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

This page is for families in Travis County, Texas, including Austin. 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

Travis County's page for the 126th District Court says that court's judge is responsible for the oversight and administration of all CPS cases filed in Travis County Travis County, Texas, 126th District Court. The Civil and Family Courts are at 1700 Guadalupe St, Austin, TX 78701 Travis County, Texas, CPS Court Files. 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 Travis County in its Region 7 Texas DFPS, Counties in DFPS Regions and Districts.

Courts that handle CPS cases in Travis County

Travis County's page for the 126th District Court says the court's judge is the district judge responsible for the oversight and administration of all Child Protective Services (CPS) cases filed in Travis County Travis County, Texas, 126th District Court. The 126th is also a designated Juvenile Court for Travis County Travis County, Texas, 126th District Court. The court's page has a section of information for the "Travis County CPS Courts," including CPS court files Travis County, Texas, 126th District Court.

Where the courts are (as the county publishes them):

• Civil and Family Courts: 1700 Guadalupe St, Austin, TX 78701 Travis County, Texas, CPS Court Files.
• 126th Civil District Court: 1700 Guadalupe, 7th floor, Austin, TX 78701. Phone: (512) 854-5965 Travis County, Texas, 126th District Court. Court Administration Office: (512) 854-2484 Travis County, Texas, 126th District Court.

Court forms for parents. The county's CPS Court Files page has an Affidavit of Indigence and Request for Court-Appointed Attorney, in English and in Spanish Travis County, Texas, CPS Court Files. An affidavit of indigence is a sworn statement that you can't afford a lawyer. The page also has CPS mediation forms Travis County, Texas, CPS Court Files.

Before you go:

• The Civil and Family Courts Facility is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Travis County, Texas, Civil & Family Courts Facility.
• You will go through airport-style security screening run by the Travis County Sheriff's Office, with X-ray machines and metal detectors Travis County, Texas, Civil & Family Courts Facility.
• Unless the parties agree otherwise and it is properly announced, or the judge says otherwise, all contested hearings and trials are in person at 1700 Guadalupe Street Travis County, Texas, Civil & Family Courts Facility.
• District Clerk staff do not provide documents or forms for filing Travis County District Clerk, Family Division. For legal questions, ask a lawyer (see below).

Getting court records

The District Clerk's Family Division is the custodian (official keeper) of District Court records, including suits affecting the parent-child relationship Travis County District Clerk, Family Division. A suit affecting the parent-child relationship is a court case about custody, visitation, child support or parental rights. A clerk is the office that files court papers and keeps the official record of each case.

Travis County District Clerk, Family Division

• Address: 1700 Guadalupe St., 3rd Floor, Room 3.200, Austin, TX 78701. Open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Phone: (512) 854-9457 Travis County District Clerk, Family Division.
• Mailing address: Travis County District Clerk, P.O. Box 679003, Austin, TX 78767-9003 Travis County District Clerk, Contact.
• If you don't have a lawyer, you can make an appointment to file in person, or mail documents to TCDC, P.O. Box 679003, Austin, Texas 78767-9003 Travis County District Clerk, Family Division.

How to get records

• Free online search: Public court records can be viewed online at no cost Travis County District Clerk, Case Information and Records. The online portal covers family and civil cases from 2006 to the present Travis County District Clerk, Case Information and Records.
• Official or certified copies: These must be requested from the clerk's office Travis County District Clerk, Case Information and Records. You can ask online with the clerk's Court Records Request Form, or by mail to Travis County District Clerk, Records Request, P.O. Box 679003, Austin, TX 78767 Travis County District Clerk, Case Information and Records. You can also go in person Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., to the Civil and Family Court Facility, 1700 Guadalupe, Room 3.200 Travis County District Clerk, Case Information and Records.

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 Travis County

DFPS lists Travis County in DFPS Region 7 Texas DFPS, Counties in DFPS Regions and Districts. The Region 7 headquarters is at 14000 Summit Drive, Suite 100, Austin, TX 78728 Texas DFPS, Region 7.

DFPS's office list shows two locations in Travis County Texas DFPS, Region 7 Office Locations:

• 1340 Airport Commerce Dr., Bldg. 5, Ste. 525, Austin, Texas 78741. Phone: (512) 369-7000. Programs include APS, CPI, CPS, RMG and SWI.
• 14000 Summit Dr., Ste. 100, Austin, Texas 78728. Phone: (512) 834-3195. Programs include APS, CPI, CPS, RMG and SWI.

In DFPS's list, APS means Adult Protective Services, CPI means Child Protective Investigations, CPS means Child Protective Services, RMG means Records Management Group and SWI means Statewide Intake Texas DFPS, Region 7 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

Office of Parental Representation. This county office is part of Travis County's Community Legal Services Travis County, Texas, Office of Parental Representation. It is at 1700 Guadalupe Street, Suite 3.300, Austin, Texas 78701. Phone: (512) 854-7305 Travis County, Texas, Office of Parental Representation. It represents clients only when a judge appoints it, and it cannot advise people who are not its clients in a CPS case or any other legal matter Travis County, Texas, Office of Parental Representation.

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

• Texas RioGrande Legal Aid (TRLA) provides free advocacy, legal representation and referrals TexasLawHelp.org, Legal Help Directory (Travis County, Child Protective Services). TRLA lists Travis 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 an Austin office at 4920 North I-35, Austin, TX 78751 Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, Offices.
• Volunteer Legal Services of Central Texas gives free legal advice and representation to people with civil legal problems who can't afford a lawyer. Phone: (512) 476-5550 TexasLawHelp.org, Legal Help Directory (Travis 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 (Travis 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 (Travis 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 Travis 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 gives the Lawyer Referral Service of Central Texas at (866) 303-8303 (toll free) or (512) 472-8303 (direct) State Bar of Texas, Certified Lawyer Referral Services. TexasLawHelp.org also lists its Match Program under reduced-cost help. It helps moderate-income Central Texans find affordable help with family law matters TexasLawHelp.org, Legal Help Directory (Travis 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 Travis 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.