March 10, 2010-
TRAVIS COUNTY DISTRICT CLERK BEGINS
EMAIL PILOT PROGRAM
Process Now Being Emailed To Servers Directly
This week, Amalia Rodriguez-Mendoza, District Clerk of Travis County, Texas, announced the
kickoff of a pilot program to allow citations, writs and other notices to be emailed directly to
private process servers. The details of the program are as follows:
The program is NOT a part of the E-File system. This will simply be the clerk sending the
process to us as an attachment to an email. There are no costs or fees to be part of the
program. This is a ONE-WAY system. Process servers will receive the process by email, but,
returns CANNOT be filed electronically.
Process servers should submit their email address to Deputy District Clerk, Gwen Rogers, by
emailing a request to be included in the program. Ms. Rogers’ email address is:
e-issuancedc@co.travis.tx.us
Process servers should educate their clients to instruct the clerk to email the process to them.
This will be done when the ordering attorney E-Files their lawsuit. Through the E-File system,
the ordering attorney will use the comments box of their particular Electronic Filing Service
Provider (EFSP) to type “Please email citation to my process server at xxxx@xxx.com.” The
server’s email must be on the approved list.
The program applies to all general court cases (“GN”) cases, i.e. D-1-GN-10-000____ in Travis
County District Courts. The program also applies to family court cases (”FM”) but ONLY if the
attorney files the case through the E-File system. The program does not apply to Travis
County Court at Law cases (yet!)
VERY IMPORTANT: There will be no original on file at the clerk’s office.
The process server will receive by email the citation (or other writ), the petition (or other
pleading) and discovery if applicable. The process server MUST PRINT OUT TWO COPIES of
the citation or other court issued document; one to serve and one to return. The one you
return to the court will be considered the original. Costs for copies, if necessary, should be
negotiated between the ordering attorney and the process server.
The process server must follow all the same rules for receiving, serving and returning
process. The “came to hand” date & hour when the server receives the process MUST be on
both copies printed out.
In compliance with Rule 107, TRCP, the return of service must be “on or attached to” the
original citation. If you prepare a separate, stand-alone return of service, it MUST be filed with
the citation or other court issued process. While the clerk’s office does offer a fill-in-the-blank
return printed at the bottom of the citation, we recommend using a separate return.
Click here for an EXAMPLE RETURN
This is a great idea and we are very thankful to the District Clerk's Staff who worked to set up
this program.
THANK YOU!
Story brought to you by:
The Certified Civil Process Servers Association of Texas