Moore County Public Records /Moore County Court Records

Moore County Court Records

How To Find Court Records in Moore County in 2026

Members of the public seeking court records in Moore County may access publicly available information through MooreRecords.org as well as through official county and state government channels. Court records maintained by Moore County offices may include documentation from civil, criminal, family, probate, and other proceedings heard within the county's jurisdiction. The availability and completeness of any given record depends on the case type, the court of origin, and applicable state law governing public access.

Records that may be found through official sources include:

Civil case filings and judgments
Criminal case dockets and disposition records
Family law matters, including divorce and custody proceedings
Probate filings and estate records
Traffic and misdemeanor case records
Felony case records maintained by the District Clerk

Court records in Moore County may be searched through five primary methods:

Clerk of Court or court records office — The Moore County Clerk and Moore County District Clerk maintain official case files. Members of the public may present a case number, party name, or approximate filing date to staff to locate a record. The County Clerk's office handles county court matters, while the District Clerk's office maintains district court filings.
Courthouse public access terminals — The Moore County Courthouse provides public access terminals where members of the public may search case indexes at no charge during regular business hours.
Online court search — The Moore County District Clerk currently offers online records search and purchase through its official portal, allowing remote access to available case information.
State-level judicial search tools — The Texas Judicial Branch maintains statewide resources and case search tools that may return records from courts across Texas, including Moore County.
Written or mail requests — Members of the public may submit written requests to the appropriate clerk's office, identifying the case by party name, case number, or filing date. Fees for copies apply to written requests.

Are Court Records Public In Moore County

Court records in Moore County are subject to public access under the Texas Public Information Act, Texas Government Code § 552, which establishes the right of the public to inspect government records, including judicial records, unless a specific exemption applies. The Texas Rules of Civil Procedure and the Texas Rules of Appellate Procedure further govern access to court filings and case documents.

Records that are public under current law include:

Case docket entries and indexes
Party names and case numbers
Hearing dates and court settings
Filed pleadings, motions, and responses
Court orders and final judgments
Sentencing entries and disposition records

Records that may be confidential, sealed, redacted, or restricted include:

Juvenile court records, which are protected under Texas Family Code § 58.007
Adoption records, which are sealed by statute
Mental health commitment proceedings
Sealed filings ordered by a court
Protected personal identifiers such as Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, and dates of birth, which are subject to redaction under Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 21c
Expunged criminal records

A distinction exists between courthouse inspection and online access. While members of the public may inspect most public records in person at the clerk's office, not all records are available through online portals. Some older records exist only in paper form and require an in-person visit or written request.

What Are Court Records in Moore County?

Court records are the official documents and data generated by judicial proceedings from the moment a case is filed through its final disposition and any subsequent appeal. In Moore County, court records are created and maintained by the County Clerk for county court matters and by the District Clerk for district court matters.

The distinction between record types is significant for access purposes:

Docket entries are the chronological log of case events, while a full case file contains all documents filed in a proceeding.
Civil court records document disputes between private parties or between a party and a government entity, while criminal court records document prosecutions brought by the State of Texas.
Filed pleadings are the initial and responsive documents submitted by parties, while final judgments are the court's conclusive rulings on the matter.
Public filings are accessible to any member of the public, while sealed or restricted filings require a court order or statutory authority to access.
Trial court records are maintained at the county level, while appellate records are transmitted to the relevant court of appeals and may be accessed through the Texas Supreme Court or intermediate appellate courts.

Court records are created when a party files an initiating document, such as a petition, complaint, or indictment. The clerk assigns a case number, opens a file, and records each subsequent filing, hearing, and order as a docket entry. The record is updated through disposition and, if appealed, a copy of the trial court record is transmitted to the appellate court.

What's Included in a Moore County Court Record?

A court record in Moore County may contain a range of documents and data depending on the case type and applicable public-access rules. The following information may appear within a publicly accessible court record:

Case identification: case number, court name and division, and filing date
Party information: names of plaintiffs, defendants, petitioners, respondents, and attorneys of record
Case classification: case type, such as civil, criminal, family, or probate, and current case status
Docket entries: a chronological log of all filings, hearings, and court actions
Hearing information: scheduled and past hearing dates, continuances, and settings
Filed documents: motions, complaints, petitions, answers, notices, minute entries, and similar filings
Court orders and judgments: interlocutory orders, final judgments, decrees, sentencing entries, custody rulings, probate orders, and appellate decisions
Outcome information: dismissals, pleas, convictions, acquittals, and case dispositions
Administrative and financial data: filing fees, assessed court costs, fines, restitution amounts, and bond information where publicly shown

Records commonly excluded or restricted from public access include sealed filings, expunged criminal matters, juvenile case files, adoption records, protected personal identifiers, and certain exhibits admitted under seal or subject to a protective order.

Types of Courts in Moore County

Moore County is served by a court structure established under the Texas Judicial Branch, which organizes courts by jurisdiction and case type. The following courts currently serve Moore County:

Moore County District Court (69th Judicial District) — A general-jurisdiction trial court hearing felony criminal cases, civil matters above the county court jurisdictional threshold, family law cases, and juvenile matters. The District Clerk maintains official records for this court.
Moore County Court at Law / Constitutional County Court — Hears misdemeanor criminal cases, civil matters within the county court's jurisdictional range, probate matters, and appeals from justice and municipal courts. The County Clerk maintains official records for this court.
Justice of the Peace Courts — Limited-jurisdiction courts hearing small claims, Class C misdemeanor traffic and criminal matters, and civil cases within the statutory monetary limit. Records are maintained by the justice court.
Municipal Court (City of Dumas) — Hears Class C misdemeanor offenses occurring within the city limits, including traffic violations. Records are maintained by the municipal court clerk.

Moore County District Clerk
715 Dumas Ave, Room 105
Dumas, TX 79029
Phone: (806) 935-6164
District Clerk – Moore County, Texas

Moore County Clerk
715 Dumas Ave, Room 104
Dumas, TX 79029
Phone: (806) 935-5588
County Clerk – Moore County, Texas

What Types of Cases Do Moore County Courts Hear

The 69th District Court exercises general jurisdiction over felony criminal prosecutions, civil cases exceeding the county court's monetary jurisdiction, family law matters including divorce and child custody, and juvenile proceedings. The County Court handles Class A and Class B misdemeanor criminal cases, civil matters within its statutory range, and probate and mental health matters. Justice of the Peace courts handle small claims civil cases, Class C misdemeanor offenses, and eviction proceedings. Municipal courts in Dumas hear Class C misdemeanor violations of state law and city ordinances occurring within city limits. Appeals from justice and municipal courts are heard by the County Court, and appeals from the District Court proceed to the Seventh Court of Appeals in Amarillo.

How to Search Moore County Court Records for Free?

Members of the public may search Moore County court records at no charge through several methods, while certain services require payment.

Access Method	Cost
In-person inspection at clerk's office	Free
Courthouse public access terminals	Free
Online case index search (District Clerk portal)	Free to search
Standard paper copies	$1.00 per page (standard clerk fee)
Certified copies	$5.00 for first page, $1.00 each additional (subject to current fee schedule)
Electronic document purchase (online portal)	Fee per document

In-person inspection of public court records at the Moore County Clerk or District Clerk's office is available at no charge during regular business hours. The courthouse public access terminals allow members of the public to search case indexes and view available docket information without cost. The District Clerk's online portal permits free case index searches, though purchasing document images may require payment. Fees for copies and certified copies are governed by the Texas Government Code and the clerk's current fee schedule, which is available at the County Clerk's office. Certified copies carry an additional certification fee established under Texas Government Code § 118.011.

How Long Does Moore County Keep Court Records?

The retention period for court records in Moore County is governed by the retention schedules established by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission and the Texas Judicial Branch. Retention periods vary by case type and record category.

Under current retention rules applicable to Texas trial courts:

Felony criminal case files are retained permanently or for a minimum of 10 years after final disposition, depending on the offense classification.
Misdemeanor criminal case files are retained for a minimum of 10 years after final disposition for Class A and B misdemeanors.
Civil case files are retained for varying periods depending on the nature of the judgment, with some judgments retained permanently.
Probate records are retained permanently in many jurisdictions due to their ongoing legal significance.
Docket books and minute records are retained permanently as the official record of court proceedings.
Traffic and Class C misdemeanor records may be retained for shorter periods consistent with applicable schedules.

Paper files may be destroyed after imaging, microfilming, or transfer to archival storage, provided the retention period has been satisfied and the records have been preserved in an approved format. Destruction of a record is distinct from sealing or expungement: a sealed record continues to exist but is restricted from public access, while an expunged record is ordered destroyed or returned to the subject under Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Art. 55.02. Older records may exist in paper files, microfilm, or county archives and may require an in-person visit or written request to access.

How To Find a Court Docket in Moore County

A court docket is the official chronological log of all actions taken in a case, distinct from the full case file, which contains the actual documents filed. The docket records each filing, hearing, order, and status change from the date of filing through final disposition. It does not contain the full text of filed documents unless those documents are separately attached or available through the clerk's portal.

Members of the public may locate a Moore County court docket through the following methods:

District Clerk online portal: The Moore County District Clerk currently offers online records search, through which members of the public may search by party name or case number to retrieve docket information for district court cases.
County Clerk's office: Docket information for county court matters may be obtained by contacting or visiting the Moore County County Clerk in person or by submitting a written request.
Courthouse public access terminals: Terminals located at the Moore County Courthouse allow members of the public to search case indexes and view docket entries during regular business hours.
Statewide judicial tools: The Texas Judicial Branch provides access to statewide case search resources that may return docket information for cases across Texas courts.

To locate a docket, the following information is helpful: the full name of a party to the case, the case number, the approximate filing date, and the court in which the case was filed. A docket entry reflects hearing dates, continuances, motions filed, minute entries, and status updates. A docket does not include full document images, sealed entries, exhibits admitted under seal, or confidential attachments. Hearing calendars and daily court settings may be separately available through the clerk's office or posted at the courthouse.