Election and Qualifications
District clerks are elected by the qualified voters of each county and hold office for four years. They must meet the following qualifications at the time of appointment or election:
- U.S. Citizen
- resident of Texas for at least 12 consecutive months
- resident of the county for at least six consecutive months
- registered to vote in the county
- at least 18 years of age
- not have been finally convicted of a felony from which they have not been pardoned
- not have been determined by a court to be mentally incapacitated.
Powers and Responsibilities
District clerks in the State of Texas perform the following main duties:
- Record the acts and proceedings of district courts
- Keep an index of the parties to all suits filed in the court(s) that they serve
- Coordinate the jury selection process
- Maintain records of juror service and disburse jury fees
- Responds to records requests from members of the public
- Collect filing fees
District clerks are also custodians of the seal of the district court that they serve. The seal is used by the clerk to authenticate official acts of the court.
Additionally, district clerks fulfill several miscellaneous functions, including processing passport applications (currently this is not available in Hays County).
Connect With Us