Rule 33.Suits by or Against Counties
Last verified June 28, 2026
In one sentenceRule 33 requires a county or an incorporated city, town, or village to sue and be sued in its corporate name.
Full Text of Rule 33
Suits by or against a county or incorporated city, town or village shall be in its corporate name.
End
Plain-English Summary
Rule 33 fixes how a local government is named in litigation. A county, or an incorporated city, town, or village, sues and is sued in its corporate name — not in the names of its officials. It is a short rule about the right party to name.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you name a county or city in a Texas lawsuit?
By its corporate name. Rule 33 requires suits by or against a county or an incorporated city, town, or village to be in that entity's corporate name.
Does Rule 33 cover towns and villages, or only cities?
All three. Rule 33 applies to suits by or against a county or an incorporated city, town, or village, and requires each to sue and be sued in its corporate name.
Can you name a county's officials instead of the county itself?
No. Rule 33 requires the suit to be in the county's corporate name, not in the names of its commissioners or other officials.
Source & verification. Rule text and the official Notes and Comments are reproduced verbatim from the
Texas Rules of Civil Procedure (Tex. R. Civ. P. 33), published by the Texas Judicial Branch (txcourts.gov).
Promulgated by the Supreme Court of Texas. The plain-English summary is original and draws on official sources. Last verified June 28, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as: suits by or against countiescountycity town or villagecorporate nameTRCP 33