Eviction cases in Dallas County run through five Justice of the Peace precincts at the trial level and three county courts at law on appeal. Each precinct handles a defined geographic area within Dallas County, each constable’s office serves cases and executes writs of possession for its corresponding precinct, and each court runs its docket on its own schedule and preferences. Knowing which precinct covers your property, what filing fees and deadlines apply, how the local constables handle service and writ execution, and how the county court at law system processes appeals is the difference between an eviction that finishes in three weeks and one that drags out for months. This page covers how Dallas County eviction procedure actually operates under SB 38, with the local details that matter most to landlords managing rental property in the county.
In our practice, the questions we get most often about Dallas County procedure aren’t about the statute; they’re about which precinct covers a specific property, how long it actually takes to get a hearing, and what to expect from the local constable’s office. The statute is the same across Texas. The execution is local.
The five Dallas County JP precincts
Dallas County is divided into five Justice of the Peace precincts. Each precinct has multiple places (court divisions), each with its own elected Justice of the Peace. The relevant precincts for landlord-tenant work:
Precinct 1. Covers a portion of the City of Dallas, generally the southern sectors including parts of Oak Cliff and points south.
Precinct 2. Covers a portion of the City of Dallas plus surrounding southern Dallas County suburbs.
Precinct 3. Covers western Dallas County, including Irving, Grand Prairie, and surrounding areas.
Precinct 4. Covers eastern Dallas County, including Mesquite, Garland, and Sunnyvale.
Precinct 5. Covers northern Dallas County, including northern City of Dallas, Richardson (Dallas County portion), Addison, Farmers Branch, and Carrollton (Dallas County portion).
Each precinct typically has two places (Place 1 and Place 2). Place assignment is generally based on case number or filing rotation. The property’s physical address determines which precinct hears the eviction case. Under Texas Property Code § 24.004’s exclusive jurisdiction rule, the JP court for the precinct where the property is located is the only proper venue for the forcible detainer action.
Which precinct covers the property
Filing in the wrong precinct results in transfer or dismissal, both of which cost time. Three reliable methods to identify the correct precinct:
The Dallas County Justice of the Peace Courts website maintains a precinct lookup tool by street address. This is the most authoritative source.
The Dallas Central Appraisal District (DCAD) property record will identify the precinct for tax purposes, which generally matches the JP precinct (but verify, because precinct boundaries occasionally diverge from appraisal district boundaries).
For properties near precinct boundaries, the safest practice is to call the JP court office for the precinct you believe applies and confirm before filing. The court clerks routinely handle this question.
For multifamily properties spanning a property line or for unusual addresses (corner lots, mixed-use developments), confirmation by phone before filing avoids the headache of a transfer order weeks later.
Filing fees and forms
Filing fees in Dallas County JP courts for eviction cases are set by statute and updated periodically. As of 2026, the filing fee for a residential forcible detainer petition runs in the range typical of Texas JP courts, with additional service fees per defendant. Specific current fees should be confirmed with the court clerk before filing, since they adjust periodically.
The petition must use the standard Texas eviction form or a form that contains all statutorily required elements:
The plaintiff’s name and contact information.
The defendant’s name and the address of the premises.
The basis for eviction (nonpayment of rent, holdover, lease violation, etc.).
The amount of rent due and any other amounts claimed.
The verification or sworn statement required by Rule 510.
Dallas County JP courts accept paper filings at the precinct office and, depending on the precinct, may also accept e-filing through the Texas eFile system. E-filing is increasingly the preferred method and is the standard for represented parties.
Service of citation by the constable
After filing, the JP court issues a citation, and the citation is forwarded to the constable’s office for service on the tenant. Dallas County has five constable’s offices, one per precinct, each headed by an elected Constable. Each constable’s office handles service of citation, service of other process, and execution of writs of possession within its precinct.
SB 38 imposed a five-business-day service window: the constable must complete service within five business days of receiving the citation, or the petitioner can request that service be reassigned to another peace officer authorized to serve process. In our experience, Dallas County constables generally meet the five-day deadline on routine residential cases, but cases involving evasive tenants, multifamily properties with controlled access, or properties in areas the constable’s office covers less frequently can slip the window.
Service methods authorized by Rule 510:
Personal service on the tenant.
Substituted service on a person of suitable age and discretion residing at the premises.
Posting on the property’s main entry door, with mailed copy follow-up, when the constable cannot effect personal or substituted service after diligent attempts.
The constable’s return of service is filed with the court and becomes the evidentiary basis for the court’s jurisdiction over the tenant. A defective return can invalidate the case at trial, so landlords should review the return when it’s filed and raise any issues before the trial setting.
The trial setting
Under SB 38, the JP court must set trial between 10 and 21 days from the date the petition is filed. Dallas County precincts generally set trials toward the middle or later end of that window, around days 14–18, to allow for citation service and any continuance requests. Specific scheduling practices vary by precinct and by individual JP.
What to expect at the trial:
Eviction dockets in Dallas County JP courts are typically heavy, with dozens of cases set on the same morning. The court calls the docket, takes default judgments on cases where the tenant fails to appear, and then hears contested cases.
Most contested eviction trials in Dallas County are short. The landlord (or landlord’s attorney) puts on the case: the lease, the rent ledger, the notice to vacate with proof of service, and any other relevant evidence. The tenant has the opportunity to defend.
Default judgments are routine. Approximately half of all Dallas County eviction cases end in default because the tenant fails to appear.
Continuances are sparingly granted. SB 38 tightened the rules around continuances, and JPs have less discretion than they did before 2026 to push contested cases past the 21-day outer window.
The six-day waiting period and writ of possession
After judgment for possession, Texas Property Code § 24.0061 requires a six-day waiting period before the writ of possession can issue. The six days are calendar days, running from the date judgment is signed. The waiting period exists primarily to allow the tenant to perfect an appeal. The appeal must be perfected within five days of judgment under Rule 510, so by day six the appeal period has expired.
After the waiting period, the landlord requests the writ from the JP court clerk and pays the writ fee. The clerk issues the writ and forwards it to the constable for execution.
Writ execution in Dallas County involves several practical steps the landlord must coordinate:
The constable schedules the writ execution, typically within a few days to a week of issuance, depending on the precinct’s caseload.
The landlord must provide labor at the writ execution. This means a moving crew (or general laborers) sufficient to remove the tenant’s belongings from the unit and place them at a designated location (typically the curb).
The landlord should have a locksmith on site to rekey the unit immediately after the constable clears it. The landlord’s responsibility for the property and any remaining tenant property begins the moment the constable departs.
The constable conducts the actual removal of the tenant and any other occupants. The constable does not move belongings; that’s the landlord’s responsibility.
County court at law on appeal
Dallas County has multiple county courts at law that hear eviction appeals from the JP courts. Eviction appeals are assigned by rotation among the courts that handle them.
What landlords should know about Dallas County county court at law eviction practice:
Under SB 38, the county court at law must set trial within 21 days of receiving the transcript of the JP court proceeding. Dallas County courts generally meet this deadline.
The appeal is a trial de novo: the case is heard from scratch, not on review of the JP court’s record. Both sides put on their full cases again.
If the tenant filed a Statement of Inability to Afford Payment of Court Costs (sometimes called a pauper’s affidavit) instead of posting an appeal bond, the landlord has five days to contest it. Failure to contest within the window waives the issue.
SB 38 requires the tenant to pay rent into the court registry as it accrues to remain in possession during the appeal. Failure to pay rent into the registry can result in writ of possession during the appeal.
The county court at law judges in Dallas County run eviction dockets with practical efficiency. Most contested appeals are tried within the SB 38 21-day window.
Variations among the five precincts
Each precinct has its own operating procedures, and experienced landlord counsel learns the differences. General observations from years of practice in Dallas County JP courts:
Precincts vary in default judgment rates. Some precincts call the docket strictly and grant default judgment on any case where the tenant fails to appear; others are more lenient with late arrivals.
Constable response times vary. Some precincts’ constable’s offices are faster on service than others, depending on caseload and staffing.
JP scheduling preferences vary. Some JPs prefer early-morning dockets that move fast; others run longer mid-morning dockets with more time per case.
Local rules and standing orders vary. Each precinct may have standing orders covering specific procedural issues (continuance requests, evidence at trial, default judgment procedure). Reviewing the local rules for the precinct where the property sits is worth the ten minutes before filing.
Dallas County carries the highest landlord-tenant docket volume in DFW, and that shows up in scheduling. Trial settings tend to land closer to the back of the SB 38 window than they do in Collin or Denton; continuance availability is tighter; and a writ that takes four days to execute in a smaller county can take a week here, particularly during peak filing months in summer and at year-end. Filing into Dallas County means building those realities into the timeline you give your owner or asset manager.
Where Dallas County cases get won and lost
In Dallas County eviction practice, the landlord’s leverage comes from doing the procedure correctly at every step and from documenting it cleanly. The cases that drag out in Dallas County usually share a common factor: a procedural defect somewhere in the chain (a bad notice, a flawed return, a misalleged amount, a missed five-day Statement of Inability challenge) that the tenant or the court catches.
What we tell landlord clients: do the procedure correctly the first time, document everything, and respond promptly to tenant filings. The cases that finish in 21 to 28 days are the ones where every step was clean. The cases that take three months had a defect somewhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know which Dallas County JP precinct covers my rental property?
Use the Dallas County Justice of the Peace Courts precinct lookup tool by street address (the most authoritative source), or check the property's tax record at the Dallas Central Appraisal District. For properties near precinct boundaries, call the JP court office for the precinct you believe applies before filing.
How long does a Dallas County eviction take from filing to writ execution?
Under SB 38, the trial must be set 10 to 21 days after filing, the writ can issue six days after judgment, and writ execution typically takes a few days to a week. A clean uncontested case runs about 21 to 28 days from filing to lock-change. Contested cases that go through appeal can add 30 to 45 days.
What does it cost to file an eviction in Dallas County?
Filing fees and service fees are set by statute and adjusted periodically. Confirm current fees with the JP court clerk for the precinct where you're filing. Costs include the filing fee, the service fee per defendant, and, after judgment, the writ of possession fee.
Can I file electronically?
Yes. Dallas County JP courts accept e-filing through the Texas eFile system, and represented parties typically file electronically. Some precincts may still accept paper filings; e-filing is the preferred method.
What happens at a Dallas County eviction trial?
The court calls the docket, takes default judgments on cases where the tenant fails to appear, then hears contested cases. The landlord puts on the case (lease, rent ledger, notice to vacate, proof of service); the tenant defends. Most contested trials in Dallas County are short, often under an hour.
What if the tenant doesn't show up at trial?
The court can enter default judgment for possession. Dallas County JP courts handle a large volume of defaults each docket day. Default judgments are subject to the same six-day waiting period before writ issuance as contested judgments.
How do Dallas County constables execute writs of possession?
The constable schedules the writ within a few days to a week of issuance, depending on caseload. The landlord must provide a moving crew (or labor) to clear the unit and a locksmith to rekey it. The constable handles the actual removal of occupants; the landlord handles the belongings and the lock change. We coordinate writs in all five precincts and can usually schedule the constable, locksmith, and crew in a single phone call.
What is the five-day challenge window for a Statement of Inability?
If the tenant files a Statement of Inability to Afford Payment of Court Costs (in lieu of an appeal bond), the landlord has five days to contest it on grounds including the tenant's actual ability to pay. Failure to contest within five days waives the issue. This deadline is commonly missed in Dallas County eviction appeals.
Does the tenant have to pay rent during a Dallas County eviction appeal?
Yes. SB 38 requires the tenant to pay rent into the court registry as it accrues during the appeal. Failure to pay rent into the registry can result in a writ of possession before the appeal trial. The county court enforces this through registry-payment hearings.
How are appeals heard?
Eviction appeals are heard de novo (from scratch) in the county courts at law. The case is tried again as if the JP proceeding never happened. Under SB 38, the county court must set the trial within 21 days of receiving the transcript from the JP court. Trials are typically held within that window in Dallas County.
What are the most common mistakes Dallas-area landlords make in eviction filings?
Filing in the wrong precinct, serving a defective notice to vacate, accepting partial rent payments after the notice period (which can waive the default), miscalculating the five-day Statement of Inability challenge window, and failing to coordinate writ execution logistics (constable schedule, moving crew, locksmith). Most of these are catchable at the front end and require zero litigation expertise to avoid.
Can Cook Keith & Davis handle an eviction across the entire DFW area?
Yes. Our practice covers eviction matters across Dallas County (all five precincts), Tarrant County, Collin County, Denton County, and the surrounding metroplex counties. We coordinate filings, service, trial preparation, and writ execution across the entire DFW area.