Texas Small Claims Court Forms: Which Petition to Use and How to Fill It Out

Which Form You Need

Texas doesn't have a single mandatory Supreme Court form number for small claims petitions. Instead, the Texas Justice Court Training Center (TJCTC) publishes standardized templates accepted in all 254 Texas counties. You can download them from the TJCTC website, get them from your local JP clerk's office, or find them on your county's JP court page.

The critical distinction: select the Small Claims Petition for an ordinary unpaid invoice owed directly to an original service provider. Rule 508's Debt Claim track covers claims by assignees and debt collectors as well as financial institutions and entities whose business involves extending credit. Other small claims cases proceed under Rules 500–507.

Filing with the wrong form won't necessarily get your case thrown out, but it routes your case into the wrong procedural track and can cause confusion at the hearing.

Where to Get the Forms

• TJCTC website (tjctc.org) — the most widely accepted version
• Your county's JP court page — some counties publish their own version of the standardized form
• TexasLawHelp.org — free legal forms with some guidance
• The JP clerk's counter — ask for a blank Small Claims Petition

If you're filing through eFileTexas, you'll upload your completed petition as a PDF. The portal walks you through selecting "Small Claims - Initial" as the filing category.

Required Fields Under TRCP Rule 502.2

Every small claims petition must include these elements:

Court identification. The county name and the precinct number of the JP court where you're filing.

Your contact information. Full name, street address, phone number, and fax number if you have one.

The defendant's information. Full legal name and the address where they can be served with the citation. Include the best times for service if you know them — constables appreciate this.

A statement of facts. Describe what happened in plain language. You don't need legal jargon. State who did what, when, and where, and explain why you're owed money.

The amount you're claiming. Specify the dollar amount, including any attorney's fees. The total cannot exceed $20,000 under Texas Government Code Section 27.031. Pre-judgment interest and court costs don't count toward the cap.

Military status disclosure. Federal law (the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act) requires you to state whether you believe the defendant is currently in active military service. If you're not sure, you can check the Department of Defense SCRA website.

Your signature. Sign and date the petition.

What to Redact

Under TRCP Rule 21c, you must redact sensitive personal information before filing. Court filings become public records, and unredacted documents may be rejected by the clerk. Remove:

• Social Security numbers
• Driver's license numbers
• Financial account and credit card numbers
• Dates of birth (except the year)

Common Mistakes

Wrong defendant name. Suing "Bob's Plumbing" when the registered business name is "Robert J. Smith d/b/a Bob's Plumbing" can make a default judgment unenforceable. Search SOSDirect to verify business names before you file.

Wrong precinct. Venue generally lies in the precinct where the defendant resides, where a tort occurred or contract was breached, or as otherwise allowed under CPRC Chapter 15 and TRCP 502.4. Filing in the wrong precinct lets the defendant challenge venue.

Missing military status. The clerk may reject your petition if this field is blank.

Attaching evidence to the petition. You generally do not need to file all supporting evidence with the petition. Anything you attach becomes a public court record, so organize your exhibits for the hearing and redact protected information before filing any exhibit.

Filing the Completed Form

The Texas Small Claims Filing Guide includes a filing worksheet that walks you through every field on the Small Claims Petition, with a checklist for what to double-check before you submit.

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