Bexar County Precinct 3 Court: Filing, Citations & Appeals

The Bexar County Precinct 3 Court is the Justice of the Peace court at 320 Interpark Boulevard in San Antonio that handles small claims and debt cases up to $20,000, evictions, Class C misdemeanors, and traffic citations tied to the northern and northwestern part of the county. Judge Julie Bray Patterson presides in Place 1, and the office shares its address with the Precinct 3 Constable, who serves the court’s papers and enforces its orders.¹²

Location, Hours, and Phone Numbers

The court and the Constable’s office share 320 Interpark Boulevard, San Antonio, TX 78216. Both are open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and closed on county holidays.² For questions about a case, hearing date, or filing, call the court at 210-335-4700.¹ For citations, warrants, or civil process questions, call the Constable at 210-335-4750.³

What the Court Handles

On the civil side, the Precinct 3 JP court hears small claims and debt claim cases where the amount in dispute is $20,000 or less, not counting interest.⁴ Evictions make up a large share of the docket. A landlord who wants to remove a tenant through legal channels files here.⁵

Criminal jurisdiction is limited to offenses punishable only by a fine — Class C misdemeanors such as traffic violations, public intoxication, and minor theft.⁶ The maximum fine for a Class C misdemeanor is $500.⁷

The judge also performs marriages and conducts death inquests for deaths in the precinct that require investigation, such as unnatural deaths, suicides, or deaths with no physician present.⁸ If your license has been suspended, you can also petition the court for an occupational driver’s license that lets you drive to work, school, or other essential destinations. The court can hear the petition if you live in Bexar County, if the incident that caused the suspension happened here, or if the court that ordered the suspension sits in this county. Commercial vehicles are not covered.

Tickets written by the San Antonio Police Department go to municipal court, not to Precinct 3.³

Filing a Civil Case

Before you file, confirm the case belongs in Precinct 3. Jurisdiction turns on where the defendant lives or where the events took place. If neither ties to this precinct, the clerk will reject the filing and you’ll need to refile in the right one.

What To Bring

Full legal names and physical addresses for every party. P.O. boxes don’t work for service — papers have to be handed over in person.
The dollar amount you’re seeking, within the $20,000 limit.
A brief written explanation of the dispute: what happened, what’s owed, and why the defendant is responsible.
Whether each defendant is a person or a business, which affects how service is done and what name goes on the petition.

Petition forms are on the Bexar County website or available at the Precinct 3 office.⁹

Fees and Service Costs

As of 2025, a small claims or debt claim petition costs $54 to file, plus a $92 service fee for each defendant the constable has to serve. A case with two defendants runs $54 plus $184 in service. Eviction petitions carry the same $54 filing fee but a $117 service fee per defendant.¹⁰ Bexar County has indicated that new civil process fees take effect January 1, 2026, so check the county’s fee schedule before filing.

If a defendant is hard to locate, alternative service exists: posting at the courthouse costs $47, and service by publication is $92. Both add steps and time to the case.¹¹

Can’t afford the costs? File a Statement of Inability to Afford Payment of Court Costs, a state-approved form that asks the court to waive fees. You disclose income, assets, and whether you receive benefits like Medicaid, SNAP, or SSI. A legal aid certificate can also prove eligibility.¹²

Service and the Answer Deadline

Once the clerk accepts the filing, the Constable’s office delivers the petition and citation to the defendant. The judge cannot set a trial date or enter a default until service is complete. After being served, the defendant has 14 days to file a written answer. If the 14th day falls on a weekend or court holiday, the deadline moves to the next business day.¹³

Eviction Writ Fee

If a landlord wins an eviction and the appeal window closes, the judge can issue a writ of possession. The constable must post a 24-hour notice at the property before removing anyone.¹⁴ The writ of possession fee is $282.¹¹

Handling a Traffic Ticket or Class C Citation

Ignoring a citation is the one option that always makes things worse. Missing the court date printed on your ticket can trigger a warrant and a separate failure-to-appear charge that carries its own fine of up to $500.¹⁵

Paying a Fine

You can pay in person at the Precinct 3 office or by mail. In-person payments must be cash, cashier’s check, or money order — personal checks and credit cards aren’t accepted. If you mail payment, send a money order or cashier’s check made payable to the JP precinct number on your ticket, along with a copy of the ticket and the return reply form. Paying by mail counts as a guilty plea and a waiver of your right to trial.¹⁵

Deferred Disposition

For many traffic offenses, you can ask the judge for deferred disposition. You plead no contest or guilty and waive your right to trial. If you meet the conditions the judge sets, the citation doesn’t become a conviction. Conditions vary. For moving violations, expect to complete a defensive driving course, and you generally won’t qualify if you’ve taken one in the last 12 months. For driving without insurance, you may need to show proof that you’ve obtained coverage and maintained a valid license within 180 days. Fail to complete the conditions, and the court enters the conviction as if deferred disposition was never offered. The judge decides whether to grant it in the first place.

Checking on a Warrant

If you think a warrant may have been issued on a citation you missed, call Constable Precinct 3 at 210-335-4750 for tickets written by a sheriff or constable. For San Antonio Police Department tickets, contact municipal court instead.³ The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office will not call demanding phone payments, gift cards, or cryptocurrency to clear a warrant. Those calls are scams.

Looking Up a Case Online

Bexar County runs a consolidated Justice Information Portal for active and historical case records, fugitive information, and bail bond data. It’s free and available at portal-txbexar.tylertech.cloud.¹⁶ A user guide and training video are posted on the county site. Portal results are “as-is” and aren’t a substitute for official records from the court clerk.

Appealing a Decision

Losing at the JP level doesn’t end the case. Civil appeals go to the Bexar County Court at Law and start over as a trial de novo, meaning the county court treats it as if the JP trial never happened. Filing the appeal properly makes the original judgment unenforceable.¹⁷

The window is 21 days from the date the judgment is signed. Within that window you must file the appeal and post a bond or cash deposit. A plaintiff who appeals posts a $500 bond. A defendant who appeals posts a bond equal to twice the judgment amount. If you can’t afford the bond, a Statement of Inability to Afford Payment of Court Costs can stand in its place.¹⁷ Miss the 21 days and the appeal right is gone.

Responding to a Jury Summons

Either side can request a jury in a JP civil or criminal case. To serve, you must be at least 18, a U.S. citizen and Bexar County resident, able to read and write English, of sound mind, and free of any felony conviction or pending felony charge.¹⁸

You can claim an exemption if you:

Are over 75 years old
Have custody of a child under 12 with no one else to supervise them
Are a high school or college student currently enrolled and attending
Are the primary caretaker of someone unable to care for themselves (this doesn’t apply to healthcare workers)
Served on a jury in Bexar County district or county courts within the last 36 months
Are an active-duty military member deployed away from your home county

Complete the exemption form on your summons, sign it, and return it to the Central Jury Bailiff at the Bexar County Justice Center in person or by mail.¹⁸

1
Bexar County. Justice of the Peace
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Bexar County, TX. Constable Precinct 3
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Bexar County, TX. Warrants – Criminal and Civil
4
State of Texas. Texas Code Government Code 27.031 – Jurisdiction
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Justia Law. Texas Code Property Code Title 4 Chapter 24 – Forcible Entry and Detainer
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State of Texas. Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Article 4.11 – Jurisdiction of Justice Court
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State of Texas. Texas Code Penal Code 12.23 – Class C Misdemeanor
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State of Texas. Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Article 49.04 – Deaths Requiring an Inquest
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Bexar County, TX. Civil Cases
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Bexar County, TX. Filing Fees
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Bexar County, TX. Civil Process
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Texas Judicial Branch. Statement of Inability to Afford Payment of Court Costs or an Appeal Bond
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Texas Judicial Branch. Texas Rules of Civil Procedure – Rule 502.5
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Texas State Law Library. The Eviction Process
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Bexar County, TX. Fines and Payments
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Bexar County, TX. New Justice Information Portal
17
Texas State Law Library. Appealing a Case – Small Claims Cases
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Bexar County, TX. Jury Services