How to Search the Gaines County Court Docket
Know which court holds the case first. Then run your Gaines County court docket search. The official Gaines County Court Dockets page posts dated schedule files for County Court, along with public arraignment and pre-trial lists. The County Clerk's LGS link covers indexes for county criminal, civil, probate, and official public records. The District Clerk is a separate office and holds the 106th District Court records. Justice courts and both municipal courts keep their own files. That division shapes every lookup.
Grab a cause number whenever a notice or docket PDF shows one. It is the best key across systems. A party name can pull up several people. A cause number points to one case in Gaines County. Keep the court type, filing year, and hearing date nearby too. A blank search result does not mean the case disappeared. The matter may sit with a different clerk, be too new for the portal, or be sealed from public view.
- Read the court name on the citation, notice, order, or prior filing.
- Open that court's official docket page or clerk-supported search.
- Search by cause number first, or use the full party name when no number is known.
- Compare the case style, court, and setting date before relying on a match.
- Ask the responsible clerk to confirm a later setting or supply an official copy.
Phone, mail, and in-person routes remain useful. County Clerk records can be requested through Room 206, the published phone and fax lines, or the county mailing address. District cases route through Room 311. Call before mailing to confirm the copy type, fee, and pay method.
Gaines County LGS Docket Search
On the Gaines County Clerk page, the LGS entry is labeled "ONLINE RECORDS SEARCH (OPR, PROBATE, CRIMINAL AND CIVIL)." Read that label closely. LGS covers county-clerk records only. It is not a universal feed. It does not reach the 106th District Court, the justice courts, or the city courts. A guest route lets you view index data without an account. The vendor's county FAQ states that searches are free, though document images may cost money.
The public login screen offers Email Address and Password fields plus Login, Guest Login, Forgot Password, New Account, and Questions buttons. To register, you supply an email and a confirmation. You also give a password and a confirmation, a CAPTCHA, and agreement to the terms. The record dropdowns appear only inside a live session. Gaines County listings show up once you log in or use the guest option.
| Access choice | What it does | Important limit |
|---|---|---|
| Guest Login | Opens free index searching | Index data only, not a certified file |
| Registered account | Supports image purchase and downloads | Five image buys trigger a subscription requirement |
| Clerk request | Provides plain or certified copies | Confirm page count, fee, and delivery route first |
The FAQ also lists a $0.30 transaction fee in the purchase flow. Download your image when prompted and keep the receipt. Remember, a vendor image is not a clerk-certified copy.
What a Court Docket Shows
A Gaines County court docket records the steps in one matter. County Court public PDFs lay out schedule information in a compact form. A case index or full docket can run longer. It carries the whole filing history. The 2026 criminal samples show a cause number. They also list case style, attorney columns, a setting label, date, and time. Field-level reading works well on them, and no private party details are exposed.
| Cause Number | The local key used to match a docket line to the clerk's case file. |
|---|---|
| Case Style | The caption that identifies the parties or the state and defendant. |
| Setting | A scheduled event, such as arraignment or pre-trial, not a final result. |
| Date and Time | The posted call time, which may change after the PDF is saved. |
| Attorney | Counsel listed for a party where the public docket has that field. |
| Disposition | The outcome entered later, if the searched record includes it. |
Do not confuse a setting with a disposition. When a Gaines County schedule reads "no court," the calendar simply has no session on that listed date. No case gets dismissed by that entry. In the same way, an arraignment or pre-trial entry tells you what was due to occur, never what the judge later ruled.
Gaines County Docket PDF Clues
The Gaines County Court posts two kinds of useful PDF. One is a yearly schedule of recurring arraignment and pre-trial dates. The other is a dated public docket listing the cases assigned to a particular call. The schedule helps you plan. The docket ties cause numbers to a real setting. Neither replaces the clerk's complete case file.
County instructions currently ask that continuances and waivers be e-filed by the Friday before court. That local rule matters, but sending a filing is not proof it was granted. Check the later Gaines County court docket entry. Or confirm the result with the coordinator or clerk. A downloaded copy can always be overtaken by a reset.
- Arraignment
- A setting at which the charge is addressed and a plea may be taken.
- Pre-trial
- A setting before trial for case status, motions, pleas, or other preparation.
- Reset
- A later date that replaces a prior setting.
- Continuance
- A requested delay that requires court action.
Note: Use the newest dated file, and treat the court's later entry or direct confirmation as controlling.
Which Courts Keep Dockets
Gaines County has no single clerk for every docket. The constitutional Gaines County Court handles county-level matters, with the official county and state materials as support. General-jurisdiction work belongs to the 106th District Court. It serves Gaines along with Dawson, Garza, and Lynn counties. Justice of the Peace Precincts 1 and 2 handle lower-court matters. Seminole and Seagraves Municipal Courts keep the city cases. Start your search with the court named on the document.
| Court | Docket covers | Where to search |
|---|---|---|
| Gaines County Court | County criminal, civil, probate, and related matters | Posted PDFs, County Clerk LGS, or County Clerk |
| 106th District Court | District civil, family, felony, and other district matters | District Clerk and re:SearchTX where covered |
| JP Precinct 1 or 2 | Precinct traffic, Class C, small civil, and justice matters | The correct justice court clerk |
| Seminole or Seagraves Municipal Court | City traffic, ordinance, and municipal Class C cases | The named city's municipal clerk |
Federal cases live in a separate system. Gaines County sits in the Northern District of Texas, Lubbock Division, and federal bankruptcy matters route through the bankruptcy clerk. PACER is the tool for searching those records. They will not surface in a Gaines County court docket search.
Gaines County Clerk Split
Two clerks split the Gaines County records. Terri Berry is the Gaines County Clerk. She keeps county-court criminal, civil, and probate materials and runs the LGS route. Susan Murphree, the Gaines County District Clerk, serves as clerk of the 106th District Court. A district court pleading goes to the District Clerk. Both counters work inside the Gaines County courthouse.
That division can explain a docket search that comes up empty. LGS fits a county probate matter but not a district family case. Justice court and municipal court records stay with those lower courts. Before you pay for an image or send a broad records request, gather the court, cause number, party name, approximate filing date, and the exact document you want. A narrow request lets the clerk find the right file fast. The clerk can then quote the correct cost.
Gaines County Clerk
Room 206, 101 South Main Street
Seminole, Texas 79360
(432) 758-4003
Gaines County District Clerk
Room 311, 101 South Main Street
Seminole, Texas 79360
(432) 758-4013
Finding Court Dates and Settings
Need a Gaines County Court date? Start on the county's Dockets page and open the current annual schedule. From there, look for the dated public docket tied to your hearing. Compare its cause number and style against the notice in hand. The Gaines County court calendar walks through the schedule and setting fields in more detail.
Always confirm changes. A PDF is only a snapshot. A reset, waiver, or continuance can move the event later. The County Court coordinator is Taylor Kasie at (432) 758-4621. Remember that the judge and staff cannot give legal advice, so keep your question narrow and administrative, such as whether a stated case remains on a stated docket. District, justice, and municipal dates should be verified with whichever office owns that docket.
The courthouse doors stay open Monday through Friday. Hours run 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., per the District Clerk page. Expect screening at entry. Wheelchair access uses the basement entrance on Southeast Avenue B. A 106th District Court standing order covers attire, device noise, and recording. It also governs food, water, and weapons for that courtroom.
Gaines County Search Layers Compared
Think of the county and statewide systems as layers, not duplicates. LGS connects to the Gaines County Clerk's published record groups. re:SearchTX adds Cases, Filings, Text, and Hearings modes. These span participating Texas courts. Coverage and document access vary by court and record type, though. The county PDF library is narrower still. Even so, it can be the fastest official source for a scheduled County Court arraignment or pre-trial docket.
eFileTexas does a different job entirely. It routes filings to courts through approved service providers. That is not public browsing. A filing receipt proves submission only, never acceptance, a hearing date, or a judge's ruling. For public research, stick with the clerk's system, re:SearchTX, or the posted docket.
If a case is missing: verify the court first, try the cause number, allow for posting time, and ask the responsible clerk whether access is restricted.
Public Access to Dockets
Many Gaines County docket entries are open to the public. Texas court access, though, is not a promise that every document belongs online. Judicial records answer to court rules and statutes. The Texas Public Information Act treats the judiciary differently. It does not fold the courts into the same box as an ordinary executive agency. Real limits remain. Sealed orders, juvenile matters, expunctions, protected family records, and sensitive data can each limit what a public search returns.
Key rules:
Texas Rule of Judicial Administration 12 provides a request process for judicial records and states its exclusions.
Texas Government Code Chapter 552 contains the Public Information Act and addresses judiciary treatment.
Code of Criminal Procedure Chapter 55A governs expunction and limits access after a qualifying order.
When an online result has no image, ask the clerk instead. The document may sit at the counter, travel by mail, or come through a focused request. One caution: an index entry is not proof that every filing can be copied.
Gaines County Copy Choices
A docket points the way. The document itself lives in the case file. Fees differ by copy type. Pick the right one. The County Clerk fee schedule lists a plain copy at $1.00 per page. A certified copy costs $1.00 per page plus $5.00 for certification. An authenticated copy runs $1.00 per page plus $5.00 for certification and $5.00 for authentication. The District Clerk schedule runs on its own lines. It charges $1.00 for the first ten pages of an electronic copy, then $0.10 per page. Certification costs $5.00. Confirm the posted schedule is still current before you pay.
Ask for the page count and the copy type up front. A plain copy often suits personal review, while a certified copy bears the clerk's certification. The County Clerk page links a certified-copy request document. Open it with compatible software, and call the office if any instruction is unclear.
| Copy | Published charge | Custodian note |
|---|---|---|
| County Clerk plain | $1.00 per page | County-level file |
| County Clerk certified | $1.00 per page plus $5.00 | Clerk certification |
| District electronic | $1.00 first ten pages, then $0.10 per page | District file |
| District certification | $5.00 add-on | Confirm current schedule |
The Clerk and Docket Records
The Gaines County Clerk is the main county-level docket keeper. The District Clerk handles district matters. Both offices sit at 101 South Main Street in Seminole. Mail for the county goes to P.O. Box 847, Seminole, Texas 79360. Published hours run Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Call or visit the right room, and ask how a mailed request should be addressed.
A records request should name the court. Include the cause number, full party name, approximate filing date, and the exact item wanted. Say whether the copy must be plain or certified. The County Clerk phone is (432) 758-4003 and the fax is (432) 758-1442. For the District Clerk, call (432) 758-4013 or fax (432) 955-1013. A fax line does not guarantee that every request or payment may travel that way. Check first.
Gaines County Courthouse
101 South Main Street
Seminole, Texas 79360
(432) 758-5411
Gaines County Lower-Court Dockets
Traffic tickets and Class C matters often stay out of the County Clerk's hands. Justice of the Peace Precinct 1 posts forms for pleas and defensive driving. It also posts forms for payment alternatives, occupational licenses, and juvenile cases. Its clerk answers at (432) 758-4015. Precinct 2 runs from Seagraves, and the judicial directory lists (806) 546-2666. Check which precinct is printed on the citation before you dial.
City citations work the same way. Seminole Municipal Court and Seagraves Municipal Court keep separate contacts and separate online payment vendors. Those payment tools are not real docket searches. A case that demands a personal appearance, or a clerk request, may not appear there at all. City procedure questions go to the municipal page. The public court record itself comes from that court's clerk.
A traffic ticket, a JP case, and a Gaines County Court criminal cause can each sit in a different record system. One county, three systems. Knowing which office has the file saves time. It also lowers the odds of acting on the wrong case. That case merely shares a name with yours.
A traffic ticket, a JP case, and a Gaines County Court criminal cause can each sit in a different record system. One county, three systems. Knowing which office has the file saves time. It also lowers the odds of acting on the wrong case. That case merely shares a name with yours.
Gaines County Docket History
Old and current public PDFs from the county show one steady habit. Gaines County publishes dated criminal arraignment and pre-trial docket lists through the county site. Samples from 2024 and 2025 match the broad field pattern still seen in 2026. That continuity tells readers what a public schedule can show. Old links, though, may move or expire.
Texas has layered digital tools on top. eFileTexas handles filing, re:SearchTX opens public case research across participating courts, and LGS powers the Gaines County Clerk's local index and image access. Each system covers a different stage of a case's life. A filing goes in first. The clerk then indexes it. The court sets events, and later docket entries record the action taken.
Texas has layered digital tools on top. eFileTexas handles filing, re:SearchTX opens public case research across participating courts, and LGS powers the Gaines County Clerk's local index and image access. Each system covers a different stage of a case's life. A filing goes in first. The clerk then indexes it. The court sets events, and later docket entries record the action taken.
Docket flow: Filing › Clerk index › Court setting › Hearing › Order or disposition › Archived case file.
Court Dockets by City in Gaines County
Gaines County contains just two incorporated cities. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 estimates put Seminole at 7,730 residents and Seagraves at 2,352. Those are population figures, not court caseload counts. Each city runs its own municipal court for local traffic, ordinance, and Class C matters. A city-level docket search should begin with that court. Anything county or district level moves to the matching clerk instead.
Gaines County contains just two incorporated cities. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 estimates put Seminole at 7,730 residents and Seagraves at 2,352. Those are population figures, not court caseload counts. Each city runs its own municipal court for local traffic, ordinance, and Class C matters. A city-level docket search should begin with that court. Anything county or district level moves to the matching clerk instead.
Seminole Court Docket
7,730 estimated residents · City Hall court for municipal cases
Seagraves Court Docket
2,352 estimated residents · Separate municipal court and payment route
Seminole posts detailed citation procedures, covering appearance and juvenile rules. Seagraves tells users to respond by the citation date and links its traffic vendor. Neither city offers a full public docket-search feed, so contact the clerk directly.
Map and Directions to the Gaines County Courthouse
The 106th District Court's civil, family, and felony filings are kept by the District Clerk in Room 311 of the Gaines County Courthouse, 101 South Main Street in Seminole. The County Clerk's county-level criminal, civil, and probate records are kept in Room 206 of the same building. Both clerk counters, and the courthouse's public entrance, sit at this one Seminole address.
Gaines County Courthouse
101 South Main Street
Seminole, Texas 79360
(432) 758-5411
Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Entry is subject to screening and search. Wheelchair access is through the basement entrance on Southeast Avenue B rather than the main door. The 106th District Court's standing order bars weapons without prior permission, food, and recording without prior permission inside its courtroom, and requires electronic devices to be silenced.