Tex. Gov't Code § 27.031 · Subchapter B. JURISDICTION AND POWERS
JURISDICTION.
Text — Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
(a) In addition to the jurisdiction and powers provided by the constitution and other law, the justice court has original jurisdiction of:
(1) civil matters in which exclusive jurisdiction is not in the district or county court and in which the amount in controversy is not more than $20,000, exclusive of interest;
(2) cases of forcible entry and detainer; and
(3) foreclosure of mortgages and enforcement of liens on personal property in cases in which the amount in controversy is otherwise within the justice court's jurisdiction.
(b) A justice court does not have jurisdiction of:
(1) a suit in behalf of the state to recover a penalty, forfeiture, or escheat;
(2) a suit for divorce;
(3) a suit to recover damages for slander or defamation of character;
(4) a suit for trial of title to land; or
(5) a suit for the enforcement of a lien on land.
(c) A justice court has concurrent jurisdiction with a municipal court in cases that arise in the municipality's extraterritorial jurisdiction and that arise under an ordinance of the municipality applicable to the extraterritorial jurisdiction under Section 216.902, Local Government Code.
(d) A corporation need not be represented by an attorney in justice court.
(e) A justice court has concurrent jurisdiction with a district court and a municipal court of record over expunction proceedings relating to the arrest of a person for an offense punishable by fine only.
Notes and commentary — not statutory text
History
Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 480, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1985. Amended by Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 745, Sec. 2, eff. June 20, 1987; Acts 1991, 72nd Leg., ch. 776, Sec. 2, eff. Sept. 1, 1991.
Amended by:
Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 383 (S.B. 618), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2007.
Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 612 (H.B. 413), Sec. 12, eff. September 1, 2007.
Acts 2007, 80th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1149 (S.B. 1119), Sec. 2, eff. September 1, 2007.
Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 87 (S.B. 1969), Sec. 27.001(18), eff. September 1, 2009.
Acts 2017, 85th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1149 (H.B. 557), Sec. 6, eff. September 1, 2017.
Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 372 (H.B. 1631), Sec. 3, eff. June 2, 2019.
Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 696 (S.B. 2342), Sec. 32, eff. September 1, 2020.
Source of truth
- Edition
- Current through the 89th 2nd Called Legislative Session, 2025
- Official file
- https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/GV/htm/GV.27.htm
- Text hash
- sha256 54cc701f7afd2a9fad4e4a4f8e61ea4c9eead1ce176b4a7995ceeb69f5b47b8a
- Composed by
- compose_tx.py 2026-10-05: the Legislative Council's chapter files read in document order; verify_tx.py's independent reading (lxml DOM walk) agrees character for character
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