer Referral & Information Service. The State Bar certifies referral services run by local bar associations and other nonprofit groups State Bar of Texas, Certified Lawyer Referral Services. Its list gives the Houston Lawyer Referral Service at (800) 289-4577 (toll free) or (713) 237-9429 (direct) State Bar of Texas, Certified Lawyer Referral 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 Harris 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.