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Money disputes up to $20,000 are settled in the Starr County small-claims court, which runs on simplified procedures built for people without a lawyer.
What follows covers the maximum you can claim in Starr County, court fees, the right courthouse, serving the defendant, the deadlines that apply, and the filing process itself. Squabble handles the documents and the filing if you want that.
These cases are heard at the single courthouse below. Starr County confirms the venue from the defendant's address or where the events happened.
Tap a courthouse to see its details in the list below.
Check the filing location first. The court's small-claims page lists where papers are taken today, and Squabble confirms it for your case as part of filing.
Small claims filings from Starr County are handled at Starr County Courthouse in Rio Grande City. The nearest counties to Starr County are Hidalgo County and Jim Hogg County.
Small claims are filed here on paper, at the counter or through the mail. Squabble prepares the full packet before it goes.
Small claims are heard at the courthouse, in person.
Copies of the evidence go to the judge and to the other party, and some courts allow it to be sent in electronically beforehand.
Residents of Starr County, Texas, who wish to bring a small claims case do so through the Justice Court of Texas, which handles claims up to $20,000. Cases are heard at the Starr County Courthouse in Rio Grande City, located at 401 Britton Ave #405, 78582, and the courthouse can be reached at (956) 716-4800. Starr County has a population of 66,587 and covers communities including Rio Grande City, Roma, Grulla, San Isidro, Falcon Heights, Delmita, Garciasville, Salineno, and Santa Elena, along with ZIP codes such as 78536, 78545, 78547, 78548, 78582, 78584, 78585, 78588, and 78591. The county lies near Hidalgo County, Jim Hogg County, and Zapata County. Electronic filing is not available in Starr County, so case documents are handled at the courthouse itself. The Justice Court of Texas is the court system that receives and decides these claims for the county.
Starr County covers these 9 towns and cities:
Delmita, Falcon Heights, Garciasville, Grulla, Rio Grande City, Roma, Salineno, San Isidro, Santa Elena.
ZIP codes:
Starr County is the 55th most populous of Texas's 254 counties, with about 66,587 residents. Starr County Courthouse sits about 21 miles from the Hidalgo County courthouse in Pharr.
If the other side lives just over the county line, the case may belong next door:
Small claims handles money owed between ordinary people and businesses. Procedure is kept light, and claims are capped.
Maximum claim
Either the place the dispute arose or the place the other party lives will usually work.
A single argument stays a single case; it cannot be carved up to fit the limit.
Judgments take the form of money owed; other kinds of relief are heard elsewhere.
Texas allows attorneys at the hearing, but none is required. The procedures are designed for self-representation.
Minors take part through a guardian appointed by the court.
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.
Starr County is under the same limits as nearby Hidalgo County and Jim Hogg County. These are the limits for Starr County, population about 66,587.
Where money is owed and the sum is no more than $20,000, this is the right court. The following disputes are the common ones.
Starr County has about 66,587 residents. Starr County Courthouse is the Starr County courthouse listed below.
It's built to be navigable without a lawyer. Here's the shape of a case from start to finish.
Write up what is owed on the claim form, select the courthouse, and settle the filing fee.
The defendant receives the papers through formal service and can reply or negotiate an end to it.
A brief, informal hearing, in person or, where the court offers it, by video. The judge rules at the hearing or sends the decision after.
This is the route a Starr County case takes, whether it starts in 78536 or anywhere else among the county ZIP codes. Starr County Courthouse lists (956) 716-4800 as its number.
Once the case is on file, the law requires the other side to be told about it formally. That step is service of process, and the papers cannot normally come from your own hand.
The options usually include a sheriff or constable, a licensed process server, certified mail sent by the clerk, or any adult with no stake in the case. What is allowed, and what it costs, differs from county to county.
Every court fixes a minimum number of days between service and the hearing. The clerk will tell you what it is for your case.
Service is proved on paper. The server completes and signs a form, and it is filed before the matter is heard.
Service is where many self-filed cases stall. Squabble can coordinate professional Service of Process so it's done correctly and on time.
Addresses in Starr County include places such as Delmita, Falcon Heights and Garciasville. Hidalgo County and Jim Hogg County are the counties nearest to Starr County.
Claims do not stay open indefinitely. Time runs from the events themselves, and a filing made afterwards may be shut out.
| Claim type | How long you have |
|---|---|
| Written contract | 4 years |
| Oral contract | 4 years |
| Property damage | 2 years |
| Personal injury | 2 years |
Starr County, population about 66,587, is covered by the table above. They do not change from one Starr County ZIP code to another, 78536 included.
Money owed under a contract in Texas generally accrues interest at 6% per year before judgment (Tex. Fin. Code §302.002).
A running total including interest can be worked out with the Squabble interest calculator.
Starr County is under the same state rate as nearby Hidalgo County and Jim Hogg County. The rate above is the one for Starr County, population about 66,587.
Make sure the claim is under the maximum and that the limitation period has not expired.
Name the correct party, describe what happened, and show how the amount is calculated.
File with the Starr County small-claims court on paper, by mail or at the counter, and pay the $45–$100 fee (or request a waiver if you qualify).
Service comes after the date is set. File the server's proof once the papers have been delivered.
Put the evidence in order, with exhibits marked, so the account is easy to follow.
Come to the hearing in person or remotely where permitted, present the facts, and get the ruling.
Tell Eleanor what happened and Squabble builds the filing, Triple-Checks™ it for administrative and jurisdictional accuracy, and files it on your behalf.
Start for FREE →You will meet a claim form, a proof of service, and possibly a fee waiver. What each is called depends on the court, and Squabble matches them to your courthouse.
Starr County papers go to Starr County Courthouse in Rio Grande City. Delmita, Falcon Heights and Garciasville are among the places in Starr County that filings come from.
Small claims hearings are short and informal, and the judge asks questions directly. Most people present their own case.
Delmita, Falcon Heights and Garciasville are among the Starr County places a hearing can draw parties from. Starr County Courthouse sits at the 78582 address shown above.
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.
A court-ordered levy allows funds to be taken from the debtor's bank account.
Filing the judgment with the county can attach a lien to land or buildings 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.
The judgment in a Starr County case comes from Starr County Courthouse in Rio Grande City. Delmita, Falcon Heights and Garciasville are among the Starr County places a judgment debtor may live in.
Last checked in August 2026. Court fees, limits and procedures move; verify them with the court first.
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 Starr County case for you.
