How Texas DWI courts are organised
A DWI charge in Texas is prosecuted in the County Court at Law that serves the county or municipality where the stop happened, not where you live. The clerk's office in that courthouse controls your hearing dates, accepts motions and continuances, and takes payment of fines and court costs. Calendars, filing hours and remote-appearance rules differ from courthouse to courthouse, so confirm them with the clerk before your first date.
Texas tries misdemeanor DWI in a county court at law, or in district court where no such county court exists, while felony DWI — a third or later offense, intoxication assault or intoxication manslaughter — is tried in district court. Appeals go to the Texas Courts of Appeals, with discretionary review by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.
The state judiciary publishes the authoritative directory of courthouses, judges and calendars at txcourts.gov. Use it to confirm the address and division for your case number; local listings age quickly.
Courthouse locations, hearing calendars, clerk contacts and self-help forms.
The separate licence action, which the criminal court does not decide.
What happens at each stage in Texas
A DWI case in Texas is heard in the County Court at Law, and it runs on two tracks at once: the criminal case and a separate licence action you must challenge within 15 days of arrest.
- 1Arrest, booking and the chemical test — Officers arrest for DWI under Tex. Penal Code § 49.04 and request a breath, blood or urine test under Texas's implied-consent section, Tex. Transp. Code § 724.011. Refusing carries its own licence penalty, separate from the criminal charge.
- 2Licence action — request a hearing within 15 days — The Administrative License Revocation programme suspends driving privileges for a test refusal or failure after a DWI arrest. You have 15 days from arrest to demand the administrative hearing with Texas Department of Public Safety; miss it and the suspension takes effect automatically, whatever happens in court.
- 3Arraignment in the County Court at Law — The charge is read, a plea is entered and conditions of release are set in the County Court at Law. Texas tries misdemeanor DWI in a county court at law, or in district court where no such county court exists, while felony DWI — a third or later offense, intoxication assault or intoxication manslaughter — is tried in district court.
- 4Pretrial motions and discovery — Defence counsel obtains the police report, test records and calibration or maintenance logs, and may move to suppress the stop or the test result. County and district courts file through eFileTexas.gov, the statewide mandatory system.
- 5Diversion or treatment disposition — Some counties run pretrial diversion for a first DWI, though deferred adjudication for DWI is limited by Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 42A.102.
- 6Plea or trial, then sentencing — A first DWI conviction carries a fine of up to $2,000, jail exposure up to 6 months, a licence suspension of 1 year. A first offense is a class B misdemeanor, with a higher minimum jail term at 0.15 BAC.
- 7Reinstatement — DPS charges reinstatement fees for departmental suspensions, including DWI-related actions. Texas requires a SR-22 certificate of financial responsibility for 2 years before the licence is restored.
Filing and case handling in Texas
- County and district courts file through eFileTexas.gov, the statewide mandatory system.
- Municipal courts generally have no DWI jurisdiction; those cases sit in county or district court.
- Some counties run pretrial diversion for a first DWI, though deferred adjudication for DWI is limited by Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 42A.102.
- The Administrative License Revocation hearing is separate from arraignment and is held by the State Office of Administrative Hearings.
Whatever the local practice, take your citation or case number to every call — clerks index by case, not by name — and get the payable amount for fines and court costs in writing before you pay.
Texas ZIP codes covered
These Texas ZIP-code pages carry the local court, filing and licensing detail for the area, and each one links back to this resource page.
Counties and cities using these Texas resources
Counties
Other Texas official resources
Frequently asked questions
- Which court handles a first DWI charge in Texas?
- First-offense DWI cases in Texas are heard in the County Court at Law for the county where the stop happened. The court clerk's office there sets the arraignment date and accepts filings.
- Does the court case decide whether I keep my licence in Texas?
- No. The criminal case and the administrative licence action run separately. The licence action is handled by the TX driver-licensing agency, and the request for a hearing is due within 15 days of arrest.