Hidalgo County Court Records

Hidalgo County court records consist of all materials created by or submitted to a court clerk in relation to a legal proceeding, such as petitions, pleadings, complaints, transcripts, orders, judgments, motions, decrees, and pleas. Maintaining these records is essential to keeping track of court actions and decisions, enhancing future reference, and facilitating public insights into judicial proceedings, thereby, promoting transparency. Court records exist in various forms, including microfilm, paper, electronic, and recordings.

Court clerks are the legally recognized custodians of court records. Hidalgo County court records are usually connected to other records, often law enforcement agency records, property records, vital records, and tax records. Furthermore, court records often include records from other agencies filed as supporting documents in a proceeding. Also, court decisions and orders also get recorded in other agency records, such as property deeds, name change documents, criminal history records, liens, and corporate filings.

Are Hidalgo County Court Records Public?

Yes. The Texas Public Information Act (PIA) sets forth that Hidalgo County Court records are public information. Per the provisions of the PIA, interested members of the public are entitled to inspect and obtain copies of court records and court clerks or other designated court records custodian must facilitate access without unreasonable delay. Notwithstanding, pursuant to Rule 12 of the Rules of Judicial Procedure, the following records are exempt from public disclosure:

Mental proceeding records
Adoption and custody records
Records in which the subject is a minor, e.g., child delinquency, abuse, and dependency related records
Trade secrets and proprietary information
Sealed records
Sensitive personal information, e.g., social security and bank account numbers
Information about victims of sexual assault and domestic abuse
Information about confidential informants and ongoing criminal investigations
Records whose disclosure clearly constitutes a safety risk or human rights violation to another person

What Information is Available in Hidalgo County Court Records?

Typical contents of Hidalgo County court records are as follows:

Case number
Party names and other personal data
Names of involved attorneys and presiding judge
The name and jurisdiction of the presiding court
Complaints/petitions and responses
Motions
Trial transcripts
Orders
Exhibits and affidavits
Dates, e.g., filing dates and hearing dates
Appeals and outcomes

Hidalgo County Court Records Search

The Hidalgo County District Clerk is the main custodian of all court records filed in the county. This office is also charged with the responsibility of making records available to requesters. Below are the different methods of obtaining records:

Online Access - Hidalgo County provides online access to court records through the Records Inquiry portal. Search parameters for this website are case number, party name, or attorney name (or bar number). Searches on this system are free.
In-Person Access - For in-person requests, visit the clerk’s office with the case number of the case of interest. Searches can also be performed using a case party’s name and date of birth.explain how public terminals or the clerk’s office may assist. A $5.00 search fee is required and $1.00 per obtained copy.
Mail and Phone Requests - To request records over the phone, call (956) 318-2200 and make sure the case number or the full name and date of a party on the case are handy, as this will be required by the attending staff. Requesters may also call this number to confirm the appropriate fee for their request.

Records can also be obtained by email and mail. To request records by email, complete a Copy Request Form and submit it to the district clerk by email. Fees are payable by credit card and are as follows: $1.00 for electronic copies up to 10 pages and $0.10 for each additional page after the first 10 pages.

To obtain records by mail, fill out the Copy Request Form and mail with a self-addressed stamped envelope and postage to

Laura Hinojosa

Hidalgo County District Clerk

PO Box 87

Edinburg, Texas 78540

Fax - To request records by fax, complete the Copy Request Form and send it by fax to (956) 318-2251. Records requested by fax can either be mailed to or picked up by the requester within 5 days of submitting the request.

Fees for Court Records in Hidalgo County

According to the latest County Clerk’s Fee Schedule, the following fees are assessed when a person requests court records in Hidalgo County:

Search fee: $5.00
Certification: $5.00
Search fee for vital records: $10.00
Cost per page: $1.00

Hidalgo County Courthouse Locations

The Hidalgo County court system comprises district courts, county courts-at-law, justice of the peace courts, magistrate courts, and probate courts. Each court serves residents of distinct jurisdictions, handling specific case types. The amount of money being claimed also determines which court handles a case.

Hidalgo County District Court

100 North Closner Boulevard

Edinburg, TX 78539

Phone: (956) 318-2200

Hidalgo County Court at Law

100 North Closner Boulevard

Edinburg, TX 78539

Phone: (956) 318-2100

Toll-free: (888) 318-2811.

Hidalgo County Probate Court

100 North Closner

Second Floor

Edinburg, TX 78539

Phone: (956) 318-2385

Hidalgo County Magistrate Court

701 El Cibolo Road

Edinburg, TX 78541

Phone: (956) 292-7180

Hidalgo County Child Protection Court

100 North Closner

Edinburg, TX 78539

Phone: (956) 318-2671

Fax: (956) 329-2825

Justice of the Peace Precinct 1, Place 1

1902 Joe Stephens Avenue

Suite 30

Weslaco, TX 78596

Phone: (956) 447-3995

Hidalgo County Justice of the Peace Precinct 2, Place 1

300 West Hall Acres

Suite F

Pharr, TX 78577

Phone: (956) 784-3540

Hidalgo County Justice of the Peace Precinct 3, Place 1

730 North Breyfogle

Suite C

Mission, TX 78574

Phone: (956) 519-8422

Hidalgo County Justice of the Peace Precinct 4, Place 1

1212 South 25th Avenue

Suite A

Edinburg, TX 78542

Phone: (956) 380-4473

Hidalgo County Justice of the Peace Precinct 5, Place 1

708 East Edinburg Avenue

Suite B

Elsa, TX 78543

Phone: (956) 292-7015

Criminal Records Access in Hidalgo County

Local criminal case records filed in Hidalgo County are available through the district clerk’s office and can be requested by mail, email, fax, phone, or in person for a fee. To request records, an individual must have the case number or the defendant’s name and date of birth. Alternatively, record seekers can use the Records Inquiry page, typically searchable by case number, defendant’s name, or attorney’s name. Online record searches are free.

State-level criminal record searches, or background checks, are obtainable through the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS). Record requests are handled online by the Criminal History Inquiry Unit of this agency. To access records, a user is required to purchase credits at $1.00 each. Searches are charged at 1 credit each. Searches also require the record subject’s full name and date of birth. To view case dispositions, arrests, and prosecution of information for persons convicted of Class B misdemeanors or greater, visit the Criminal History Conviction Name Search portal.

Hidalgo County Probate Records

The Hidalgo County Probate Court presides over probate matters. Types of cases handled in the county’s probate court include determination of heirship, mental health, small estate affidavits, determination of heirship, guardianship of a person or estate, letters of administration, and probate of will. The clerk of this court maintains all estate records as well as wills and probate filings.

Hidalgo county probate records are public under the Texas Public Information Act. However, certain probate filings are not open to public access, including mental health proceeding records, medical reports, and guardianship records. Eligible parties must request non-public records in person at the clerk’s office. Note that wills only become public after they have been filed for probate: prior to this, they are strictly confidential.

Hidalgo County Family Court Records

Family cases in Hidalgo County are typically handled by the county’s courts-at-law and district court. They include divorce, child custody, marriage dissolutions, divorces, adoption, and child/spousal support. Hidalgo County family court records are available on the Civil, Family & Probate Case Records section of the Records Inquiry portal.

To obtain a certified copy or view complete records, a person must visit the clerk’s office during business hours and submit a record request. The clerk’s office charges a $5.00 search fee for this service. An additional payment is assessed if an inquirer requests copies, depending on the number of pages obtained. Note that family cases are often sensitive and there may be limitations on access to certain records.

Federal Court Records in Hidalgo County

The United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas presides over federal cases in Hidalgo County. Federal courts handle federal criminal (e.g., terrorism and national security offenses, cybercrime, immigration offenses, firearms and explosive offenses, tax crimes) and civil (e.g., civil disputes between residents of different states, voting rights violations, federal statutory cases, and intellectual property cases). For record-related inquiries, contact the court at:

United States Courthouse

1701 W. Business Hwy 83,

McAllen, TX 78501

Phone: (956) 618-8065

8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Monday - Friday

For remote access to federal case records, visit PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records). After registering a PACER account, users can view records at

$0.10 per page
$3.00 per document
$2.40 per audio file