Panola County Court Records Search
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Panola County, located in the Piney Woods of East Texas, operates a court system that handles felony and misdemeanor criminal cases, civil disputes, family law matters, and probate proceedings. Records from these cases are maintained by two offices: the District Clerk and the County Clerk, both located in the Panola County Courthouse in Carthage. Before making any records request, it helps to know which office holds the type of record you need.
For Texas residents searching for court case information, clerk offices, public access terminals, and online tools are all available options. TexasStateCourts.us can help users locate publicly available case information and identify the right court or clerk for a given record type. At the county level, Panola County maintains its own dedicated online case search portal, and statewide tools can supplement those searches.
How to Look Up a Court Case in Panola County?
Panola County offers several ways to search for a court case, depending on whether the case was handled by the District Court, County Court, or a Justice of the Peace court.
Option 1 — Online via the Panola County Odyssey Portal
The most accessible starting point for most case types is the Panola County Court Records portal, powered by Tyler Technologies' Odyssey system. The portal provides separate search paths for Civil, Family & Probate case records and Criminal case records, along with a Court Calendar and jail records. You can search by party name or case number.
Option 2 — Online via the County Clerk Self-Service Portal
For property records, vital records, and probate filings maintained by the County Clerk, use the Panola County Clerk Self-Service portal. This system allows you to browse land records and related County Clerk documents remotely.
Option 3 — Mail Request to the District Clerk
For certified copies or formal records requests on District Court cases, complete the District Clerk Records Request Form and mail it to the District Clerk's Office. A $5.00 search fee applies when the case number is unknown, and copies are $1.00 per page.
Option 4 — In Person
Both clerk offices are open Monday through Friday during regular business hours:
Panola County District Clerk (Lindsey Smith)
Address: 110 S. Sycamore Street, Room 227, Carthage, TX 75633
Phone: (903) 693-0306 | Fax: (903) 693-6914
Panola County Clerk (Bobbie Davis)
Address: 110 S. Sycamore Street, Room 201, Carthage, TX 75633
Phone: (903) 693-0302
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–5:00 PM
Are Court Records Public in Panola County?
Court records in Panola County are generally available to the public. While the Texas Public Information Act (TPIA), Government Code Chapter 552, covers many government records in Texas, it does not directly govern judicial records. Access to court records is instead regulated by common law and judicial rules, particularly Rule 12 of the Texas Rules of Judicial Administration, which sets out the procedures for accessing court administrative records and establishes the framework under which custodians respond to requests.
Under Texas Government Code § 552.115, certain vital records within the court system receive confidentiality protections based on their age and content. Beyond vital records, specific categories of court-related records are restricted from general public access:
- Juvenile court records — Protected regardless of the age of the record
- Adoption records — Sealed by statute and accessible only through court order
- Mental health commitment records — Confidential under applicable health statutes
- Sealed records — Closed by court order; access requires a subsequent court order
- Internal judicial deliberations and communications — Not subject to disclosure
- Investigatory records — Exempt when release would compromise active proceedings
- Sensitive personal data and victim identification — Redacted or withheld to protect identifiable information in human trafficking and sexual offense cases
For all other case types, anyone may contact the appropriate clerk with a party name or case number to request inspection or copies of records.
Panola County Criminal Court Records
Felony criminal cases in Panola County are handled exclusively by the 123rd District Court, which serves both Panola and Shelby Counties. Judge LeAnn Kay Rafferty presides. The District Court's Panola County operations are based at the courthouse in Carthage. The District Attorney is Criminal District Attorney Larry Fields, whose office is at 108 S. Sycamore Street, Room 301, Carthage, TX 75633, Phone: (903) 693-0310
For felony criminal case records, contact the District Clerk:
Panola County District Clerk
Address: 110 S. Sycamore Street, Room 227, Carthage, TX 75633
Phone: (903) 693-0306
Criminal case records — including charges, dispositions, and felony court costs — can be searched through the Panola County Court Records portal. Certified copies cannot be emailed; they must be picked up in person or requested by mail using the Records Request Form.
Misdemeanor criminal cases fall under the jurisdiction of the Panola County Constitutional County Court (Class A and Class B misdemeanors) and the Justice of the Peace courts and Carthage Municipal Court (Class C misdemeanors). The two JP courts in Panola County are:
| Court | Judge | Phone | Fax |
|---|---|---|---|
| JP Precinct 1 & 4 | Judge Denise Gray | (903) 693-0375 | (903) 694-2674 |
| JP Precinct 2 & 3 | Judge Maria Hernandez | (903) 693-0377 | (903) 693-4708 |
Both JP courts are located at the Panola County Courthouse, 110 S. Sycamore Street, Carthage, TX 75633. The City of Carthage Municipal Court is at 321 West Panola, Carthage, TX 75633, Phone: (903) 693-5032
For arrest records and inmate information, the Panola County Sheriff's Office is at 314 W. Wellington, Carthage, TX 75633, and can be reached at (903) 693-0333. The Detention Center is at 319 W. Wellington, Phone: (903) 693-0359 Jail records are also accessible through the Odyssey public access portal. Public information requests to the Sheriff's Office can be submitted through the online Sheriff's Office Public Information Request form.
For statewide criminal history background checks, the Texas Department of Public Safety maintains the Criminal History Conviction Name Search portal, which returns conviction data for arrests resulting in Class B misdemeanor or higher charges.
Panola County Civil Court Records
Civil disputes in Panola County are divided between the 123rd District Court and the Constitutional County Court based on the monetary amount and the nature of the claim. The District Court handles major civil matters — contract disputes over higher amounts, title to land, injunctive relief, and appeals from lower courts. The County Court handles civil claims within its statutory monetary jurisdiction, and Justice of the Peace courts handle small claims, debt claim cases, eviction proceedings, and repair-and-remedy matters.
The District Clerk's Fee Schedule (effective January 1, 2024, updated November 2025) governs filing costs for civil proceedings in the District Court:
| Filing Type | Fee |
|---|---|
| New civil suit | $350.00 |
| Foreign judgment | $350.00 |
| Condemnation, Tax Suit, Transfer In | $350.00 |
| Contempt action | $80.00 |
| Counterclaim / Cross-Action / Intervention | $80.00 |
| Motion for New Trial / Motion to Reinstate | $80.00 |
| Appeal | $35.00 |
| Non-Disclosure | $80.00 |
| Record search (per name) | $5.00 |
| Paper copies (per page) | $1.00 |
| Certified copy | $5.00 + $1.00 per page |
| Exemplified copy | $5.00 + $1.00 per page |
For small claims and eviction matters in the Justice of the Peace courts, the Panola County JP courts provide downloadable self-help forms including a Petition – Small Claims, Petition – Eviction Case, and Petition – Debt Claim Case.
Civil case records can be searched online through the Panola County Odyssey public access portal. Appellate review of Panola County District and County Court decisions is handled by the Sixth Court of Appeals.
Panola County Family Court Records
Family law proceedings in Panola County — including divorce, child custody, child support, adoptions, suits affecting the parent-child relationship (SAPCRs), and protective orders — are handled by the 123rd District Court. All filings are made with the District Clerk's Office.
District Court family filing fees:
| Filing Type | Fee |
|---|---|
| New family suit (divorce, SAPCR, UIFSA) | $350.00 |
| Motion for Enforcement (SAPCR or Non-SAPCR) | $80.00 |
| Motion for Modification (SAPCR or Non-SAPCR) | $80.00 |
| Contempt action | $80.00 |
| Petition for License Suspension (SAPCR) | $80.00 |
| Notice of Application for Judicial Writ of Withholding | $80.00 |
The Texas Office of the Attorney General's Child Support Program provides statewide child support services — including establishing, enforcing, and modifying orders — regardless of whether either parent has an attorney.
Vital records connected to family proceedings are held by the County Clerk. Fees effective January 1, 2024:
- Marriage license: $81.00 standard; $21.00 with a Texas Premarital Education Certificate (72-hour waiting period waived); no charge for military personnel being deployed.
- Certified copy of marriage license: $21.00.
- Birth certificate: $23.00 per certified copy. Under Texas Government Code § 552.115, birth records are confidential for 75 years. During that period, access is limited to the registrant, immediate family members including grandparents, legal guardians, and legal representatives. Requesters must present a valid or recently expired (within 90 days) government-issued photo ID.
- Death certificate: $21.00 for the first certified copy; $4.00 for each additional copy ordered at the same time. Death records are confidential for 25 years after the date of death.
To request birth or death certificates by mail, submit the Application for Birth/Death Certificate to the County Clerk at 110 S. Sycamore Street, Room 201, Carthage, TX 75633. The application must include a copy of the requester's ID, a completed affidavit, and payment. Vital records dating to 1903 are also available through the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Vital Statistics unit, which accepts online orders through the DSHS Vital Records Ordering website.
Panola County Probate Court Records
Probate matters in Panola County — estate administration, will probations, guardianships, and conservatorships — are processed through the Panola County Constitutional County Court. The County Clerk's Office is the official custodian for all probate case records.
Probate filings are handled by the County Clerk at 110 S. Sycamore Street, Room 201, Carthage, TX 75633, Phone: (903) 693-0302 The County Clerk's Civil Fees Schedule governs probate filing costs. Probate records can be searched through both the Panola County Odyssey portal (Civil, Family & Probate records section) and the County Clerk Self-Service portal.
To request probate records in person, visit the County Clerk's Office and provide a party name or case number. Copy fees apply: $1.00 per page for paper copies, $1.00 per page for electronic copies of 1–10 pages, $0.10 per page for electronic copies of 11 or more pages, and $5.00 for certification of any document.
Wills deposited with the County Clerk for safekeeping are charged a $5.00 filing fee. Before contacting the clerk's office, have either the decedent's name or the assigned case number ready — it will speed up the search considerably. For property associated with an estate, deeds and other land records filed with the County Clerk can be accessed through the Self-Service Land Records portal. Property ownership and appraisal data for Panola County is separately maintained by the Panola County Appraisal District, located at 1736 Ballpark Drive, Carthage, TX 75633, Phone: (903) 693-2891