Last reviewed: October 21, 2026. This Texas-specific update links to official court and statutory resources. It is general information, not legal advice.
Texas has four bankruptcy districts
Texas is served by the Northern, Eastern, Southern, and Western U.S. Bankruptcy Courts. Each district has its own divisions and local location information. The Northern District lists divisions including Dallas, Fort Worth, Amarillo, and Lubbock; the Eastern District’s staffed offices include Beaumont, Plano, and Tyler; the Southern District includes Houston and other division locations; and the Western District lists Austin, El Paso, San Antonio, and Waco among its clerk-office locations. Start with the court that serves your county and verify the current location or filing arrangement.
Filing without an attorney and electronic preparation
Texas filing methods are district-specific. The Eastern District’s eSR program is for qualifying self-represented individuals preparing Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 cases in that district; it is not the official filing until the court issues a case number after receiving the required follow-up material. Northern, Southern, and Western district procedures differ. Court staff cannot provide legal advice, so use the district serving your county for current instructions.
Fees, installments, and waiver requests
Bankruptcy fee schedules are federal and date-sensitive. Confirm the live U.S. Courts fee schedule and the applicable district’s payment instructions before filing instead of relying on a fixed number here. The Official Bankruptcy Forms page identifies Form B103A for an installment request, Form B103B for a Chapter 7 waiver application, and Schedule C for property claimed as exempt. A court decides payment and waiver requests under the applicable rules.
Texas exemption and foreclosure questions
Texas legal-aid guidance says a Chapter 7 filer in Texas may be able to choose Texas or federal bankruptcy exemptions. Texas exemptions include homestead acreage rules and personal-property caps, but neither system should be selected from a general article. Valid liens, residence history, urban or rural classification, equity, and property type all matter. For a deed-of-trust sale, Texas law generally requires a 20-day cure notice before sale notice and at least 21 days’ sale notice, subject to the statute’s terms and facts. Do not assume a homestead status or bankruptcy filing produces a particular foreclosure outcome.
Browse Texas bankruptcy attorneys, including Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio profiles.
Before you file in Texas
- Identify the appropriate federal district and division from your county, then verify the current court location and local procedures.
- Gather all creditor notices, income records, tax documents, property values, loan or lien statements, and any foreclosure paperwork.
- Discuss the Texas-versus-federal exemption question with a lawyer before electing a system.
- Move promptly if a deed-of-trust sale is scheduled, but do not assume any general timeline or filing will produce a particular outcome.
