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Money disputes up to $20,000 are settled in the Galveston County small-claims court, which runs on simplified procedures built for people without a lawyer.
Here you will find the claim limit that applies in Galveston County, what filing costs, where the case is heard, how the defendant is served, the deadlines, and the order of steps. Squabble can take the preparation and filing off your hands.
Galveston County runs several hub courthouses for these cases. Assignment follows the ZIP code of the defendant or of the dispute itself.
Tap a courthouse to see its details in the list below.
Which courthouse takes your case? The court's own locator maps a ZIP code to the right building, and Squabble works it out for you as part of filing. Locations are revised from time to time, so check before you go.
Galveston County has 4 courthouses listed above; Galveston Justice Court Precinct 3 is one of them. Galveston County covers 23 ZIP codes, including the Bacliff, Dickinson and Friendswood areas.
This court takes small-claims filings electronically, so the case can be started from home.
The small claims list is heard in person, at the courthouse itself.
Copies of the evidence go to the judge and to the other party, and some courts allow it to be sent in electronically beforehand.
In Galveston County, Texas, small claims cases are heard in the Justice Court of Texas system, which handles claims up to $20,000. The county has a population of 367,407 and includes communities such as Galveston, League City, Texas City, Dickinson, Friendswood, La Marque, Santa Fe, Kemah, Hitchcock, Bacliff, Port Bolivar, Gilchrist and High Island, covering ZIP codes including 77550, 77551, 77554, 77573, 77590 and 77650. Galveston Justice Court Precinct 3 sits at 600 59th St. 1st Floor in Galveston, 77551, and is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, closed Saturday and Sunday, with contact numbers (409) 770-5455 and (409) 766-2200. The Galveston County Justice of Peace Precinct: 2 is located at 1922 Sealy Ave in Galveston, 77550, reachable at (409) 766-2250. The Galveston County Justice of the Peace Court: Precinct 4 is at 174 Calder Dr. in League City, 77573, at (281) 316-8716. Electronic filing is not available. The county lies near Chambers County, Brazoria County and Harris County.
More than one location takes small claims here. The court matches a case to a location by address.
A case filed here usually comes from one of these 13 communities:
Bacliff, Dickinson, Friendswood, Galveston, Gilchrist, High Island, Hitchcock, Kemah, La Marque, League City, Port Bolivar, Santa Fe, Texas City.
ZIP codes:
Galveston County holds about 367,407 people, 16th of the 254 counties in Texas. Galveston Justice Court Precinct 3 in Galveston lies around 17 miles from the Chambers County courthouse in Anahuac and 19 miles from the Brazoria County courthouse in Manvel.
If the other side lives just over the county line, the case may belong next door:
The small claims track exists for routine money disputes: fewer formalities, and a cap on what can be claimed.
Maximum claim
Either the place the dispute arose or the place the other party lives will usually work.
One dispute cannot be broken into several cases to slip under the cap.
Judgments take the form of money owed; other kinds of relief are heard elsewhere.
An attorney may appear at the hearing in Texas, though nobody has to have one. The process assumes you will speak for yourself.
Where a party is under 18, the court appoints a guardian to act.
Over the limit? Two routes exist: reduce the claim to the cap and stay here, or take the full sum to regular civil court. Reducing it normally forfeits the difference.
These are the limits for Galveston County, population about 367,407. Galveston County has 4 courthouses listed on this page.
Debts up to $20,000 belong in this court. These are the arguments people bring most frequently.
Galveston County has about 367,407 residents. Galveston County takes in Bacliff, Dickinson and Friendswood and the rest of the county.
It's built to be navigable without a lawyer. Here's the shape of a case from start to finish.
Set out the claim on the court's form, identify the correct courthouse, and pay the fee.
Formal notice reaches the other party, who then has a window to respond or resolve it.
The hearing is informal and quick, sometimes by video, and the judge decides on the spot or sends the outcome later.
Galveston Justice Court Precinct 3 lists (409) 766-2200 as its number. This is the route a Galveston County case takes, whether it starts in 77510 or anywhere else among the county ZIP codes.
The defendant must be given formal notice after filing. This is service of process, and as a rule you are not permitted to serve the papers yourself.
Who may serve depends on the court: law enforcement, a paid process server, the clerk by certified mail, or a disinterested adult. Costs and rules are local.
Every court fixes a minimum number of days between service and the hearing. The clerk will tell you what it is for your case.
After delivery, the server fills out a proof of service, and that goes on the court file before the hearing.
Service is where many self-filed cases stall. Squabble can coordinate professional Service of Process so it's done correctly and on time.
Chambers County and Brazoria County are the counties nearest to Galveston County. Addresses in Galveston County include places such as Bacliff, Dickinson and Friendswood.
There is a cut-off for bringing a case, counted from when the dispute began. Miss it and the claim can be barred entirely.
| What the claim is about | Filing deadline |
|---|---|
| Written contract | 4 years |
| Oral contract | 4 years |
| Property damage | 2 years |
| Personal injury | 2 years |
They do not change from one Galveston County ZIP code to another, 77510 included. Galveston County, population about 367,407, is covered by the table above.
Money owed under a contract in Texas generally accrues interest at 6% per year before judgment (Tex. Fin. Code §302.002).
Want to estimate what interest adds to your claim? Use the Squabble interest calculator to see the running total before you file.
The rate above is the one for Galveston County, population about 367,407. It is the same rate across all 23 Galveston County ZIP codes.
Two checks first: the amount must fall within the ceiling, and the claim must still be in time.
Use the other side's correct legal name, describe the dispute, and show how the money adds up.
File at the Galveston County hub courthouse for your dispute's ZIP code, or e-file, and pay the $45–$100 fee (or request a waiver if you qualify).
After the hearing date is issued, arrange delivery of the papers and file the proof with the court.
Gather the paperwork and label your exhibits so each point can be shown quickly.
Appear in person or, where available, remotely, present your case, and receive the court's decision.
Talk with Eleanor about what happened. Squabble prepares the documents, runs a Triple-Check™ for administrative and jurisdictional accuracy, and files your case for you.
Start for FREE →Three documents recur: the claim form that begins it, the proof of service confirming delivery, and a fee waiver if eligible. Names vary locally; Squabble selects the correct versions.
Galveston County takes in filings from 23 ZIP codes, 77510 first in the list. Bacliff, Dickinson and Friendswood are among the places in Galveston County that filings come from.
The hearing is brief and informal. The judge asks the questions, and most people speak for themselves.
Galveston County hearings are held at one of its 4 listed courthouses, depending on where the case is filed. Bacliff, Dickinson and Friendswood are among the Galveston County places a hearing can draw parties from.
The decision settles who owes what. Turning it into money is a separate stage, and the tools the court makes available differ by state.
Where the law allows, an employer can be directed to send part of the debtor's pay to the court.
With a bank levy, the court reaches funds held in the debtor's account directly.
Lodging the judgment with the county can create a lien over property the debtor owns.
Courts can also summon the debtor to answer questions about income and property under oath. Until the balance is paid, interest usually continues to run at the statutory rate.
A Galveston County judgment comes from one of its 4 listed courthouses. Bacliff, Dickinson and Friendswood are among the Galveston County places a judgment debtor may live in.
Information reviewed August 2026. Courts change fees, limits and procedures, so check the current details before filing.
Talk with Eleanor about what happened. Squabble prepares your demand letter and court-ready documents, Triple-Checks them for administrative and jurisdictional accuracy, and files your Galveston County case for you.
