Pro Se Filing Guide: Southern District of Texas

Seven divisions from Houston to the Mexican border — courthouses, local rules, CM/ECF, filing procedures, and everything you need to file your own federal case in the S.D. Tex.

The United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas (S.D. Tex.) is one of the busiest federal courts in the country. It covers 43 counties across southeastern Texas — from the Houston metropolitan area down through Corpus Christi, Laredo, McAllen, and Brownsville along the Mexican border. The court sits in the Fifth Circuit and is headquartered in Houston.

If you're filing a federal civil case pro se in this district, you need to know which of the seven divisions handles your case, what the local rules require, and how to navigate a court system that processes an enormous volume of cases. This guide covers it all.

This guide supplements our broader Pro Se Guide to Filing in Federal Court. Everything here is specific to the Southern District of Texas.

Court Overview

The Southern District of Texas is divided into seven divisions: Houston, Galveston, Corpus Christi, Victoria, Laredo, McAllen, and Brownsville. Your case will be assigned to the division where the claim arose or where the defendant resides.

The court currently has 19 authorized district judge positions and approximately 16 magistrate judges. Appeals go to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans (except patent claims and Tucker Act cases, which go to the Federal Circuit).

Chief District Judge: Randy Crane (McAllen)

Clerk of Court: Nathan Ochsner

Courthouse Locations & Contact Information

Which Division Handles Your Case?

Each division covers specific counties. You must file in the correct division — usually where the claim arose or where the defendant resides. Here are the county breakdowns:

Filing a New Civil Case

What You Need to File

To start a civil case as a pro se litigant in the Southern District of Texas, you'll need:

1. Civil Complaint — your main document identifying the parties, stating the court's jurisdiction, describing what happened, identifying your legal claims, and requesting specific relief. The court's pro se guidelines emphasize that pleadings should be "simple and direct" — technical legal jargon is not required.
2. Civil Cover Sheet (JS 44) — a standard form categorizing your case type. Available on the court's forms page.
3. Summons — one for each defendant. The Clerk's Office will issue the summons after your complaint is filed.
4. Filing Fee or IFP Application — the civil filing fee is $405 ($350 statutory + $55 administrative). If you cannot afford it, file an Application to Proceed In Forma Pauperis (IFP).

Caption Format

Every document must include a proper caption. Include the case number, case style (party names), and the division name at the top of the first page:

Service of Process

After the Clerk issues your summons, you have 90 days to serve each defendant under Fed. R. Civ. P. 4(m). If you're proceeding IFP, the Clerk will issue the summons and the U.S. Marshal will serve process — but you must complete and submit the USM-285 form for each defendant promptly.

For a full walkthrough, see our guide on How to Serve a Defendant in Federal Court.

Electronic Filing (CM/ECF) for Pro Se Litigants

If your judge grants e-filing permission, here's how to get set up:

1. Register for a PACER account at pacer.uscourts.gov. Select the "Non-Attorney E-File Registration" option during registration.
2. Register for CM/ECF e-filing access following the instructions on the court's NextGen CM/ECF page.
3. Enroll in Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) — this is now required for all filers. You'll be prompted to enroll. Contact PACER at (800) 676-6856 for help.

The Southern District of Texas uses NextGen CM/ECF, which combines your CM/ECF and PACER accounts into a single Central Sign-On account. Once registered, you can file in all NextGen courts where you have permission.

PDF Requirements for CM/ECF

• Page size: all PDF pages must be exactly 8.5" × 11". Other sizes may be incompatible with CM/ECF.
• Scanning: scan in black and white only at 300 dpi. Do not scan in color or grayscale — this dramatically increases file size.
• Fonts: use standard TrueType or OpenType fonts like Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri. Non-standard fonts may display incorrectly and increase file size.
• No embedded files: PDF documents must not include embedded scripts, files, or executables. CM/ECF will reject these.
• Do not modify PDFs after creation. Once your PDF is created, do not add or modify it. Post-creation modifications may be incompatible with CM/ECF.
• No fax filings. The Southern District of Texas does not accept fax filings.

For a deeper dive into PDF requirements, see our guides on CM/ECF PDF Requirements and How to Reduce PDF File Size for Court Filing.

Local Rules You Need to Know

The Southern District of Texas has its own Local Rules that supplement the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. Here are the provisions that matter most for pro se litigants:

LR 83.4 — Keep Your Address Current

You must keep the Clerk's Office informed of your current address and phone number at all times during your case. If the court can't reach you because your address is outdated, you may miss critical orders — and your case can be dismissed for failure to prosecute.

LR 83.6 — Sealed Cases

If you need to file a case under seal, you must first present an application to the Clerk along with your complaint in a sealed envelope marked "sealed exhibit." The case will be assigned a miscellaneous case number and presented to a judge for a ruling before a civil action number is assigned.

LR 5 — Electronic Filing

All registered filing users must file documents electronically. Non-filing users (including pro se litigants without e-filing permission) file in the traditional manner — in paper at the Clerk's Office. If you file electronically, a certificate of service is not required for parties registered in CM/ECF, but you must serve any party not registered by traditional means.

Judges' Individual Procedures

Each judge in the Southern District of Texas may have specific procedures for scheduling, discovery, motions, and trial. After your case is assigned, immediately check the Judges' Procedures page on the court's website.

Filing Fee & In Forma Pauperis

The civil filing fee is $405.00 ($350 statutory + $55 administrative). Payment must accompany your complaint at filing.

If you can't afford the fee, you may apply to proceed in forma pauperis (IFP). You'll submit a financial affidavit demonstrating your inability to pay. If you're incarcerated, you'll also need a certified trust fund account statement covering the preceding six months.

If granted IFP status, the Clerk will issue the summons and forward it to the U.S. Marshal for service. You are still responsible for completing the USM-285 forms for each defendant. For more details on what IFP covers, see What IFP Covers in Federal Court.

Key Deadlines & Time Limits

Finding Legal Help

Even if you're representing yourself, free and low-cost legal resources are available throughout the Southern District of Texas. The court's website lists legal aid organizations by division:

Additional statewide resources:

• State Bar of Texas Lawyer Referral & Information Service
• TexasLawHelp.org — comprehensive legal aid directory
• Law school clinics at South Texas College of Law, Thurgood Marshall School of Law, University of Houston Law Center, University of Texas School of Law, and St. Mary's University School of Law

Common Mistakes in the Southern District of Texas

1. Filing in the wrong division. With seven divisions spanning 43 counties, it's easy to get this wrong. Double-check the county-to-division table above before filing.
2. Sending papers to the judge. The court's own pro se guidelines are explicit: all papers must go to the Clerk's Office. Never send anything directly to a judge.
3. Not keeping your address updated. Local Rule 83.4 requires you to inform the Clerk of any address or phone number changes during your case. Failing to do this is one of the most common reasons pro se cases get dismissed.
4. PDF formatting errors. Pages that aren't exactly 8.5" × 11", color scans, non-standard fonts, or embedded scripts will cause CM/ECF rejections. Get your PDFs right before you file.
5. Ignoring individual judge procedures. Judges in this district have widely varying procedures for scheduling conferences, discovery, and motions practice. Read your judge's individual procedures immediately after case assignment.
6. Missing service deadlines. You have 90 days to serve the defendant. If you're proceeding IFP and relying on the U.S. Marshal, submit your USM-285 forms right away — the Marshal doesn't wait for you.

For a broader guide to common pro se pitfalls, see Pro Se Mistakes That Get Federal Cases Dismissed.

Useful Links

Related Guides

• Pro Se Guide to Filing in Federal Court
• Pro Se Electronic Filing in Federal Court
• CM/ECF PDF Requirements
• In Forma Pauperis in Federal Court
• How to Serve a Defendant in Federal Court
• Federal Court Document Formatting Requirements
• How to Reduce PDF File Size for Court Filing
• How to Format Exhibits for Federal Court
• What IFP Covers in Federal Court
• Pro Se Filing Guide: Southern District of Ohio